Plus ca change...

I suppose every generation thinks the next is clueless. I've read so many biographies covering the span of hundreds of years (the latest being this one) and each parent looks at his children, worrying about their direction, tendencies to sloth, and adherence to silly ideas.

This trend comes to mind as the "best and brightest" of Saint Louis insulted a remarkable 83-yr-old woman, being honoured by Washington University.

At today’s commencement ceremony held on a sunny Brookings Quadrangle, [Phyllis] Schlafly did not seem to notice the hundreds of backs turned to her while a citation heralding her accomplishments was read. A tense hush settled over the gathering of more than 14,000 people. Schlafly responded with a tranquil smile she held for several minutes as she was given an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

The juveniles were joined by many professors, some of whom walked off stage to mark their disgust with the conferral of degree to Mrs. Schlafly. Believing most likely that she opposed women making their mark in the public square, the elderly dynamo believed exactly the opposite (being a tremendous success on the political stage). She was firm in noting that all the rights that women needed were already imbedded in the Constitution, which seems to be true given the progress women have made sans ERA. What could be the problem, then? Was there another agenda, hidden and subversive that drove people to love or hate this Amendment?

Kathryn Lopez remarks on what a prophetess Phyllis was with her opposition to the ERA:

Even though Congress overwhelmingly approved the ERA in 1972—passing the House 354-to-23 and the Senate 84-to-8—and the amendment would subsequently be ratified by more than 30 states (but not by the 38 its supporters needed), Schlafly fought the nonsensical Equal Rights Amendment to its death in 1982.

While explaining why the big push for the federal Equal Rights Amendment ultimately failed, in her book Feminist Fantasies Schlafly reprinted some of her old objections: "ERA would put 'gay rights' into the U.S. Constitution because the word in the amendment is 'sex,' not 'women.' Eminent authorities have stated that ERA would legalize the granting of marriage licenses to same-sex couples and generally implement the gay and lesbian agenda."

And guess what? In the latest example of Schlafly's prescience, on Jan. 20, 2006, a Maryland court struck down the state's same-sex marriage ban based on the Old Line State's Equal Rights Amendment.

And thus it's ironic that the judicial end-run of this week coincides with the honorary degree. The behaviour of the students (and faculty) makes clear that consitutional concerns are not a priority with the new generation, other than the concerns about how to undermine the work of the founding fathers.

God bless this remarkable woman, who proves that one determined soul can do so much good.

UPDATE: More incivility at this college, though a little more rambunctious. Ryan Sorba's topic was "The Born Gay Hoax."

There were at least two uniformed police officers, a security guard, and one university official in the room [on the campus of Smith College]. They made no serious effort to stop the rioters. They mostly just stood and watched. Members of the Smith Republican Club tried to stop people from taking over the podium area, but they were easily overwhelmed by the rioters. After a few minutes police and university officials ordered Ryan Sorba to leave “for his own safety.”  After that, the rioters used the microphone to exhort the crowd.

The following morning the president of Smith College issued a statement (here) about the incident [characterising] Ryan Sorba’s views as “reprehensible” and makes a lukewarm statement that she'll be “investigating possible violations” of Smith College’s policy regarding freedom of expression. Then she announces a pro-lesbian event taking place that evening that “stands in contrast to Mr. Sorba’s views.”

Free speech is a one-way thoroughfare, it seems; and academic inquiry is an oxymoron. But then, there were sit-ins and riots ever since the founding of universities. Hence the title of the post.

Comments

[Teresa]

The "la" inside Phyllis Schlafly's name stands for "lady," because that is what she is to the core. She's in good company, too, with this business of bratty back turning. I seem to recall Cardinal Irinze gave a commencement speach at Georgetown, I think, in the 90's and he too had the bratty backturners there. I felt so embarassed. Such a gentle man with the jolliest spirit was invited to OUR country to a supposedly Catholic college to speak -- and I believe he spoke on the beauty of each of them as their mothers held them when they were babies.