Pomp, Circumstance and Protest

By TAD BARTIMUS

Recently, New York Times reporter Christopher Hedges gave the commencement address at Illinois' Rockford College, and was booed off the stage. Hedges began his address by disputing the idea that combat is noble, selfless and glorious; saying such beliefs are myths. Three minutes later, protestors pulled his microphone plug as many in the audience jeered, booed and turned their backs on him.

College President Paul Pribbenow, who had invited Hedges to speak, tried to quell the furor by asking audience members to respect Hedges' right to free speech and to remember that students at a liberal arts college should be open to hearing diverse views. The audience booed him, too.

Before cutting his speech short, Hedges told graduates that, "War, in the end, is always about betrayal. Betrayal of the young by the old, of soldiers by politicians and idealists by cynics."

Some listeners sang "God Bless America," others walked out in protest and at least one graduate threw his cap and gown onto the stage.

On that same day, my husband and I delivered the commencement speech to graduates at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu. The speech we gave and Hedges' speech were, in most ways, opposite: While we focused on the achievement of the graduates, Hedges used his platform to stage a political protest against the United States' invasion of Iraq and to condemn what he called the myths of nationalism.

Our speech was predictable; Hedges' was not. Ours was well-received; Hedges' was not. I wonder now if we should have been bolder and more political? Should Hedges have been less controversial and tailored his address more to the occasion?

When I posed these questions to Paul Costello, vice president for external affairs at the University of Hawaii, his response was immediate.

"I'm sick of pabulum sentimentality at graduation," he said. "What Hedges did was courageous and timely. The community as well as the students need to hear these things ... Good for Hedges, and shame on those who tried to silence him."

Reaction on the Rockford Register Star's Web site to Hedges runs the gamut from kudos to condemnation, but few challenge the credentials of the veteran war correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner. In Hedges' new book, "War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning" (Public Affairs), he writes intimately of conflicts he's covered in the Middle East, Central America, the Sudan, Algeria, Bosnia and Kosovo. He is an eloquent witness.

While Hedges' charged words were silenced, my husband and I were listened to politely, and loudly applauded by the audience. We accepted our assignment on the assumption that graduation day is a time of celebration and satisfaction, so our message focused on the graduates, who were 70 percent women with a median age of 32. We urged them to "honor yourself; relish this hour; rejoice in your achievement."

But in some ways, our address paralleled Hedges, though in a subtler tone: "Will you be tested?" we asked the audience. "Yes, you will. You will be encouraged to cut corners, take advantage, think of yourself first, not worry about accountability or consequences. Don't fall for it. ... We live in an increasingly complex world where fooling some of the people most of the time has become a theme song. Choose a better way ... do what's right, for yourself and your associates.

"Above all, as my mother constantly reminded me, 'To thine own self be true.'"

Were we wrong not to use our "bully pulpit" to give a speech of higher moral purpose? You have to know when to pick your fights. If Hedges wasn't heard, how could he get his message across and be effective?

A graduation ceremony is not an appropriate forum for political proselytizing, no matter who's doing it, but it is an occasion where we can dedicate ourselves to a higher purpose. Pabulum? That is for the listeners to decide. But together, those of us at UH-WO enjoyed polite social intercourse and celebrated the graduates' achievements.

© 2003 The Women Syndicate

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