1115.org

A few days ago, Dan Froomkin had a bit about the commencement speeches that the President is planning to give this year:

The White House announced yesterday that President Bush will give two commencement addresses next month, one at the U.S. Naval Academy and one at Calvin College in Western Michigan.

Froomkin noted that Calvin College is a Christian college and there was a collective eye-roll at yet another blatant pander to the religious right.

But as it turns out, Calvin isn’t the kind of place everyone thought it was:

Professor Kenneth Pomykala, chair of Calvin College’s Department of Religion wrote to me [Froomkin] that some members of the community “are unhappy with Bush’s visit because we believe that Christian values require public policies that seek social justice, compassion for the disenfranchised, human rights, a commitment to peace, care and preservation of the environment, and honesty, say, from political leaders — in short, policies opposed to the Bush agenda.”

Ouch!

Kate Bowman, the student activities coordinator at the college, e-mailed to say: “Many of us do not believe that Calvin’s graduation ceremony is the proper forum for a partisan political address, particularly from such a divisive and controversial figure…Many of us believe that his actions since taking office contradict the teachings of the Gospel, and though we love President Bush as our brother as we are called to love all (even our enemies), we profoundly disagree with his appeals to Christianity to support his own political aims.”

Yikes!

It’s important that there are a significant number (a majority?) of Christians who abhor the hijack that has befallen their religion. It’s refreshing to see these people standing up for what they believe in and not playing patsy for a cheesy photo-op.

Currently the hot topic is how protest should be approached at this event. People want to be respectful without appearing to give a stamp of approval to the actions of the administration,” Bowman said.

Protesting the President at your commencement? That would probably catch you at least a detention where I come from. Should any of these brave souls get expelled or anything, I promise to have their back. Donna Martin Graduates!