Notre Dame students to stage walkout over commencement speaker Mike Pence

Another commencement subject to demonstrations. Should everyone just ignore them? Does every event need to be turned into a political rant?

https://www.aol.com/article/news/20...walkout-over-commencement-speaker-m/22099905/


Notre Dame students to stage walkout over commencement speaker Mike Pence

Mic.com

ALISON DURKEE

May 19th 2017 5:30PM

X



On Sunday, Vice President Mike Pence will take the stage at Notre Dame University's commencement to address the recent graduates — but some of the university's students are making it clear he won't have their support.


Student activist group We Stand For is organizing a protest against Pence during Sunday's commencement exercises, in which participants will walk out of the ceremony when Pence begins speaking to stand in solidarity with those affected by his damaging policies.


"For us, there's nothing that could be more in the spirit of the university and the university mission than to stand up for human dignity and the most vulnerable among us," We Stand For organizer Luis Miranda said in an interview.


In addition to students, a Facebook event for the protest encourages all attendees, including faculty and students' families, to participate in the protest.


"During his time as governor of the state of Indiana and now as a vice president, Pence has targeted the civil rights protections of members of LBGT+ community, rejected the Syrian refugee resettlement program, supported an unconstitutional ban of religious minorities, and fought against sanctuary cities," We Stand For said in a statement, as quoted by ThinkProgress. "All of these policies have marginalized our vulnerable sisters and brothers for their religion, skin color, or sexual orientation."


As part of the commencement ceremony, Pence will also be conferred with an honorary degree, the Notre Dame website notes. He will be the first vice president to deliver the commencement address at the university, which is located in Pence's home state of Indiana.


Miranda made it clear that Sunday's protest is not directed against Pence as a human being, explaining, "He is our brother, he is a child of God, and we will respect his human dignity," he said.


Rather, the protest is in opposition to the vice president's policies, which, Miranda notes, "target the lived experiences and the realities of our classmates, our friends, our families." These policies, Miranda explains, also go "completely against" Notre Dame's practice of Catholic social teaching, which emphasizes human dignity and caring for the most vulnerable members of society.


In addition to "standing up" for those who feel targeted by Pence's policies, Miranda said he hopes the walkout will "spread an even larger message to the Notre Dame community: Why are we ok with this?"


"We really need to think about who are we as a Notre Dame community?" Miranda emphasized. "What our are values? And is inviting Mike Pence representative of [those values]?"


To Miranda and We Stand For, the answer to that question is clear.


"This is our commencement. This is a very special and sacred moment, the culmination of all our hard work and effort," Miranda said. "And to have somebody who has been working actively against our humanity, for being who we are, to be speaking to our class, addressing our class, and being conferred with a degree is just unacceptable."

 

Better a walkout than violent protests

 

The idiots know nothing about life. They should be honored to have a Vice President speak. It is shocking to me that so many young people can be so c**k sure of a thing which so many others are in solemn and rational disagreement. Their Professors have made them deranged.

 

Rational? What's rational anymore? That went out the window when men became women and women became mermaids.

 

Or the female graduates may not want a guy like Mr. Pence telling them, how he & his friends are going to legislate their (Y)'s.

 

At this point, they may need some help.

Some of them are actually believing they are mermaids.

 

Honored to have a bobble head hypocritical bible thumper who is going along with policies that hurt others?. Hooray for the students and screw Pence....

 

How dare Mike Pence stand for many of the same values as Catholics and dare to speak at a Catholic University.

 

I don't think most Catholics are afraid to dine alone with women.
That's white winged evangelical nonsense.

 

totally, a walk-out or standing up with their backs turned to him, is a totally peaceful and respectable form of protest.

i give them a thumbs up

 

You have a problem with him wanting to keep his reputation as a faithful husband? What does it hurt for him to restrain himself? Do you chastise alcoholics for avoiding bars? Did he say you couldn't dine alone with a woman?

 

Basically, you have told me that Mr. Pence has some form of addiction.

Just like an alcoholic in relation to bars.

Given that context, then it's perfectly understandable that he doesn't trust himself alone with woman.

 

why?

 

Basically, I have told you no such thing. I just said that he wants to keep his reputation and avoid baseless accusations of sexual misconduct by not being alone with another woman. Shouldn't women respect his efforts to prove he is not a predator?

I won't have dinner alone with any woman that I'm not related to. It's common sense and I don't see what the big deal about it is.

 

you saying Pence is a sex addict?

can't stop himself from grabbing strange women?

maybe he should get some help

 

Another display of Betas on parade.

 

Of course no one said that. Just more fabrications from you as usual. Its much easier to make up arguments no one made to have the courage and moral fiber to debate what is actually said.

 

Pence is contaminated and radioactive from the Trump nuclear fallout.

Pence will be caught in the investigation net closing over Trumpeters.

 

I attended a commencement at West Point a few years back. Al Gore was giving the speech that year. I don't know if anyone was listening to him babble but everyone hung around until after each cadet received their diplomas. After that all grads throw their hats in the air. That was the best part of the whole event.

 

he was compared to an alcoholic.

 

I, as a Catholic, respect the respect Pence shows his marriage. I asked my wife what she thought of your opinion. She disagrees with you She knows Pence grew up in an Irish-Catholic household. She also knows you're an ass for mocking others religious beliefs. She's right.

 

It is there day. It's there last act of rebellion that most will have before joining the rat race. Poor bastards.

 

Another classy report for Peppermint Patty

 

Ain't that the truth! Hell, if they had any sense, they'd be protesting themselves.

 

That's called being narrow minded and shallow if you ask me. Or life on the left, anymore.