I wrote about this before. Looks like ASU is just like the rest of them, caves to Political pressure when the heats turned up by the media.
The Politico reports:
Michael M. Crow, president of Arizona State University, tells POLITICO that the school is reconsidering its widely mocked plans not to give President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he speaks at commencement on May 13 and will “honor him in every way possible.”
“There was no intended slight,” Crow said by telephone from his office in Tempe. “We had not yet talked about what honors we might give him as our commencement speaker, and we still have a month to work all that out. We don’t want anyone to think we do not recognize what he has achieved and what he means in America.”
A formal decision has not been made, but it was clear from Crow’s comments that the university is headed in that direction. ASU risked becoming a national punch line if it did not quickly retreat from its policy against conferring honorary degrees on a sitting politician.
At first blush one would expect me to basically call them cowards; however, if you really think about it. I can see their position. Being elected Americas first black President, is a feat unto itself. So, while I can agree with my fellow Conservatives who say that President Barack Obama has no resume, there is something to be said about being elected President and being black. Accuse me of being a turncoat, or a secret liberal if you wish; but history was made in 2008, A black man was elected President, that has never happened in America before. Sean Hannity can rip on the guy all he likes, and I can understand why, He doesn’t like his politics. Admittedly; neither do I, but I am not going to sit here and act like having a black President is not a sea change of the standard in America.
So, while I think sticking to principles is a good and honorable thing, I think in this case, it is better to gave the honorable degree and move on. Rather than to face the onslaught. If people had listened to Senator Barry Goldwater, we could not be in this postion, but we’re stuck with it now. So, might as well just do the right thing.
Others: Hot Air,
BEING CHOOSEN BY THE BANKERS IS NO FEAT! BEING GROOMED BY BERZINKI IS ALSO NO FEAT! hE’S NOT EVEN A CITIZEN.
tHROW HIM IN JAIL WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.
Agree that our first black president is something miraculous in itself. A failure to appreciate this will alienate us from a lot of people who celebrate this fact very deeply. This election did reflect the gradual elimination of racism.
We can argue that a university shouldn’t be bowing to identity politics, people shouldn’t get degrees (honorary or otherwise) for being black. However, due to prevalent framing of the dialog, ASU probably saw a fight they couldn’t win in the public forum. And they are a business, after all.
They’ve just destroyed any pretense of value in their “honorary degrees” and they pretty much have to give one to any possible future Muslim president, Native American president, Thai president and whatever comes down the pike. But hey, they don’t cost much to give out.
ASU should be ashamed to even allow this impostor on campas and should have him jailed in Joes tent city until he is deported the next day at the least.
ASU ALUMNI 1988