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Posted: 5/21/2003 7:42:18 AM EDT
I think in light of the WTC/Pentagon attacks the mood of the nation has changed, and some of the liberals just still don't get it that the world and times has changed, i.e. it is not fashionable to be anti-USA.
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New York Times reporter booed at Illinois college graduation
Wednesday, May 21, 2003 Posted: 9:49 AM EDT (1349 GMT)

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/05/20/reporter.booed.ap/index.html

CHICAGO, Illinois (AP) -- A New York Times reporter cut short a keynote address to

graduates at a private Illinois college over the weekend after audience members shouted

down his comments about the war in Iraq.

Chris Hedges, a Pulitzer Prize winner and author of a recent book that describes war as

an addiction, was booed Saturday at Rockford College, a small liberal arts school 80

miles northwest of Chicago. After protesters rushed the stage and twice cut power to the

microphone, Hedges cut his speech short.

"He delivered what I guess I would refer to as a fairly strident perspective on the war

in Iraq and American policy," college President Paul Pribbenow said Tuesday. "I think our

audience at commencement were not prepared for that."

Many audience members turned their backs on Hedges, while others booed and shouted, said

Pribbenow, who at one point pleaded to let the speech continue.

Hedges characterized the United States action in Iraq as occupation and said that such a

mission would generate rage against Americans. He said the capacity to wage war does not

entitle a nation to wage war. The reporter also said the United States and the embedded

reporters portrayed war as a spectator sport, touting advanced and powerful technology

while overlooking the suffering of Iraqis and the deaths of young American troops.

Hedges said he had given similar talks at several other colleges on his book, but had

never had such a response.

"I was surprised at how vociferous it was and the fact that people climbed onto the

podium," Hedges said.

Elinor Radlund, who attended the ceremony, said a woman beside her began singing "God

Bless America" while a man rushed down the aisle shouting, "Go home!"

"It just got to be a very nasty situation," Radlund said.

Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.
Link Posted: 5/21/2003 7:50:16 AM EDT
[#1]
Awww!  I wanted to post this topic!  
Anyways, here is a similar link from Worldnet Daily.

[url]http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=32676[/url]

Now for my 2 cents.
I see the college students are getting smarter.
It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.
He works for the world infamous NY Times, why doesn't he put his thoughts in the Op Ed section?
I hope this is a trend, so that more main stream or conservative speakers are selected at these commencements.

Bilster
Link Posted: 5/21/2003 8:05:19 AM EDT
[#2]
This happened at a Liberal Arts college?

Wow, maybe there's hope for America after all....
Link Posted: 5/21/2003 9:19:04 AM EDT
[#3]
I'm slightly surprised it went down like that.

BUT if someone had pulled that shit when I graduated, I might have had to go up there to forcibly removed that a-hole.  After all, he's using a proud and memorable (to some) moment in a person's life to promote about his own personal political agenda...

Yeah, the more I think about it, the angrier it makes me, I'd definitely be up there on that stage.  Of course at my graduation, I was at my place tapping the keg at around the time the commencement speaker took the stage...[:D]
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