MSU students turn backs on George Will at commencement

[alp227]

Last edited Sat Dec 13, 2014, 10:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Lansing State Journal

EAST LANSING -- As conservative columnist George Will spoke during Saturday's graduation ceremony, 18 Michigan State University students — wearing green caps and gowns — stood with their backs to him.

Several in the crowd of thousands at MSU's Breslin Center also did the same. Others sat in their seats, holding up open newspapers and pretending to read.

It was part of a protest surrounding inflammatory statements the Washington Post columnist and commentator has made questioning the severity of college rape. Protest organizers said the university should have canceled his appearance because of those statements.

Most notably, Will wrote a column last summer in which he suggested female college students who report sexual assault have a "coveted status" that brings "privileges" on campus.

Read more: http://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/news/local/2014/12/13/protesters-turn-msu-commencement/20352147/

[arcane1]

1. "Others sat in their seats, holding up open newspapers and pretending to read"

Perfect!!

[roguevalley]

2. this stuff gives this old lady hope.

[demigoddess]

7. + 1

tired of his &*(&*

[red dog 1]

3. George Will should have been arrested & prosecuted back in 1980

for his role in "Debate-gate", when he used the stolen Jimmy Carter briefing papers to coach that idiot Ronald Reagan before his second debate with Carter ("Well, there you go again&quot
Without the theft of Carter's briefing papers, Reagan would not have "won" that second debate, and, thus, (probably) would not have defeated Carter in the 1980 election.

Also, White House CIA officer Donald Gregg should have been tried for sabotage, which is what he essentially did by secretly copying President Carter's private papers & then smuggling the copies out of the White House, & turning them over to George Will to use in coaching Reagan before the 2nd debate.

William Casey, & others also should have been arrested & prosecuted for their roles in the theft of Carter's secret debate briefing papers.

(Casey also engineered the "October Surprise" illegal, secret meeting with top Iranian officials in Paris, where the Iranians were asked to NOT release the hostages until after Reagan became President)

As far as the students turning their backs on George Will....Good for them!

[khartlog]

6. Willow

i concurr

[zeemike]

11. I had forgotten all of that.

Thanks for the refreshment.

[Indydem]

14. Perhaps you should read more.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/30/AR2005083001763.html

Carter doesn't blame Will.

[griloco]

21. Read further. Will acknowledges he had book. Do you believe him beyond that?

"Regarding your briefing book, I will tell you what I have told many others. When I got to David Stockman's house on the day he was preparing to play the role of you in the debate preparations, he had on his kitchen table what I gather was the briefing book. I do not know how he got it; more to the point, I do not know who thought having it would be helpful. Frankly, you deserved better. My cursory glance at it convinced me that it was a crashing bore and next to useless -- for you, or for anyone else."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/10/AR2005081001796.html

[red dog 1]

23. .Excellent Point!

"a crashing bore and next to useless"??

I don't think so.

In a debate, knowing exactly what your opponent is going to say before he says it, is certainly NOT useless, as evidenced by Reagan's performance in that 2nd debate with Carter.

Let's not forget how stupid Reagan looked and sounded in the first debate, when he was relying on his "wits".

[JDDavis]

22. Another long time conservative columnist who cheated?

Why am I not surprised?

[Nye Bevan]

25. What crime should he have been arrested for?

I don't think he has ever been suspected of stealing the papers himself.

Or is it somehow a crime to make use of unauthorized leaks during an election campaign?

[red dog 1]

26. Since he knew he had Carter's briefing book for the 2nd debate,

his decision to go ahead and use the stolen papers to coach Reagan could be construed as Conspiracy to Commit Theft,
or, since it was theft of secret White House documents, it may have been something more serious, such as Conspiracy To Commit Treason.

"Debategate" involved the illegal theft and copying of secret Presidential papers from the White House.

Theft is a crime!

Secretly copying the President's secret personal papers is a crime!

Calling what George Will did a "use of unauthorized leaks" is absurd.

[Nye Bevan]

27. Is there any proof that he conspired to commit the theft?

If so I agree, he should have been prosecuted.

[red dog 1]

28. No, there is no "proof that he conspired to commit the theft"

but he admitted in his book that he knew he was to use Carter's briefing book in his coaching of Reagan, and, instead of saying ."I want no part of this..it's wrong!"...he went ahead and used the stolen briefing book to coach Reagan, which could be construed as 'conspiracy after the fact",
or something like that.

See reply# 21 by griloco

[Nye Bevan]

29. Oh come on. Every politician eagerly uses stuff like this when they can.

DU positively exulted in unflattering leaks from the Bush and Romney tesms that was obtained in questionable and possibly illegal circumstances.

[red dog 1]

30. You're equating "unflattering leaks from the Bush & Romney teams"

with a CIA officer stationed at the White House STEALING secret personal presidential papers, then illegally making copies for use by the President's opponent (Reagan) so he would know what the President was going to say in the debate?

"Oh come on" yourself.

I can't imagine a Democrat wanting to defend the likes of George Will.

Are you a Democrat? (Just wondering)

[noiretextatique]

34. it amazing what some people defend

torture, spying, murder, etc.

[red dog 1]

36. Don't forget treason.

If "Debategate" wasn't a treasonous act, then what was it?..Sabotage?

I'd like to know why Donald Gregg wasn't arrested for sneaking into Carter's office & copying those briefing papers.
That HAD to be a criminal act!

[noiretextatique]

37. bush vs gore

was nothing but treason, or sedition, as some prefer. and yes...some "democrats" do defend that too. thanks for you post.

[red dog 1]

38. IMO, Democrats who defend Bush v Gore should leave the party.

Did you see the scene in Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 911" after the Bush v Gore decision stopped the vote count in Florida?
Several Florida House members went up to the Senate podium to plead for action to be taken, only to be asked one by one by Al Gore, (as President of the Senate)
"Has a single senator signed your petition?"
and they all responded "No, not a single senator has signed."

One Florida Congresswoman said "No, not a single senator has signed, and I don't care!"
To which Vice President Gore replied."Well, the Chair does care!"

[noiretextatique]

39. i will never forget it

"for the good of the country" democrats caved during the most important moment in american history. not a single senator was willing to stand up for democracy. i will never forget it.

[winterwar]

4. Stand up Spartans

Go Green!

[GP6971]

5. George Will is an ass

Thankfully he's on fox so I don't have to hear his comments. He, in my opinion, is irrelevant.

[demigoddess]

31. he is also stupid and ignorant of history.

[UpInArms]

8. been calling this POS "George Will You Shut The F*** Up" since

1986

[appalachiablue]

9. Good for the students. Brave. The Univ. Admin. should have cancelled Will, their blunder.

In the recent PBS 'Roosevelts' Series Geo. Will said early on that both Roosevelts expanded govt. beyond the Constitution (meaning it was illegal to some). Some faulted Ken Burns for this. Overall it was a very good treatment...

[spartan61]

10. I'm so very proud of

these students, my fellow Spartans.

[daleanime]

12. They showed more restraint....

then I might have.

[SkatmanRoth]

20. Showing something else would have been a proper response

[demigoddess]

32. than I might have

than, not then. Please.

[daleanime]

35. OK, colour me confused....

wouldn't it be then because it references a past event? Or than for the comparison between the students and I?



To bad that won't be my only mistake of the day.

[Thespian2]

13. Thanks MSU students.

Will is a disgrace and has been forever. The nature of society, however, is that we must suffer the inanities of the completely stupid and immoral POS. Please, George, do the world a great favour and STFU.

[cascadiance]

15. My father, who was a professor at MSU, would be proud of them!

He left us a few years ago, but I believe he feels a lot better upstairs now about the actions of these students here than what happened during the years of the Vietnam project of the 60's, that still haunts me over our time living in that part of the world while he was working there.

[mackerel]

16. It's actually gotten to the point where it's sad seeing how out of touch this guy has become

he's beyond being a conservative pundit. He's just a guy who doesn't get his time has passed.

[47of74]

17. What would really get them is if some wealthy alumni donors...

...told the administration that if they were thinking of getting any more donations from them said administration needs to check the temperature in HELL first.

[RoverSuswade]

18. George Will is

Rush Limbaugh with better manners.

[Mnpaul]

19. They could have driven him crazy

Have everyone show up wearing blue jeans
http://www.motherjones.com/riff/2009/04/george-wills-jihad-jeans-1

[Nye Bevan]

24. This is so much better than pressuring the university into disinviting such speakers.

Let them come, let them speak, protest if you like, and make your point. Much better than insisting that only noncontroversial speakers be invited.

[demigoddess]

33. true, but

if all those newspapers had on them 'George Will is stupid sexist' where he would have to look at them while he spoke , it would have been really cool. I know he hates anyone challenging his opinion.