Some felt the silent protest with white armbands and the dramatic turning of backs was disrespectful.
But those who took part said it was a fitting way to show their disapproval that Washington University was honoring a woman whose views and life’s work they strongly disagree with.
For her part, Phyllis Schlafly, the 83-year-old at the center of the controversy, said she thought it was “juvenile” of students who were “raining on their own parade.” But it didn’t ruin her moment, she said.
At today’s commencement ceremony held on a sunny Brookings Quadrangle, 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.
Margaret Bush Wilson, a retired civil rights attorney, volunteered to introduce Schlafly as faculty and students were calling on the university to rescind the degree. …
Bonus Supposedly Liberal Dood sexism:
This [protest] leads Jim Hoft, the racist ninnyhammer of Gateway Pundit, to come down with a bad case of the Fluttery Blanches:
This is frightening and it is no different than what has happened in any other Leftist socialist state. The moderates or conservatives are assaulted, attacked, protested, abused until they are silenced.
AMERICA BETTER WAKE UP!!Oh get a grip, Mary.
She was shunned, not stoned, you nit. Jesus, no wonder these guys can’t win any wars; always bursting into tears at the drop of a slight, and piddling their pants at the sound of a loud noise.
“Oh get a grip, Mary” is the insult of choice to put down a bloviator named Jim? Because by being stupid and emotional the pundit was acting female? I’m surprised TBogg wasn’t thrilled by Schlafly getting the degree, he seems to agree with her low opinion of women. Here’s how the girl germ phobic post concludes:
Oh. The humanity. Someone better get Hoft his laudanum and make room on the fainting couch because he doesn’t want realism. He wants magic! Yes, yes, magic.
Calgon, take him away…
–Ann Bartow
I may be wrong, but I took the “Mary” crack to be a gay reference, while the bit about laudanum and the fainting couch is plainly about being a weak-willed woman. Congratulations, I suppose, to TBogg for hitting the homophobia/sexism perfecta.