<p>Since May graduation was delayed until Aug 6th because of The Tornadoes, it makes me wonder if Bama will get someone rather famous to be the keynote speaker.</p>
<p>Charlie Sheen perhaps? ;)</p>
<p>How about Joe Scarborough of “Morning Joe”? He is a graduate and his son is there now. He is an on air unabashed supporter of UA. While he is a former politician, he is not stridently partisan.</p>
<p>Maybe someone from ESPN? There was a story on the Toomers for Alabama on Sports Center this morning.</p>
<p>I don’t know whether it’s official policy or not, but there has not been a celebrity keynote address at commencement since 2006 or 2007 when the speaker ruffled many feathers over his criticism of the Iraq war. </p>
<p>Frankly, it was nice not having a speaker other than university officials at my graduation (Spring 2008); it made the ceremony snappy and to-the-point.</p>
<p>Here’s a CW article about the matter of commencement speakers:</p>
<p><a href=“HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White”>HRC addresses housing issues – The Crimson White;
<p>I think that a keynote speaker who’s asked to avoid political subjects and stick to the issues of graduation and the city’s recovery efforts should be fine. </p>
<p>Frankly, I think it was in poor taste for that speaker to criticize the Gulf Wars because that isn’t relevant to the occasion and many in the audience have family who are/have been deployed. There’s a time and place for everything…graduation isn’t the time to talk about foreign affairs from one person’s perspective.</p>
<p>I understand your point Mom, but after having watched his speech, I thought it made sense in the context in which it was provided. He was trying to get the young graduates to realize that they would be leaders soon, and was requesting that they do a better job than our leaders of both parties have done. He wanted them to appreciate fully what they were up against and what other people in other parts of the world were up against, because of our foreign policies. That concern is so rare in this nation. Most are too afraid that they will be labeled traitors or supporters of the “enemy”. </p>
<p>As controversial as the war is, it is a fact that it had enormous consequences for this nation, and I think it is for the worse, that so few felt compelled to speak about it. I am sure others will disagree, but I found that speaker so refreshing. </p>
<p>Sometimes platitudes are not enough. We really are at a crisis stage in this nation, and it is not the fault of just one party or president. We have been for a while now. I don’t think it is always possible to avoid politics. It is a huge part of life, and too often, too few think about the effects our leaders’ choices have on other peoples in the world, not to mention, US citizens.<br>
But we can agree to disagree.</p>
<p>I can see your point. </p>
<p>However, if the school is choosing between having a speaker and not having one and the deciding issue is concern about political controversy, why not choose someone who can talk about things that nearly everyone would find inspirational, motivating, etc…especially in light of the tragedies surrounding The Tornadoes. </p>
<p>Stories of heroism, of amazing volunteerism, etc can aptly fit a graduation without causing controversy.</p>
<p>When my younger son gave the graduation speech at his high school, he didn’t speak of anything “controversial,” but everyone said it was by far the best graduation speech they had ever heard…even the bishop (this was a Catholic school) said it was the best he ever heard and asked for copy of the transcript.</p>
<p>I’m available :-).</p>
<p>How about James Spann?</p>
<p>Oh, I think now would not be the time for a very political speech given the trajedy of the tornado. There we are in much agreement.</p>
<p>I think we ought to ask the students: do they want a famous commencement speaker or do they want the ceremony to be over 40 minutes quicker?</p>