Friday, April 22, 2005
Bush is Coming to Calvin
Yesterday morning I passed a friend on the pathway on the way to class—a normal occurrence in my morning routine. This friend though, had something to say to me that was certainly not normal. With a huge, ecstatic grin on his face he said to me, “Peter, have you heard the news? Bush is coming to Calvin! Can you believe it? This is awesome!’ Well, my first reaction was unbelief. I thought that this had to be some sort of hoax or something, because I couldn’t think of any logical reason that the president of the United States of America would just show up at little old Calvin College. When I got back to my room though and read my student news, there it was, an e-mail from Shirley Hoogstra stating that the Bush was in fact coming to Calvin to speak at commencement. Now I was no longer in disbelief, but I sure was angry.
How could this man, a man who has divided our nation and this school, gone to war with a sovereign nation under false pretences, and allowed human beings to be tortured be speaking at my college. This college is part of my identity. I am a Calvin student whether I like it or not. I do not want to be associated with a man who I believe represents many things that this institution does not, and should not stand for. I know that many students here like President Bush, and that is their right, and I would defend that right. I do not think though that this man belongs at a graduation ceremony where many of the people there, including seniors for whom this ceremony is carried out, may be offended by his presence. Graduation is meant to be about graduates, not the most divisive political figure in recent history.
Many people have argued that we should appreciate this visit no matter what our political leanings are because this is, after all, the most powerful man in the world. This is a valid argument that should be considered. I think though that it would be more a more applicable argument if we weren’t talking about a graduation ceremony. This ceremony is not about goggling over a celebrity. It is about honoring graduates and the hard work that they have put forth throughout their years at Calvin. There is a time and a place for politics, but it is not a commencement ceremony. I don’t think that any politician can adequately do the job of honoring graduates without bringing along a political stigma. The nature of their job distracts from the importance of such a ceremony. I think there are many other people, such as Nicholas Wolterstorff, the speaker who was originally scheduled to come, who could do a far better job than Bush. Wolterstorff, for example, does not have the political baggage, and can deliver a far better message. I hope that Calvin students will try their best to look past the status of the speaker, and try to participate in honoring the graduates for who this ceremony is being celebrated.