[Peace-discuss] How we've instructed the young

[Linda Evans]

I personally am a big fan of Chris Hedges (I've heard
him speak several times on public radio stations) and
I really liked his book 'War That Which Gives Us
Meaning'.  I highly recommend it and would be more
than happy to loan out my copy to anyone interested. 
I read it prior to the invasion of Iraq and wrote a
letter to the editor about some of the points Mr.
Hedges discusses in his book...N-G didn't print it.

Linda
--- Ricky Baldwin <baldwinricky at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Fascinating.  What do we know about this guy or his
> book?
> 
> Ricky
> 
> --- "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
> wrote:
> > Story printed on: May 20,2003
> > 
> > LOCAL NEWS: Rockford
> > 
> > Speaker disrupts RC graduation [sic!]
> > 
> > A New York Times reporter delivers an antiwar
> speech
> > that offended many.
> > 
> > By CARRIE WATTERS, Rockford Register Star
> > 
> > ROCKFORD - New York Times reporter Chris Hedges
> was
> > booed off the stage
> > Saturday at Rockford College's graduation because
> he
> > gave an antiwar
> > speech.
> > 
> > Two days later, graduates and family members,
> > envisioning a "go out and
> > make your mark" send-off, are still reeling.
> > 
> > Guests wanting to hear the author and Pulitzer
> > Prize-winning reporter are
> > equally appalled.
> > 
> > And College President Paul Pribbenow is rethinking
> > the wisdom of such
> > controversial topics at future commencements. This
> > is Pribbenow's first
> > graduation.
> > 
> > Hedges began his abbreviated 18-minute speech
> > comparing United States'
> > policy in Iraq to piranhas and a tyranny over the
> > weak. His microphone was
> > unplugged within three minutes.
> > 
> > Voices of protest and the sound of foghorns grew.
> > 
> > Some graduates and audience members turned their
> > backs to the speaker in
> > silent protest. Others rushed up the aisle to
> > vocally protest the remarks,
> > and one student tossed his cap and gown to the
> stage
> > before leaving.
> > 
> > Mary O'Neill of Capron, who earned a degree in
> > elementary education, sat
> > in her black cap and gown listening. She was
> > stunned.
> > 
> > She turned to Pribbenow and asked him why he was
> > letting the speech
> > continue. He said it was freedom of speech.
> > Pribbenow later said when
> > people stop listening to ideas, even controversial
> > ones, it is the death
> > of institutions like 157-year-old Rockford
> College.
> > 
> > In tears, O'Neill left the ceremony.
> > 
> > Her husband, Kevin, sat in the audience with their
> > daughter and was as
> > indignant as his wife.
> > 
> > "This is a ceremony. ... The day belongs to the
> > students. It doesn't
> > belong to a political view," he said.
> > 
> > Hedges, a war correspondent, criticized military
> > heroic ideals that grow
> > during war. The fervor sacrifices individual
> thought
> > for temporarily
> > belonging to something larger, he said.
> > 
> > Hedges sympathized with U.S. soldiers. He
> > characterized them as boys from
> > places such as Mississippi and Arkansas who joined
> > the military because
> > there were no job opportunities.
> > 
> > "War in the end is always about betrayal. Betrayal
> > of the young by the
> > old, of soldiers by politicians and idealists by
> > cynics," Hedges said in
> > lecture fashion as jeers and "God Bless Americas"
> > could be heard in the
> > background.
> > 
> > After his microphone was again unplugged,
> Pribbenow
> > told Hedges to wrap it
> > up.
> > 
> > Elinor Radlund of Rockford read Hedges' book on
> war
> > and was horrified at
> > what she said was the audience's rude behavior.
> She
> > was indignant she
> > couldn't hear the speaker.
> > 
> > "They were not behaving as people in an academic
> > setting, where you're
> > supposed to be open to a great many ideas,"
> Radlund
> > said.
> > 
> > Pribbenow said Rockford College takes no political
> > stance, but the job is
> > to challenge students. He reminded audience
> members
> > of the liberal arts
> > college's commitment to listening to other
> > viewpoints.
> > 
> > It didn't happen.
> > 
> > Spontaneous reaction led 66-year-old Gerald Kehoe
> of
> > rural Boone County
> > down the aisle in his first time to protest
> > anything. He was hurt to hear
> > a verbal attack on the country. He attended
> > Saturday's commencement to
> > watch his daughter graduate, the fourth from
> > Rockford College.
> > 
> > Rockford College political science professor Bob
> > Evans said it's a
> > reminder of the "raw edges of emotion" on the
> issue.
> > 
> > A student who rushed the stage could face
> reprimand
> > although he still
> > received his diploma.
> > 
> > "It's important to go on the record that it's
> > inappropriate behavior,"
> > Pribbenow said.
> > 
> > Contact: cwatters at registerstartower.com;
> > 815-987-1242
> > 
> > FORUM: Was a New York Times reporter wrong to
> > deliver an antiwar speech at
> > Rockford College's graduation? Click Here to
> discuss
> > it. [sic]
> > 
> >  
> >
>
==============================================================
> >   Carl Estabrook
> >   University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
> > [MC-190]
> >   109 Observatory, 901 South Mathews Avenue,
> Urbana
> > IL 61801 USA
> >   office: 217.244.4105 mobile: 217.369.5471 home:
> > 217.359.9466
> >   <www.carlforcongress.org>
> >  
> >
>
===============================================================
> > 
> > 
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> >
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> > 
> 
> 
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