wex@milano.UUCP (01/21/86)
Last year at the graduation ceremonies, Donald Regan was the keynote speaker. He was invited over the objections of a large minority of the student body (UPenn is right-wing, but not *that* right-wing). During his speech, those who opposed him/his viewpoint (and wished to make their opposition known) stood up and quietly turned their backs to the podium. They remained standing like that through the presentation of the honorary degree. Many of those in the parents/friends/relatives seating also did the same. Moral: it is possible to protest, to make your protest known and felt, and yet not prevent others from speaking. -- --Alan Wexelblat ARPA: WEX@MCC.ARPA UUCP: ...ut-sally!im4u!milano!wex "What a long, strange trip it's been"
fishkin@degas.BERKELEY.EDU (Ken &) (01/26/86)
In article <506@milano.UUCP> wex@milano.UUCP writes: >Last year at the graduation ceremonies, Donald Regan was the keynote speaker. >... During his speech, those who opposed him/his viewpoint (and wished to >make their opposition known) stood up and quietly turned their backs to the >podium. > >Moral: it is possible to protest, to make your protest known and felt, and yet >not prevent others from speaking. > At the University of Wisconsin, in 1982, Melvin Laird (Secretary of Defense throughout the Nixon presidency) was awarded an honorary degree, ostenibly for his contributions to animal husbandry or some such. A similar tactic to wex@milano's was used; many in the audience stood and turned their backs at the appropriate time. Some also dressed in skeleton outfits. I don't remember hearing any heckling, yet the point was certainly made. On the other hand, both Regan and Laird *did* receive their degrees, didn't they? Sigh. Ken Fishkin Berkeley Computer Graphics Lab ucbvax!fishkin fishkin@berkeley