Chris Hedges 2003 Speech at Rockford College that led him to being forced out of the New York Times

[Douglas Carpenter]

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

[ljm2002]

1. I read about this incident...

...but never saw it before. Thanks for posting. It is interesting to see the virulence of the reaction. Chris Hedges is not one to be cowed by that sort of thing though.

K&R

[Douglas Carpenter]

3. if you can remember this was only a couple of months after the fall of Baghdad and right around

"Mission Accomplished" time - Much of the U.S. was actually feeling triumphant then. The overwhelming majority of Americans still believed that Saddam Hussein was personally behind September 11 and that the U.S. had triumphantly won the war.

[ljm2002]

4. Oh yes, I remember...

...so the reaction was not surprising.

It's funny. I remember after 9/11 happened, my own personal upwelling of patriotism. Not the kind of fervor you see in this video; but I did want to find out who did it and make them pay. So I understand the feelings. On the other hand, I knew from the gate that our invasion of Iraq was based on nothing but a trumped-up pack of lies.

Anyway, thanks again for posting this!

[Marblehead]

2. I love Chris Hedges

he speaks truth to power, I bet those students with their back to him still believed in the 911 fable...

[struggle4progress]

5. Link to the text, for those prefer to read

Text of the Rockford College graduation speech
by Chris Hedges
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0520-13.htm

[Douglas Carpenter]

6. another kick