Chris Hedges - Speech at Rockford College 2003 - Part 4

[Luke43168]

important than what Hedges has related here, and it took balls to do it by the way. What he has to say here and the like should never have to justify it's moment or place to be said. It transcends whatever is going on, the event or its surroundings. If this ignorant audience had grown up with any sense of our actions in the outside world, for example, they wouldn't have reacted so disgustingly. Although this crowd here may deserve the description of the top

[buddhabastard]

just listen to the brainwashed americans. people are speaking the truth but it falls on deaf ears. ego is our worst enemy. hats off to Mr. Hedges

[jeffbrak]

Wait. Are they yelling boo or moo?

[rosiethebear300]

Two little boy rednecks pretending to be men go to threaten him on the stage! I think he was too intellectual for this crowd!

[zyxek]

The speech was 20 minutes , with interruptions. I've seen longer commencement addresses.

[powergirl901]

Interesting that this happened in 2003. I bet if he spoke these days, most students would agree with Hedges.

[MIKAELF1]

What these booing people confirm is that the biggest threat to the world and peace in it

is stupidity.

[pfflam]

This is actually funny how much it confirms everything he is saying

[pfflam]

RIGHT ON MR HEDGES!!

Grace under the pressure of Morons

[jazzgrrl1]

If you want to watch a good commencement speech....watch the one Steve Jobs gave at Stanford. This was a great speech but it had no business being read at a college commencement. I would have been pissed off too and I agree with about 80% of what he said.

[456manny1]

Don't worry 'all' of these dumbshits will be totally clueless when WWlll comes to roost into the USA.......

[metak71]

America is full of morons, as can be seen by these college kids. Complete bafoons, unable to reason. The speaker is awesome!! I woudl have walked off the stage and given them all the finger and mooned them all!

[SuperJV4x]

when sheeple attack

[carol0745]

Mr. Hedges was the outlier telling the truth. The people who turned their backs on his speech were acting as punishers of outliers. Without punishment, we have no civilization. And yet how misplaced punishment was here.

Can the folks who turned their backs on this speech apologize? As humans--no matter what religion?

[rjbonacolta]

It was the wrong time for this speech. He could have included a lot of these ideas into a proper commencement speech. The first concern of any speaker, in any public speaking situation is to think of his audience and the reason for his speech. He failed to connect with his audience, even though many if not all of them would have agreed with in a political speech situation.

[charlesvan13]

I'm going to watch a Conan O'brien commencement address to get the whole lame scene, on the part of the audience and speaker, out of my mind.

[charlesvan13]

What a train wreck.

This was poor judgement on the part of the organizers and/or the speaker.

I've never heard of Rockford College. But even if he gave this speach at Evergreen State College he would have got a negative reaction for never acknowledging that he was at a graduation, and adressing the graduates. He made the entire thing about his politics.

[earthtonestones]

His speech and actions are the embodiment of courage.

[tubingen92]

I wonder what this class of 2006 is doing right now. They're probably unemployed and protesting in the streets.

Also, they are just a couple of dozen out of a much bigger crowd. Why weren't THEM kicked out.

Lastly, what kind of education does America provide if even a couple of dozens of their students are left completely clueless.

[morklind]

Americans, look at yourself and see what the rest of the word sees.

[tstruss912]

@morklind I know...we're a bunch of retards. Don't worry; we're starting to understand that.

[acehole7]

what the fuck did that guy get on the stage 

[JSMANDRAK]

chris's courage is instructive

and impressive

this vocal audience mirrors

the corrosive effects of

the mind manipulation of the time

i am glad he rained on their parade

[ampoules1]

I doubt these sheeple would've thought it inappropriate if Chris was championing the war. Very disturbing.

[FunkadelicSurprise]

hahahah this is really funny. Hedges is the man! He took on the entire animal farm by himself! Bravo, sir. Encore!

[luketa666]

Stupid americans, brainwashed warmongers you are, invaders and destroyers of the world. And then someone takes the stage and speaks the truth and you boo him, disconnect his mike, american freedom of speech my ass.

[bigollameo]

@luketa666

In response to your comment of S"tupid Americans, brainwashed warmongers you are...," I can say, as an America, that I can only sadly nod my head in agreement. Maybe things are changing now that we're experiencing the beginnings of our imploding empire as the economic chickens hatch from the long-term decadence which birthed them into this world. Now we see our own hands have been at work destroying the world and it's people - people that won't forget to return the favor later on.

[bbuc1]

It is supposed to be an honor to make a commencement speech. One is expected to deliver a speech to honor and inspire the audience of graduating students and their families. So while Hedges spoke the absolute truth to little Rockford College, I wonder at his choice of time and place to try and expose the lies and blunders of G.W. Bush... especially trying to do that at soft, warm, conservative, safe, complacent, and completely middle class Rockford, Illinois in 2003. Talk about a tin ear...

[malma1]

@bbuc1

The last few bastions of free thought and basic civilities should be our colleges and universities.

[MadXMax187]

That retard that is booing is stupid, and that lone retard chanting go home should go home himself. Who the hell is he to tell Chris to go home? Chris was right this crowd was EXTREMELY brainwashed

[bigollameo]

And many Americans fell into decadence, who gave the burdens of thinking and living to others who would do it for them. And those who accepted those responsibilities kept their promise, and gave back their thinking on right-wing radio stations with epics and poetics of war, of tradition's bounty and the luster of a mythic past which made those who had lost interest to become interested again and yearning for the blood of fictional enemies for having cost them an America that never existed.

[malma1]

@bigollameo

Well said! I like: 'who gave the burdens of thinking and living to others who would do it for them'

[ishiali100]

truth

[tdc424242]

MERKA GREATEST COUNTRY U DONT LIKE IT THAN GIIIIIT OUT

[bieberlover1004]

Mr. Divine, I think your misusing the word disillusioned.

[aoiwarai]

These willing fascists, these feckless and craven pigs in the audience, deserve neither the freedoms of their birth, or the privileges of the education they were being honored for. These willing dupes, these barbaric and bloodthirsty mobs, were what Americans became. Who will remember it? Who will remember this shame? The fools in the audience pretend they never supported war, that they didn't worship Bush. These liars and murderers are your neighbors, your family, and you. God fucking bless.

[cherapunji]

Rockford COLLEGE? nah c'mon...REALLY??!! OH my God!

[anarchistory]

Freedom of speech exists only within the context where we offer a voice to those whose opinions we deplore. Offering freedom of speech to those with whom we agree is no freedom at all. Fascism, totalitarianism, empire, autocracy, despotism, and every form of domination and control by the few of the many shares one theme. The control of speech is firm, unyielding, brutal. A democracy can thrive only in the face of the deplorable words, knowing that truth does not need protection behind violence. 

[malma1]

@anarchistory

Hey man, calm down. I agree though ;-)

[Forestnative]

"If we, who have killed our brothers and hated ourselves, are made in the image of God, then surely the bloodroot, wild phlox, trillum and mayapple are more truly made in God's image, for they have only desired to be no more than they are, and they have spared each other. Their future is undiminished by their past. Let me, become always less a soldier and more a man, for what is unopened in the ground is pledged to peace." Wendell Berry

[jnovakit]

This speach was 8 years ago and I've learned a lot since then so I can't say that I wouldn't have participated in shouting Chris Hedges down as well. This was a controversial point of view at the time; much more so then than now. The speach was bound to be poorly received and Hedges should have picked a better forum. Still, the crowd behaved badly.

[PeterDivine]

Wow. I cannot believe that people can be so completely disillusioned.

And no, I'm not talking about the graduates.

[renosucker]

Rockford College a.k.a. Institute of Imperial Fascist Flag Waving.

[LivingDead221]

soulles manipulated brainwashed american terrorist psychopats who want to enslave humanity and destroy everything what is good and right

[abortfailure7646]

man i wish i would have been on that stage when that guy came up. he would have left on a stretcher. what a bunch of douchebags. this is at Jane addams school for crying out loud. do they even bother to learn who she was. she was one of the greatest war protester to ever live. wtf is wrong with these rednecks. send them to iraq if their so hungry for war. lady says in appropriate. this IS the most appropriate place to speak of such things. nice to see you wasted your money on education dumbasses

[MardukHail]

8 years later, are those people still happy that we're in Iraq? It's funny to see rednecks having to hear this stuff. It reminds me of Borat at the rodeo. If you're not a leftist, it's hard to get a degree. You have to bite your tongue and clench your fist for four solid years so your leftist professors will give you a good grade as they teach their opinions as if it were fact.

[StevieCoyleMusic]

Commencement? Common cement, maybe ...

[pholly62]

Sickening & Shameful display of supposed "learned" young individuals... i have dogs that show more respect for their peers than this tiny crowd of loud fascist bullies!

[rickbar123]

Getting into Rockford is via the loan and aid office. If your loans and grants are in order, you get in. Lots of schools are like this.

[bapyou]

3:18 - "Love is the most potent enemy of war."

That is the sentiment these people booed en masse.

[eaodak]

Wow.... Just, wow... Who knew the college of Jane Addams had fallen so low...

[eaglepose1]

Watching this, I found myself wonderig how many of the hecklers actually found themselves enlisting and being sent to the Middle East...to see for themselves what Hedges was talking about. Though this group didn't seem to have a great amount of intellectual capacity ... toward critical thinking... I wonder what those who came back, scathed or unscathed, think now when they remember back to the day of their college graduation.. And what the families of those who didn't come back think...

[wildebeestodd]

Shame...that's all one can feel when one watches just how deeply the U.S. media has indoctrinated Americans.

[SLACKER614]

the crowd cheers the war they will nevr fight in or send their kids to..

[jimlaregina]

Ask the ding-a-ling who rushed the stage to confront Chris Hedges why he's not fighting in Iraq if he's so tough. Fool.

[562284952]

This is very scary. The day The dumb and dumber were received their diplomas. The faculty of the Northern Illionois should have held their heads in shame.

[striveandreceive]

man, what a fascist crowd!

[PWgrizwald]

tell your friends about this video.

[hzuhairy]

HATERS GON' HATE.

[imnotbncre8ive]

Rofl

Rockford College: intellectual backwater of the universe.

[applehead255]

Those who refuse to learn will unfortunately remain ignorant until it's too late and then they can blame others for their situation. Tea-Baggies.

[MzGreot]

Not a pretty sight!

[donttrustany1]

America is the most epic fail of them all.

[ExtendingMiracles]

What a bunch of animals. I have heard plenty of speeches at graduation ceremonies about this issue--mostly about supporting it. Hedges was imbedded with soldiers and where the hell do you think he learned to talk about war with such great experience?? You idiots! War is NOT a video game. Easy to shoot your mouths off when you sit on your damned lawn chairs. This is our next generation of students, their families, and the culture of wartime fascism our higher education faces.

[prairiefyrelee]

Wow... seven years later now, and, sadly, Hedges was spot-on with his assessment. The people in the audience (which includes friends and family of graduates as well) come off as brownshirts. Speaks volumes. And things in this country have only deteriorated. The loudest among the idiots in that crowd are probably well-represented now among the Tea Baggers.

[2stevewoodward]

No doubt the ones yelling the loudest are those most insulated from the war they were cheering for.

[SweNyabinghi]

Non violence, dialouge and knowledge is the only way forward.

[starkweather444]

Rockford College should always feel ashamed of this, the college of Jane Addams should never live this down.

[shillbuster]

ZIONISM KILLED THE AMERICAN DREAM

[TheEphos]

1st Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

[Arkinight]

Real hope:

truthdig [dot] com/report/item/hope_in_the_21­st_century_20101128/

[sunlitporch]

"Commencement" for the barbaric element in that Rockford mob apparently means: Let the war commence! Maybe these thugs are regretful now that everyone knows that our war against Iraq only served to build up al Qaeda's recruitment, and kill and maim thousands of our fellow human beings to death - - people who never did us ANY harm. If that's not mass murder, I don't know what is.

[recorez]

This reminds me of The Exorcist, when the priest (Hedges) holds his composure as the demon ( the deluded crowd in denial) heckles in agony at the truth.

[iValman]

@recorez LOL, well put brother

[superheronumber1]

Yeah! Go go go, root root root, Rockford College graduates love war, we just spent 4 years doing nothing, learning nothing, being told what (and when) to think and now our fruits are coming to bear. They look nice but are devoid of any sustenance because they were mass produced by a mediocre institution. Like so many college degrees these days, they are just for show.

[BronsonKatz]

Wow this was 2003? This camera might be from the 80's. It's scary to see these kids who have been shaped by television... They feel so patriotic about this country but they seem to know absolutely nothing about it. Ignorance... If I was at that speech I would have listened to every word.. by they way I'm a 20 year old dude. We aren't all ignorant, but I would have to say most are.

[SothisAmon]

MOOO!!! MOOOOOO

[Konform2zoidberg]

@SothisAmon I think they were saying Boo-urns

[hchukuka]

very sad

[liveguns]

what a bunch disgusting dirt bags that crowd was. sad.

[Jessecraft1954]

I wonder how the educated idiots are feeling now, that everything Chris said has come true and they're trying to get a job at McDonald to pay back their college loans that have been sold over and over again by SallieMae.

[TheArbiter74]

Bingo, adirato!!!! I agree.

[adirato]

This is very scary... these people remind me of cows, they even make cow noises... maybe they should all go to war and be killed, they should all go to heaven with Jesus and leave us alone.

[klard]

Wow Every America needs to see this video. We seriously need to have a national debate on turning around this wasteland that Colleges have become in America. We spend way too much money on this to accept these kind of shameful results from the educational process. It is no wonder that the obviously immoral and irrational actions taken by our government are proudly accepted by the mob that our citizenry has become.

[klard]

Unfortunately this crowd still has the same beliefs. These people are the core foundational problem with America. They have the trappings of literacy and education but are hollow shells with no substance. They congratulate themselves on their education but they have just put in time in an institution that takes their money and time and gives them nothing.

[xtrafranky]

@klard Exactly these dolts are the core foundational problem with america, and anyone sensible is in the EXTREME minority.

[mwells219]

why listen when you can just shout like a jackass.

[ymatmband]

This is funny. I wonder how those graduates feel today now that their economy went down the shitter and everything Chris said was true.

[mwells219]

how many do you think are unemployed alcoholics?

[ymatmband]

@mwells219 A lot... and I bet you they all are afraid of being socialists so they would rather starve in the mean time.

[boris000000]

Have a hard time to belive this could happen. Where is the "freedom" ??!eams like its long lost in many americans. Do they even know what freedom is???!

[ZEITGEISTism]

I hope those morons in that crowd are seeing how IGNORANT they were What exactly did they graduate from ? because it sure wasnt an education they got

[bapyou]

1:48 - "We're not the wallpaper!"

Well, what do you think you are when you're sitting at home in front of your humongous TV screen watching Fox/Faux News?

[soundmoneyfan]

I bet these are the same type of folks that supported the PATRIOT Act. I bet they would not have been so harsh if they know he bust on Clinton as well. It is not about Bush, but I know they can't understand that

[soundmoneyfan]

boooo, i don't want to hear some one's analysis, booooo. i have my opinions and i have no room in my head for some one else's opinions, haha.

[theH0UNDSofD00M]

Priceless to see all of the self alienated with their back to Chris Hedges, who they will never forget. I hope his words burned holes of self awareness in those shallow brains, capable to respond only to celebrity orientated adulation.

[MightyZoom]

A highly moral man who knows war better than any of these mobbing yahoos. 20 years of war correspondent work, and a seminarian. These Rockford grads were absolute a**holes here. They know nothing about war.

[mrzack888]

this guy has the balls of steel.

[bjarczyk]

I'm an anarchist, but then again, I'm afraid of mob rule. Perfect example of the stupidity that went on here.

[lethalfarm]

I love his guy was protested against. What? Liberals have the only right to protest in America? Fuck you guys

[bapyou]

Is that all that his speech was about? Liberals and conservatives? He never mentioned either of these labels in his speech. Apparently you didn't even listen to his speech.

You should read his books. That is, if you have an attention span greater than that of a gnat.

[cutis1000]

How embarrassing. Rockford graduates should bow their heads in shame. What kind of a college graduates such ingrates?? What a prescient speech given by Hedges, all of which has come true. Rockford graduates should have shown respect. Obviously, it's a trait they lack.

[localhero101]

Chris Hedges is a REAL American patriot.

[Wendolarules]

He has guts that is for sure. Too bad he did not research who his audience would be. His puking on that graduation celebration was in poor taste. I still support his right to say it though. The pig.

[localhero101]

His job isn't to "research who his audience would be." His is only to stand and tell the Truth as he sees it. His views aren't a secret, ya know. And the only poor taste I saw was the warmongering idiots who wouldn't shut up and let the man speak.

[Wendolarules]

The former Rockford President should have known his Liberal Arts audience; which in Rockford is old school conservative in many ways. None of us want war Mr.G. We just don't want those Taliban AlQuida freaks coming over here with there chest protectors filled with plastic explosives or jacking with us when we travel abroad. E Pluribus Unum

[localhero101]

I fail to make the connection. Somehow, Mr. Hedges speaking about what he has personally witnessed in war makes us less safe here and abroad? That's not only a stretch, it's not even logical. Maybe we'd be safer if we listened to Hedges and treaded a little more lightly. A good start would be getting our troops out of the 130 countries we currently meddle in and stopping the sale of weaponry to anyone with a bag full of money who, by the way, we always seem to end up fighting.

[malma1]

@localhero101

You are totally right

[Webins]

Today, many of these idiots had long since swallowed their protesting words.

I'm sure they feel real stupid now seeing this.

[meltedpriest]

Amazing, to look back on this, today. Those graduates should all be ashamed (esp the idiots catcalling and being verbally disruptive). Time has shown that Hedges was spot on, in the speech.

How sad, that we've learned almost nothing, in the time since.

[edtastic]

This is what became of the racist and segregationist. They became conservative christians. The culture that allows for bigotry and small minded thinking is alive and well. Its the uglyness hidden in leave it to beaver that lulls us into forgeting Beaver was not allowed to have colored friends. The unseen culture of hate in the heart of America.

[bapyou]

"the racist and segregationist ... became conservative Christians"

Did you know that the "Reverend" Jerry Falwell, founder of the so-called Moral Majority, first came to public attention by chartering a school in Virginia that was for whites only? This was in 1981.

Wittingly or unwittingly, you hit the nail on the head with your comment.

[darthcheney80]

Perverted patriotism...Similar to the patriot/nationalistic movements in many countries in Europe before world war one. No tolerance of other views, no debate, no broad-minded thinking. Bush summed it up then he said -You are with us or against us.

[ls1z28chris]

By this time I was already in the Marine Corps, believing in the myth. It took me five long years before I saw it for what it is and the myth came crashing in. Anyone who has read his book knows what happened after that.

While I'm ashamed of the people in the crowd, context is important. We were whipped up by this myth, just as he predicted. And now we are going through the sufferings of a society that has seen that myth disintegrate.

[rustyquoin]

He was very brave to give this speech. At the time almost everyone was for the war. The shouting just reflects the unquestioning patriotism then. Don't blame the ones yelling. They didn't foresee the situation we are in now. That is how crowd behavior works. I'm sure many of them think differently now. The difference between 2003 and 2008: BIG Thanks George.

[hortonhcci]

A certain Mr. Obama was against the war when it wasn't cool, as well, let's not forget.

[WhiteIguana]

I bet those protestors would now be in favor of what Chris Hedges had to say back in 2003 when we first went into Iraq. The war is so unpopular now. It's amazing how rude and narrow minded people can be and be mislead by its own government at the same time. Chris was against the war before it was even cool. That took a lot of courage back then.

[Zarathustra12]

This video makes me understand my own country's history better. What if freedom of speech had existed in the Third Reich - would it have made any difference? Scary, very scary reaction of the crowd.

[stratvic]

This video shows the amount of bravery required to talk openly about unpopular ideas. It would be a better world if more of us possessed this level of bravery to speak and less of us possessed this level of intolerance to hear divergent ideas.

[hellohi821]

In retrospect, Hedges was all too correct and right on. Ironically, all that he had to do was to look at history, ancient and recent, to know how much of a disaster the Iraq invasion would become. It is sad that so many people do not want to hear the truth of what their nation is becoming, but prefer to revel in their nation's capacity to kill and destroy, thinking that their nation can do no wrong.

[JKLJKLJKLA]

nothing shocked me about this reaction to hedges' speech. bland, monotone, cliched references to exactly what americans don't want to hear about, even if it is the truth, will never persuade them to quietly sit by while you call their mother a whore, even if she is one. hedges effectively isolated himself from his audience by the way he was speaking. never mind that he was spot on. never mind that he's highly accredited. never mind his pulitzer. never mind...

[Pwalkr518]

ahaha, i laughed a laugh heavily riddled with a sense of fear and dissapointment that what you said was true. Sadly true, but true. Very well put. Ignorant fools.

[oldchicken]

true, true. but i sense he was trying to give the effect of solemnity. Or perhaps he wanted to isolate himself. After all, we all are now accorded the opportunity of witnessing full-frontal american jingoism, YET AGAIN...impressively redundant, I say.

[carlos11111]

Oddly, I could not agree more. I almost feel as though if he had ad-libbed around that speech and softened it, even just slightly, he would have been more effective. Although, it's likely he wouldn't have carried the day in that manner either. Your comment is precisely right JKLJKL..

[masihskitter4god]

I am not the least bit surprised by the decision of the college to bring in this speaker or by the decision of my fellow classmates, some who I recognize in the video, to stand against him. Very few of the students at Rockford College could be called anything, but liberal. Take a vote for gay marriage there. I bet it passes at least 90%. A vote for abortion? At least 75%. The problem the college had was for accepting the views of those who were not liberal.

[hortonhcci]

You don't have the first inkling of what a true liberal is. Your classmates are Neanderthals. Try going to a REAL liberal college some time, not this backwater full of pinhead, bible-thumping, jingoistic, junior college wanna-bes. Anyone with two brain cells to rub together is an antitheist and is in favor of gay marriage and reproductive rights. At my actual liberal college, not your phony one, closer to 100% of the attendees fit that profile.

[masihskitter4god]

"Anyone with 2 brain cells to rub together" knows that in America, we have the right to oppose that which does not agree with the values our country was founded on. As for "my college is more liberal than your college," I'm not going to entertain that. Who cares? Your college isn't the one posted on youtube with people slamming the students. I never liked RC, but you still don't have the right to call names a school you've never been to. BTW, I'm laughing at anyone calling RC bible-thumping.

[jafaramjad]

I love the sign language translator, does she do the booing also

[kennyedit]

What a pathetic SHOW of "patriotism" by these small-minded, monkey-see-monkey-do, "college-educated" idiots. They probably didn't understand what he was talking about so they heckled him. If they would have just listened and THOUGHT, they would have realized that he really was speaking up to protect these people from unjust wars and being led blindly by the faulty ruling elite that is capturing their rights one by one and using it to serve their own stomachs for MORE MORE AND MORE!

[Descendone]

are they upset that he chose this topic? they are a bunch of idiots, its suppossed to be a liberal arts college and they should be used to different opinions..is this rockford illinois? cuz there are a lot of crazie wackos up there

[masihskitter4god]

This WAS a liberal arts college. I am the drama teacher in comment by squidmaster7. This speech occurred the year I graduated. I did not attend my graduation, so I found out about this video from my student. My alma mater was extremely liberal and brought speakers on campus who they knew would cause dissention and long heated discussions between students. We were required to attend at least 2 of these debatable lectures.

[masihskitter4god]

As a conservative Christian, I faced opposition to my opinions in almost every class. I was required to attend lectures and take classes that would "expand my horizons and open my opinions." Idiots? Yes, I agree idiots are everywhere in the American culture. Crazy wackos? Perhaps. But there are not of these kinds of people in Rockford, IL than there are in the rest of America, including the government. The kids who stood up that day were doing what our college taught us to do.

[masihskitter4god]

To listen, to disagree, to do something about it. The college's motto is "Think, Act, Give a **** " They taught us how to protest and how to make others aware of our opinions. I rarely agreed with anything my college chose to do, but whether I agree with the speaker or not, I agree that what my classmates did was the direct result of a fine teaching of their rights by Rockford College. So before you judge my college or its town, spend a year there. You'll get the picture.

[carlos11111]

Stand up...perhaps...but not SHOUT DOWN..usually the intellectual questioning goes on in a more respectful way...What did they think they were going to get from Chris Hedges? A bunch of funny anecdotes about working for the NY TImes in war zones across the world? Maybe it was a bad booking by the college but their reaction was unacceptable and made them look like a lynch mob.

[Squidmaster7]

My teacher drama teacher whent to school there!!!! woot! go Miss Petty!

[parsefon]

This shows to what extent so many US people live in a bubble. It is not only misinformation. Instead of listening and try to spot the inecuarcies that they believe Hedges was saying, they stop thinking and boo. Just another proof that men descend from monkeys.

[chi8cago]

hedges was dead on and much too intelligent for the marjority of americans, who are idiots, but the nazis who try to stop him are the ones to worry about, they leave no room for free speech. Hence they are american facist. Embarrasing.

[walleyefisherman]

Chris hedges a heritic....poor bastard !!

[arngrei]

Walley: Explain yourself. What do you mean?

[joemad]

this is like a really bad jeff foxworthy joke or something: "you know youre a redneck if you boo the keynote speaker at your college graduation"

that was so painful to watch...not living in the US its hard to understand how someone could not see the USA's role in the world for what it is and support its continued aggression...until u see this sort of thing and it puts things in perspective =(

[mwhearn]

as someone who is outside the usa (australia), what he had to say was so obviously right, i'm still shaking my head that any educated person would disagree, let alone be so rude as to boo and yell. that's not college, that's a redneck mentality. Chris Hedges mentions how "rude" the policies of the usa govn are in treating those less powerful than themselves. The irony is the people who disagree with him, only prove his point.

[iskakaye]

if you listen to this speech from 2003, it's pretty prophetic ! this proves the majority of americans are idiots. probably the same majority who voted for Bush...

[sferb]

They're upset because he exploded his ego all over that stage and ruined their graduation with his pompous rant. I may agree with the sentiments of his speech, but his horrid delivery and attitude was clearly meant to do nothing but obnoxiously provoke and insult everyone present. What is he, five years old? Who acts out like this? Disgusting to behold..

[joemad]

"What is he, five years old? Who acts out like this? Disgusting to behold." youre describing the neanderthals screaming at the top of their lungs at him, right?

[Lagwagon555]

And he just took his seat afterwards, good on him. But the booing is absolutely shocking. Those kids cant be graduating, theyre getting upset because of a speech. Insane!

[asanvicente]

I agree with Mr. Hedges. As for the criticism that his speech "took the focus off the graduates", I say how many college graduation commencement ceremonies have you attended? His topic was relevant. The conflict directly affects the lives of college age students. The President himself has framed it as a part of a wider struggle for our very freedom. Hedges urges the audience to examine less often considered ramifications of war. Can you think of a better way to prepare them for adulthood?

[Wendolarules]

Apparently you have forgotten or never fully understood why you or Local Hero 101 or Hedges or I am able to express our points of view. Hedges comments were in deed relevant; however the forum he used was in bad taste in my opinion. Isn't it nice to be able to respectfully disagree without worrying about "big brother" coming to pick us up? Gotta go, there's a knock on my door. ;) Peace!

[kayfabepro]

"Apparently you have forgotten or never fully understood why you or Local Hero 101 or Hedges or I am able to express our points of view".

Go on then, tell us, just how did we in the West become free to express our beliefs and opinions? Just how did we gain these rights?