Burn the House to Kill a Fly - Notre Dame grads don't know the meaning of Sacred

Protesting Students Walk Out On Pence's Address At Notre Dame

A large group of students walked out of the University of Notre Dame's commencement ceremony Sunday in protest of Vice President Mike Pence's policies.

Video from the event shows people applauding followed by loud boos as the vice president began a commencement address at the school, while dozens of students began to file out from the floor of the stadium.

Really?

I graduated, myself, last year. Well into my 50s, I culminated years of struggle, sacrifice, and hard work. I really don't think there has ever been a time in my life when I was prouder of myself than when I heard my name and degree read aloud to the crowd and walked across the stage. That degree hangs in my shop, and I frequently glance up at it to remind myself of what I accomplished.

It's harder going back. Much harder. I could have attended college after high school; but I was sick of school and didn't know my folks had prepared financially. I did go back after 5 years, but I didn't have the drive at the time to keep at it; I let hardships stop me from my goal. This time, I knew the importance of knowledge and knew that this was my last chance. This time I took it and refused to stop.

Yesterday, a group of people stood where I stood a year ago, at a ceremony culminating and honoring their hard work, sacrifice, and achievement. A group had petitironed Notre Dame to not invite President Trump to speak; their right, no issue there. The school complied and instead invited Vice President Pence. A large group of students then walked out of their own commencement in protest. On the local news this morning, one of them got his 15 seconds of fame. He got to explain why on national TV.

I haven't found the clip online, but he reiterated that they had asked for Trump to not be invited, declared policy issues where he disagreed with Pence, and complained how this was such a "sacred" event to him.

Sacred? You walked out of a sacred event over a political disagreement with someone there to honor you?

In the past, I have been outspoken about the issues surrounding Berkeley. This is not the same. No crime was committed. No speech was stifled. But it is disturbing to me in a different way: this guy I saw interviewed has no concept of what "sacred" means! He, along with others who joined him, just threw away one of the greatest days of their young lives, in a misguided attempt to somehow harm Mike Pence. It wasn't even Pence's ceremony; it was the graduating students' event. They just stole a memory from themselves that will come back to haunt them someday.

No, it wasn't sacred to him. Sacred things are not given up, thrown away, quite so easily. It meant so little to him that it was not worth ignoring a few minutes of speech. Jeff Sessions spoke at my commencement, and I sat there respectfully and listened to his views on the War on Drugs... an issue on which I disagree vehemently with him. I didn't change my mind, but neither did I throw away my memories and cheapen my accomplishment.

I stood my ground. It was my day. Not his.

It wouldn't have mattered had it been Obama or Hillary speaking. My dsy. Not yours. I'm not leaving.

I fear greatly for our youth. There's an old country song that says it well:
I don't think kids today know how to stand... only how to run away...

TheRedneck

They just stole a memory from themselves that will come back to haunt them someday.

And they will blame everyone but themselves for it.

My youngest son graduated high school yesterday and like you, was tired of school and ready to get it over. He doesn't really like many of the people he went to school with and couldn't wait to get away from what he called "the twitter heads" , meaning those who lived their life online and had a " my life is over" meltdown over every little thing....but he was adamant about attending his graduation. He told me "Dad, I worked for it, I'm going". I can understand protest [not the antifa burn everything kind ] but to ruin your own graduation .......

Like I said, they'll blame Pence or Trump or anyone else, but they made the decision.

Sacred is in the eye of the beholder. I can see how many students felt like the commencement was tainted by Pence. I can also see myself looking back 20 years from now and still being proud of myself for having walked out of the commencement. All those graduates went back to their individual colleges and walked for their degrees there.

Freedom to protest what you believe in.

Beauty of a free Country.

a reply to: TheRedneck

That student, and those who walked out with him/her. Made the exact same decision you are now proud of yourself for making all those years ago.

They stood their ground, remained true to their principles, and refused to allow what they believed to be an unacceptable choice for commencement speaker "hijack" what was their "sacred" day.

If anything, they proved that their principles were even more sacred to them than perhaps yours were to you; they were willing to sacrifice a part of graduation ceremony, for which I'm sure they worked no less hard than you to achieve, to stay true to their beliefs,

While you chose to compromise.

a reply to: TheRedneck

In America, you are free to be as stupid as you want to be.

a reply to: Kali74

If something is sacred, it is held in high esteem and cherished. My family is sacred to me; I would gladly fight a grizzly bear with a switch before I would abandon them. My home is sacred; I would stand in my driveway with a rusty shotgun staring down a squadron of F-15s before I would abandon it. That is the definition of sacred.

You can redefine the word in your own mind all you want; such does not change its meaning. One does not abandon that which is sacred. If you can see yourself 20 years ago walking out of such an event, regardless of how much you want the words to mean something different, your own admissions show how little you value education and sacrifice. It is not sacred to you.

Running is not standing... for anything.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

I'm sure they hold their cellphones sacred. Their social media accounts also.

I will say I'm glad they simply decided to walk out instead of making a mess of the whole affair for the others. Years from now when they tell the story they will still be looked upon as petty and petulant.

How dare they exercise their freedom of expression in a country that values freedom of expression.

*Re-reads the thread to see where free speech is the subject.*

*Tries one more time....*

Nope, pretty sure this is about holding something sacred, the students words mind you, and how he is oblivious to what it mean.

a reply to: Bhadhidar

They stood their ground

Running away is not standing your ground. It is the opposite.

Who did they hurt?

Pence finished his speech, and actually got extra airtime because of the students' actions. Other commencement addresses have been aired, reported, and forgotten. This one is being aired over and over. The students gave Pence an expanded platform for his message.

The students can never repeat their achievement. They will never walk the stage with their friends. Their friends and family will never get to stand and publicly applaud them in the commencement ceremony. They will get their degree, sure... they earned it. But it will ring hollow in years to come.

If you believe that standing one's ground is equivalent to letting the mere presence of anyone else deter one from their rightful rewards, I fear for you too.

TheRedneck

Well good for them for invoking their right to peaceful protest! I'm sure they had good reason as Mr Pence is about 2 bowls short of a whole box of fruit loops. He has his name stamped on to some pretty heinous legislation and holds antiquated and archaic views of women. Another dusty old dinosaur long overdue to be put out to pasture.

a reply to: DBCowboy

Amen.

Just... amen.

TheRedneck

a reply to: JinMI

Exactly right!

Er... I mean correct. Don't want to start another argument...

TheRedneck

originally posted by: eNumbra
How dare they exercise their freedom of expression in a country that values freedom of expression.

You see, how it really is. They want freedom, however, they do not want the people they disagree with to have those same freedoms.
They are called dirty disgusting stinky hypocrites.

And they are a plague.

a reply to: eNumbra

Who said they couldn't exercise their right to walk out? They could, and they did.

But by doing so and calling the thing they abandoned "sacred," they demonstrated they hold nothing truly sacred. They demonstrated that they will leave if anyone they disagree with shows up.

I wonder... if Pence simply toured California, how much would the population of the state decline?

TheRedneck

I don't even remember who spoke at my graduation commencement. (1980's)

I remember the cap and gown.

I remember the feeling of accomplishment.

I remember going to work the next day, because that's what you did.

It was about me. My accomplishments, a culmination of 4 years of work. It wasn't about anything else.

I guess times change.

Awesome! To some, free speech means that we should be tolerant of others ideas. Yet, others are so incline by their rights, so entitled, that they have no use for others ideas, no tolerance for the people around them that might have a different perspective. Someone great once said something about changing the world one mind at a time... maybe, hopefully, your OP will reach one of them

a reply to: DBCowboy



What I think I will always remember is walking toward the ceremony while the entire faculty lined the hallway applauding us. Seeing my feeble old mother sitting with my wife in the stands watching... it meant so much to her, she struggled through the pain. Both my kids congratulating me after it was over. Finally popping a bottle of 30-year-old vintage champaign afterward (damn, that stuff had a kick!).

I also remember being jealous of the guys with the fancy robes (PhD candidates). Gonna get me of them someday.

God, I feel sad for those who chose to throw all those memories away...

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

The feeling of accomplishment is directly proportional to the effort made to achieve it.

THAT should tell you something right there.