Paul Ryan's commencement address at Kansas Catholic college draws protest

[rug]

by Eloisa Perez-Lozano | May 10, 2013

Alumni of a small Catholic college in northeast Kansas have objected to the selection of U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 Republican vice presidential candidate from Wisconsin, as the commencement speaker at Saturday's graduation.

In a letter to alumni, the president of Benedictine College, in Atchison, Kan., said he chose Ryan, chair of the House Budget Committee, as speaker because of "our desire to inspire in our students the ambition to aim high. We regard having a national figure on our campus as a great opportunity."

But critics say that the congressman's budget policies don't reflect Catholic social teaching.

Catholics may disagree on Ryan's budget proposals — a matter of prudential judgment, said Benedictine president Stephen Minnis. In a phone interview Friday morning with NCR, he defended Ryan as a laudable commencement speaker for a Catholic college.

http://ncronline.org/news/people/rep-ryans-commencement-address-kansas-catholic-college-draws-protest

[NYC_SKP]

1. Well, Hitler was a national figure, too.

And I don't recall his ever being invited to provide a commencement address.

Yes. I went there.

.

.

[rug]

2. Wait, I think he gave a radio address as he commenced to invade Poland.

Something about Poland attacking the Fatherland.

[goldent]

3. A little more detail...

Here is what they object to in his budget:

Every budget decision should be assessed by whether it protects or threatens human life and dignity.

A central moral measure of any budget proposal is how it affects "the least of these" (Matthew 25). The needs of those who are hungry and homeless, without work or in poverty should come first.

Government and other institutions have a shared responsibility to promote the common good of all, especially ordinary workers and families who struggle to live in dignity in difficult economic times.

Now I'm happy to see they are taking the broad Catholic view into account, but...

- I don't believe a politician exists who will satisfy people on all of these points
- I really am tired of these protests about commencement speakers

[rug]

4. Thanks for the info.