In a letter to the Observer, Notre Dame's campus newspaper, GE CEO and 2007 commencement speaker Jeff Immelt, makes the case to the Class of 2009 for for welcoming the President.
"This is your day. Your family's day. It represents the culmination of a family's love and support, sacrifice and pride. Don't let others, and these other issues - however important they may seem to be - take the day's celebration away from you."
"Here's something else you might consider as you think about those who criticize the selection of the president as your speaker - the opportunities and burdens of leadership, the importance of an organization's core values, and the absolute need to listen carefully to diverse opinion in order to move that organization forward, for it to adapt, to change, be innovative and so continue to lead."
"I know that Notre Dame is a force for good in the world. But sustaining that reputation requires a real and earnest engagement with that world, a certain level of give-and-take. Notre Dame is an international enterprise. You cannot bring about positive change in so diverse a world without working cooperatively with those who are different, who may disagree with you, but whose perspectives should be welcomed and seriously considered."
http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2009/04/22/Viewpoint/A.Few.Thoughts.On.A.Special.Day-3719914.shtml
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