Etiquette Class Needed at Calvin College

President George W. Bush gives a commencement address to the students and faculty of Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan on Saturday May 21. White House photo by Paul Morse


From CNN:

GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan -- President Bush urged graduates of a Michigan Christian college to get involved in faith-based and community organizations.

Participation, he told Calvin College graduates Saturday, can help promote freedom and equality for all.

The president's commencement speech met with a degree of protest.

About one-third of the school's faculty members signed a half-page ad in Saturday's Grand Rapids Press, an open letter to Bush saying that as Christians they disagree with his administration's policies on the war in Iraq and other issues.

The Associated Press reports that a full-page ad, featuring a letter of protest from students, faculty and alumni, ran in Friday's paper.

About 20 percent of graduates and some faculty members wore buttons and stickers saying, "God is not a Democrat or a Republican" in a silent protest. Some also wore armbands. A handful did not stand up to applaud when Bush was introduced.

Who are these people?

They not only showed disrespect for President Bush; they displayed disdain for the office of the U.S. presidency.

Is Calvin College located in Saddam Hussein's hometown or Hollywood?

If that was the case, I could more easily understand the type of reception that the President of the United States received.

Not standing up to applaud Bush reminds me of how some of the Hollywood elite behaved when Elia Kazan was given a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Oscars in 1999--like spoiled children.

How is wearing a button or a sticker saying, "God is not a Democrat or a Republican," a protest against Bush? Have you EVER heard President Bush say that GOD is a Republican? No, you haven't, because he NEVER said that!!!

Taking out ads in newspapers to object to the President being the commencement speaker is ridiculous.

When an individual delivers the address, particularly a political figure, it is unlikely that all in attendance or involved with the school will be in total agreement with the speaker. Nonetheless, that individual deserves a degree of respect and should expect to be met with some degree of civility.

I find it particularly strange that this "Christian" college is bent out of shape about Bush. One-third of the faculty saw fit to sign an open letter to protest Bush's anti-Christian policy on Iraq. I wonder how they feel about Bush's stance on abortion or embryonic stem cell research. Do his policies on those issues pass the faculty's Christian test?

There is a fine line between an appropriate time and manner of protest and boorishness. Unfortunately, political opportunists selfishly used the President's appearance at the commencement ceremony to push their agenda without regard for the graduates and their families. Protests could have taken place in a way that didn't infringe on the ceremony or intrude on the graduates' moment of achievement. Unfortunately, the anti-Bush crowd lacked the self-control to accomplish that.

In his speech, President Bush said:
...we must understand that it is by becoming active in our communities that we move beyond our narrow interests. In today's complex world, there are a lot of things that pull us apart. We need to support and encourage the institutions and pursuits that bring us together. And we learn how to come together by participating in our churches and temples and mosques and synagogues; in civil rights associations; in our PTAs and Jaycees; in our gardening and book clubs, interest groups and chambers of commerce; in our service groups -- from soup kitchens to homeless shelters.

All these organizations promote the spirit of community and help us acquire the "habits of heart" that are so vital to a free society. And because one of the deepest values of our country is compassion, we must never turn away from any citizen who feels isolated from the opportunities of America. Our faith-based and community groups provide the armies of compassion that help people who wonder if the American Dream is meant for them. These armies of compassion are the great engines of social change, they serve individual and local needs, and they have been found at the front of every great movement in American history.

...As Americans we share an agenda that calls us to action -- a great responsibility to serve and love others, a responsibility that goes back to the greatest commandment.

This isn't a Democratic idea. This isn't a Republican idea. This is an American idea.

Bottom line: The inappropriate, ill-mannered behavior of some of the students, faculty, and alumni of Calvin College reflects poorly on the institution and those connected with it.

Being granted the honor of having the President of the United States deliver the commencement address to the class of 2005 should have been a plus for Calvin College. Instead, they managed to turn the occasion into an embarrassment.

They have a lot to learn at Calvin College.