Class of 2009
Sarah walked across the stage, a bright yellow and purple “hood” was placed around her neck so that it hung down the back of her black gown, was then congratulated by the University President, photographed with her department chair, and returned to her seat armed with diploma and optimism.
In May, our daughter had her commencement ceremony at Western Illinois University, where she had just completed grad school. WIU President, Dr. Al Goldfarb, gave a moving presentation, both congratulating and challenging the graduating class. Seeing all these bright enthusiastic kids who have earned graduate degrees through dedication and hard work is inspiring. I’m particularly impressed by those who admit they wish to make a decent living, but mostly they want to make a difference. That spirit of service is what separates the truly educated from the merely trained.
To be sure, there are a bundle of reasons to be pessimistic. After all, this class of 2009 faces unprecedented challenges. These young people inherit a world beset with a worldwide economic crisis, a dwindling job market, the imminent threat of global warming, rising sea levels, ever expanding human population, and seemingly ubiquitous news of disease, starvation, terrorism, and war.
To make matters worse, people have become increasingly polarized. In 61 years, I don’t recall this ever being so widespread or epidemic. From talk radio to television news, civility and manners have been sacrificed on the altar of infotainment. Polite respectful dialogue appears to have been replaced by bluster, belligerence, and bullheaded bickering.
Why? Apparently because it sells. Among the highest rated programs are TV’s Fox News (featuring Bill O’Reilly and Sean Hannity) and radio’s Rush Limbaugh. Decibels too often take over for details. Unanswered allegations are allowed to instruct viewers.
This only serves to increase distrust and makes it even more difficult to create a sense of common purpose and mutual respect so necessary to generating the kind of cooperation required to solve wide ranging challenges.
Among the most divisive issues polarizing Americans today are abortion rights and gay rights. So strong are beliefs in these areas, there is seemingly no common ground, no room for compromise. During the Bush years in the White House, there were numerous ballot initiatives relating to abortion and gay marriage, to the point where these two topics dominated much of the political discourse with no compromise and precious little attention paid to such crucial problems as environmental protection and global warming.
Two days after Sarah’s commencement ceremony, a remarkable event occurred that demonstrated that there is the possibility for meaningful dialogue in the face of differing opinions. President Obama, who is pro-choice, addressed the class of 2009 at Notre Dame University, which is affiliated with the Catholic Church, which opposes abortion rights.
For most students and faculty this was a momentous occasion, but for some it was an affront. To be sure, President Obama knew full well there was risk involved in this particular commencement address, due to the deeply held feelings on both sides of this issue. After all, his task was to give the class of 2009 a pat on the back and inspire them. Should he mention the abortion debate or ignore it in order to keep the focus on the graduating class?
Rev. John Jenkins, President of Notre Dame was also taking a sizable chance. By inviting our pro-choice president, he knew this could easily upset those with deeply held convictions in opposition to abortion rights. It could even jeopardize his standing with his own board of directors.
In fact, tens of thousands of signatures appeared on petitions opposing Obama. Accusations were hurled. Demonstrations were organized. An airplane flew over Notre Dame pulling a banner with an anti-abortion message.
But despite all the vitriol, the vast majority of students and faculty gave President Obama a warm welcome, even chanting “yes we can” to drown out a heckler. To his credit, Obama didn’t blink. He addressed the abortion issue with sensitivity to both sides, challenging people to seek common ground and help reduce the necessity for so many to face this traumatic decision.
This was not as easy as it just sounded …. Consider the vast gulf that separates people over this one issue. There are those who make no distinction between a fertilized egg cell and a toddler. Even though this new life (at the early stages) consists simply of undifferentiated stem cells, from this point of view, it is still a citizen. This is a legitimate perspective. From this standpoint, aborting it would be murder. But there are others who don’t believe that either a fertilized egg or a bundle of stem cells has a soul, or could possibly be considered a citizen. That is also a legitimate point of view. Abortion then, would be a private matter between a woman and her doctor.
Abe Lincoln said that you can’t please all the people all the time. This would appear to be the case here. It would clearly have been easy for Notre Dame and the White House to simply have avoided the conflicts implicit in such a divisive area, and find an alternate speaker. But sometimes simply avoiding major issues is not the best course. Obama and Jenkins exemplified courage, mutual respect, an ability to communicate despite disagreement on important issues, and by their actions they served as role models. That alone was a powerful message, and a gift for the Class of 2009.
A university should teach not just science or math, but humility. Students in college are privileged to get a glimpse of our diversity and complexity. Often times if you think you know the answers, you just don’t understand the questions. Many of the challenges facing the Class of 2009 are every bit as complex and divisive as abortion, just in different ways. Commencement addresses around the U.S. this spring encouraged graduates to accept difficult challenges, regardless how daunting. Find solutions. Make our country better. Improve the world. At Notre Dame they didn’t just say it, they exemplified it.
For the sake of my daughter and all of the Grads of 2009, I appreciate the example put forth by both Presidents… Obama and Jenkins. They were the “class act” of 2009.
