Letter of the week, 1/28/08: SHAME on Choate!

[David]

Shame on Choate!
Editor:

Shame on Choate! The cancelling of Karl Rove's speaking engagement is a prime example of our education system on campuses today. If their ideals are in contrast to what you have been fed by liberal educators and the so-called main stream media, it's okay to shut down a dissenting view by whatever means necessary.

Contrary to what these people believe, Rove is not responsible for all the ills in our systems. There is so much these folks need to learn if they want to cope in the real world.

I'm just another member of the "vast right wing conspiracy."

DAVE SMITH, WALLINGFORD

[Eastside Bill]

I agree. Shame on Choate for inviting Rove in the first place. Was John Rowland unavailable?

[collie]

I think they "shut down the dissenting view" because a good number of students, backed by their parents, were going to walk out of the graduation ceremony. It's a private school; people pay a lot of money to go there - smart move on the administration's part to as gracefully as possible prevent Rove from doing the graduation speech. I can't imagine "outside groups" having the energy to protest - which was the reason the president gave cancelling Rove. More likely he evaluated the level of opposition coming from those who foot the tuition bill and those who contribute to the alumni fund and quit while he was ahead.

[eds]

Wow. What's wrong with John Rowland and Karl Rove? The only thing I see is that they got caught either by the law or the law of public opinion. Does that mean that forever and ever we condemn them for what they did and judge them? We should take steps to prevent similar things from happening, but John Rowland did his time and I don't believe Rove was ever convicted of anything.

colle is right. If the administration wants to keep the money coming in, then the dollar votes are what counts.

But I would love to listen to what Rove and Rowland have to say. Just because they made a mistake doesn't mean they don't a whole heck of a lot more than I do on many things which I would like to learn.

[Fit 2 Print]

Does Rove have ANYTHING worth saying? I think not. Just look at what his "steady hand at the helm" did to the Bush presidency.

[oldnickel]

I think that any educational institution should be a place where ideas can be exchanged. The only exception I would make would be speeches that incite hate , riots or advocate physical harm.
That being said I have no problem with Rove speaking. He hasn't been convicted of anything. John Rowland on the other hand has been convicted. Yes he served his debt to society, but until he accepts personal responsibility I wont consider him back in the mainstream.

Ironic, that the Republican Party and their evangelical supporters all preach personal responsibility, but very few of them practice it.

[eds]

oldnickel:

You know its funny. People talk about free speech and the free exchange of ideas and yet they put a little asterisk (*) at the end of that statement and say "with the exception of hate, racism, advoating bodily harm". While I may not condone that sort of thing, people have a right to discuss these ideas and advocate for them. I read the Constitution and I don't recall any asterisks at the end of the First Amendment. Even the Supreme Court has upheld this stating no matter how abhorrent the speech, the right to that speech is upheld.

I know there are certain kinds of speech, like yelling "Fire!" in a crowded theatre or making threats, libel, etc. are not protected, but what was described above was not that type of speech.

fit2print:

Can you help me understand exactly who is at fault for the Bush presidency failing? Would that be Cheney, Bush, Rove, General Petraeus, or Rumsfeld or all of the above? I've heard them all blamed depending on the weather. Bush is the one charge, he is the president, right? I blame Bush for the failed Bush presidency.

[jaxma]

I believe what people are overlooking in this forum is the fact that Mr Shanahan did extend an invitation to Mr Rove to have an interactive forum with the students this February, which he in turn accepted. Consequently, it is difficult to state that Choate, as an educational institution, is not promoting the "exchange of ideas"...in fact, due to these protests, the Choate students are going to have an even more meaningful and productive conversation than they would have had with Mr Rove in June.

It is very understandable that mebers of the current Choate community were worried about the impact of Mr Rove's commencement speech as its graduation ceremony is usually held outside on a lawn adjoining N Elm Street- a very public, open space. It would have been a shame of these students had their important day ruined by potential security concerns.