Thoughts
Bobbi
replying to a few in one post.
In the past few years, I've begun to worry about the direction that
Calvin is taking both socially and academically. Bush's invitation to
Calvin is an epitome of those concerns. Reading these posts has been
both heartening and saddening. Many of the posts here are respectful
and well-stated. I especially appreciated the moderator's comments.
However, others bothered, especially those of msytsma and Don Jones. As
is often the case, the extremes of both sides can be blinded by
self-righteousness and anger. Calvin is a Christian institution
teaching humility and respect, yet I read arrogance, condecension, and
pride in so many statements by these two. Calvin has high standards of
education, but when I read these posts, I wonder whether the writers
have taken English 101 or Philosophy 151. I see both, but most
ESPECIALLY msytsma, engaging in ad hominem; this is both morally and
intellectually unacceptable. How a person can think that he will
persuade others through insult, is beyond me. If I were pro-Bush, I'd
be furious with msytsma for making my side look so hate-filled and
unintelligent. Each post he makes only reinforces my views of the
Right. When he says to Don Jones, "You are a sick freak - I mean that,"
what Christian love and intellectual standard did Msytsma mean to
convey? Don Jones does not go quite this far, but still needs to learn
to be less condescending. I do get the impression, at times, that he
wants to protest for the sake of protesting.
I sincerely hope that no one will actually disrupt the commencement
ceromony itself. I do think that those opposed to Bush's presence at
commencement should speak out against it, but I hope they do so in a
respectful manner. If protesters boo and hiss during the ceromony, they
will be reinforcing the view that they are unthinking radicals looking
for something to protest. Quiet and respectful dissent will prove the
critics wrong, and it will demonstrate the Christian values we seek to
uphold and do not see in the Bush administration. To argue that
commencement should not be turned into a platform is unreasonable; the
minute Bush was invited, Calvin's commencement became a political
platform. Further, many people at Calvin oppose the Bush administration
on the basis of its misuse of religion. Bush's presence at Calvin is a
perfect example of that and necessitates a response. However, I truly
hope that the protesters will not misuse religion themselves or fail to
uphold the Christian values, especially respect for the opinions of
others, truth, and love. I know that some '05 graduates are skipping
commencement, and they should be respected, but others are planning to
attend. Even students opposed to Bush plan to attend and their choice
should be respected. The ceromony itself is first and foremost to send
the class of 2005 into the world. If Bush causes us to forget that,
then he has won: we have forgotten our mission as an institution, even
while we're trying to stand up for Calvin's values. Finally, I do think
Don Jones is right: no matter what, this commencement will be
incredibly memorable for Lis and her son, and everyone else. I just
hope it is remembered as an example of the Calvin community taking a
stand for its values, values that this administration distorts, and not
as just another Bush protes