Bill Maher slams Berkeley protesters: Who said you only had to hear what didn’t upset you?

[ancianita]

40. I appreciate your points about students' views. Thanks. Does the protest represent

the view of the majority of graduating students? 1700 is a lot of signatures, and I don't know if graduating students were polled. Can't find that info. I've never heard of that done, though it doesn't mean it can't or shouldn't be done. The whole idea of what public figures are worthy to be speakers on the "elevated platform of commencement" sounds as if it needs a bigger participation process on campus than it apparently has.

If I knew these protestors' views represent a majority of the graduates, I'd go with having the university respect their wishes.

But that the loudest voices should prevail is not a convincing argument. Nor should 1700 out of 36,000+ students presume to make claims about what Berkeley stands for without further discussion among themselves and with the university administration. Nor should they set about bullying the administration, the speaker, or dramatizing it at the expense of others at the commencement.

I'm not trying to disrespect the protesters' views, it's just that their chance to enter a selection process of any model seems to have passed, pretty much. If that process is still possible, and they want to decide on speakers, they've probably got planning committees; if not, they could well form them, get a speaker budget and make arrangements according to their preferences.

It isn't just their commencement; they don't get to dictate terms because they pay for the ceremony; commencements are voluntary affairs, anyway. Commencements are also for their families' and the larger academic community.