The headline read, "University of Baltimore students protest Betsy DeVos as fall commencement speaker," (Sept. 11). It looked like a real article. It even showed a picture of Kurt Schmoke, the school's president. Reading further was Mr. Schmoke's justification for having the U.S. secretary of education as their fall commencement speaker. I thought how could a small Baltimore university be so lucky, and then I turned to page 9 to read the rest of the story.
The first give-away that the story was fake appeared in the blank looks from several "protesting" students. Talk about "tabula rasa," John Locke is still turning. To top it off the signs were a little too amateurish. We made better signs in the '60s. Doesn't anyone own a computer and printer anymore?
Look, I could understand if Mr. Schmoke got Galileo to speak and he still had his harebrained theory that the sun, and not the Earth was at the center of our solar system. What educated person would want to hear such a contrary point of view?
The Pope has a very large following, but not all are among the same faith. If he was to speak to a group such as the latter, would it warrant a protest? I believe not. I am not against protest, but I find that we tend to ignore some of the rational thoughts of our opponents just because they are on the other side. Democrats can't listen to a Republican, one religion or race can't even listen to the views of another. That is not good logic. Yes, protest a specific action, but let's not only give people the right to speak, but let's pay a little attention to the counter point of view.
I for one, along with the church at the time, believe in the Aristotelian model for the universe, but I would still attend a lecture given by Copernicus, or from the father of modern science, Galileo.
University of Baltimore students, at least the 3,000 who signed the petition, let's hear the speaker and put your energy behind the fight for a specific cause.
In the end I came to realize that it was all a farce. The U.S. Secretary of Education is not the speaker, there is no protest to not hear her, and the sun is still revolving around the Earth.
Mike Metzger, Owings Mills
Michael B. Metzger
Director of Product Development
Data Trace Publishing Company110 West Road, Suite 227Towson, MD 21204
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