Four years ago, it was a little bit like easing the bandage off a painful, measly bit at a time. First there’s this mysterious illness. There are rumors of a Chinese origin, but something strange soon surges in Europe. It was January of 2020.
Two months later there’s a cruise ship docked outside of San Francisco. Multiple passengers display similar symptoms of the illness. The Bay Area then becomes the first in the U.S. to announce “shelter-in-place” orders. Cases grow. Within days, the world would seemingly shut down.
It’s interesting to talk to people about what Covid was like for them. There are countless stories of hard. Just writing that once more makes me pause, sobered not just by the millions who died across the planet, but also by the plethora of all we lost. It was a lot…
… relationships… human touch… dreams, ambitions… proper, compassionate end-of-life care… celebrations… family gatherings… systems… education rhythms… trust… and so much more…
Stories of loss are rampant. There is great variety within them, too.
In our family one of the things we most lost was the pomp and circumstance of graduation — for all three of my sons. In one way or another each of my sons had their graduation festivities significantly impacted; for two of them it was totally taken away.
All across the globe we had to learn how to take that figurative next step forward — even if there was no pomp nor circumstance. But I think for me — and remember, this is both different and valid for each of us — what was hardest was to witness my youngest having the celebration completely cancelled. As a young man with special, special needs, he does very well in life; he is incredibly gifted in a unique set of ways. But what was hard for this proud parent is that cognitively, Josh would never know the depth of what he missed.
I don’t say that with any bitterness, angst nor any semblance of victim speak. It’s what we had to do, and no doubt the community education leaders made the decision they thought wisest and best. We may not like every decision others make, but that doesn’t immediately equate us with a victim. The bottom line was it was a hard thing to walk through, a hard thing we had to accept.
Finally, that high school crowd that had 2020 canceled is about to gleefully toss those mortarboards in the air, let their tassels fly, and receive their college diploma. Congrats, class of 2024! So well deserved. You have waited a long time!
Except…
At the University of Southern California, this week they announced the cancellation of their “main stage” graduation ceremony. The college seniors who were high school seniors in 2020 just had their celebration scrubbed again. Why?
Because the campus has been inundated with anti-Israel protests. The administration is cancelling graduation for the safety and security of the students and parents who planned to attend.
So let’s get this straight… as the conflict continues overseas between Israel and the longtime identified terrorist group of Hamas — a conflict that intensified on October 7th when Hamas attacked Israel, killing thousands and kidnapping hundreds, and Israel forcefully responded — students and demonstrators have dug in on college campuses across the country in recent weeks, demanding schools cut any financial ties with or investments perceived to support Israel. In addition to their demands for divestment, there are also scores of reports across the country of antisemitic behavior. There is also increased suspicion as to who else has infiltrated this process, as noted, for example, by police on the campus of Northeastern University in Boston. They arrested more than 100 protestors last week. According to the Associated Press, the demonstrators booed police, taunted the officers, and utilized many antisemitic slurs, including “kill the Jews.” Friends, this is awful. This is hateful.
As New York City Mayor Eric Adams said this week in response: “First, I want to say that I know what protest is about. I participated in protests throughout my life, particularly during the South African calling for the dismantling of apartheid. That is one of the fundamental rights we hold dear as Americans, the right to protest. What we are seeing playing out on many of our college campuses, and particularly Columbia University, is hate.”
Northeastern, Columbia and more… and now USC, who is shutting down graduation. More may soon follow.
As noted, the Intramuralist indeed believes in the peaceful, nonviolent protest. But what we don’t believe in is the protest which gives no care to whom their current disruption hurts. To give no care, with all due respect, is to be either ignorant or selfish… regardless of what the protest represents.
Respectfully…
AR