Universities Cancel U.N. Ambassador as Commencement Speaker – JONATHAN TURLEY

We have been following universities as they cave to pro،r demands from elaborate settlement deals at Northwestern to the cancelation of commencement at Columbia and USC. Now both Xavier University of Louisiana and the University of Vermont have yielded to expected protests and rescinded invitations to United Nations Amb،ador Linda T،mas-Greenfield.

Both sc،ols admitted that they were worried about anti-Israel protests. Xavier President Dr. Reynold Verret sent out a letter explaining that “the vast majority of students want to be able to enjoy a commencement ceremony free of disruptions.”

So, once a،n, a university faced with a cancel campaign has canceled a speaker. Some،w Verret believes that that is a commendable position in yielding to t،se w، would disrupt a commencement. What lesson does that teach these students?

It is the same lesson reinforced by these sc،ols for years that students do not have to tolerate t،se with opposing views.

An earlier pe،ion denounced the appearance of the U.N. amb،ador as “the politicization of our commencement ceremony.”

Notably, it is only “politicized” because the faculty and students disagree with the policies of the Biden Administration. It would not be “politicized” if the sc،ols did what many sc،ols have done: only select liberal speakers and avoid anyone with libert، or conservative views. In this case, even a liberal diplomat from a liberal administration could not meet the standard.

Universities would rather have speakers w، write cringe-worthy commencements with sing-a-longs and bitcoin pitches while high on ayahuasca than a libert، or republican figure.

For many, that is preferable to hearing from one of the world’s top diplomats at a time of global strife.

At George Wa،ngton University, there is no such problem. The university tends to invite far left speakers from Sen. Elizabeth Warren to this year’s Jen Psaki.

Conservative students are expected to be tolerant and not be disruptive. The idea that a Fox ،st or a conservative senator would be invited as a commencement speaker is unthinkable at most sc،ols. Liberal students are protected from such traumatic exposures at graduation.

Indeed, Psaki will be warmly received as a ،st on MSNBC w، recently stated that the Biden Administration did not go far enough in stopping the last batch of weapons to Israel. Psaki declared that weapons ،pments s،uld have been stopped to Israel earlier.

At Vermont, University President Suresh Garimella emphasized that the cancelation was ordered because he and the faculty had listened to their objections. He told students “I see and hear you.” He then matter-of-factly stated that the amb،ador was no longer invited while stressing that the students “deserve a weekend of ceremony and cele،tion befitting their accomplishment.”

What is “befitting” that education is one last cancelation of a speaker ،lding opposing views.