Trump to be MLK Day Speaker at Liberty University

[Cleopatra7]

This choice makes perfect sense to me, as Liberty founder Jerry Falwell and Donald Trump both stood against everything King believed in, so the school's being consistent:

https://www.yahoo.com/politics/he-has-a-dream-liberty-university-defends-choice-224222438.html

[purple_summer]

Every time I think about how I almost ended up there I thank my lucky stars.

[Guest]

Nauseating.  But then again everything Trump does or says is nauseating.

[NeverQuivered]

Dear gawd...I have no words....

[nastyhobbitses]

Isn't this a bit like getting a Neo-Nazi to speak at Holocaust Remembrance Day? Or getting anyone who was super pro-Apartheid to speak at a commemoration of Nelson Mandela? Is irony not a taught subject at LU?

[nomoxian]

White racist talking about race-related-issues on a day made to celebrate the life of an ardent anti-racist? Makes sense to me!

[Mrsaztx]

Ugh, Donald Trump is just such a horrible and revolting piece of human garbage. I don't understand why fundies would want captain bankruptcy with his 3 or 4 wives and life of excess and opulence to speak at their dinner. I guess if he chokes on a roll and no one can see him turning blue because he's slathered in cheeto dust, it won't be such a bad thing 

[FundiesInParis]

This seems to be right in line with Liberty and its "Christian values".

I have a friend who goes to law school there and isn't totally off the fundie deep end, they're gonna be pissedddd. Actually I think a lot of the students will be, because no matter how hard you try and square it away, Trump is very much at odds with social conservatism.

[iknowright]

Eh...I wouldn't get all bent out of shape about convocation speakers. Apparently, Liberty has convocation three times a week and have had  a variety of speakers from other religions and pretty politically diverse politicians and reporters (Sam Donaldson, Ted Kennedy, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders to name a few).

I would worry more about universities and colleges that only have speakers from a very stringent mindset, and that has happened where a university has "uninvited" a speaker simply for having opposing view points.  http://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/pomp-circumstances-booted-speakers-raise-academic-concerns-n90141

I also worry more about churches, progressive or conservative, who have presidential candidates speak during a worship service than I do colleges who have candidates address a student body.  

[HereticHick]

Liberty recognizes the existence of MLK Day?

[FundieFarmer]

I went to a small Christian college that considered Liberty to be rather liberal.

Now I'm wondering what in the world we were thinking. They're fucking nuts.

[iknowright]

Looks like they have a special service for the memory of Dr. KIng. http://events.liberty.edu/event/mlk_celebration_service#.VpkJFzZlnVo

[TXGirlInAMaterialWorld]

How in the world could they think that was a good choice?  There are so many people from all walks of life who have worked for equality that would have been a much better choice.....

[DomWackTroll]

"I have a dream, and let me tell you, it's fabulous. Very classy." 

[Dandruff]

Sounds to me like someone wants to try to shed some racist image and win votes.  He found a place that will let him.  The dissent, AFAIC, will only draw more attention - which he wants.

[sparkles]

34 minutes ago, iknowright said:

Eh...I wouldn't get all bent out of shape about convocation speakers. Apparently, Liberty has convocation three times a week and have had  a variety of speakers from other religions and pretty politically diverse politicians and reporters (Sam Donaldson, Ted Kennedy, Tim Kaine, Bernie Sanders to name a few).

I would worry more about universities and colleges that only have speakers from a very stringent mindset, and that has happened where a university has "uninvited" a speaker simply for having opposing view points.  http://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/pomp-circumstances-booted-speakers-raise-academic-concerns-n90141

I also worry more about churches, progressive or conservative, who have presidential candidates speak during a worship service than I do colleges who have candidates address a student body.  

I agree, even though I think Donald Trump is poor choice for the occasion. My daughter went to one of the most liberal of liberal arts colleges and Newt Gingrich was a convocation speaker one year (invited by the campus Republican Club—as my daughter put it, all three of them). He had a sell-out crowd. Liberal, conservative or whatever, the danger is when you close your mind to opposing views and debate. 

And I don't necessarily think Trump is in line with Liberty's views, but Bernie Sanders wasn't either, so good for them for at least giving the appearance of being willing to listen.

[iknowright]

Just now, sparkles said:

I agree, even though I think Donald Trump is poor choice for the occasion. My daughter went to one of the most liberal of liberal arts colleges and Newt Gingrich was a convocation speaker one year (invited by the campus Republican Club—as my daughter put it, all three of them). He had a sell-out crowd. Liberal, conservative or whatever, the danger is when you close your mind to opposing views and debate. 

And I don't necessarily think Trump is in line with Liberty's views, but Bernie Sanders wasn't either, so good for them for at least giving the appearance of being willing to listen.

That's how I see it as well...the danger is closing down of opposing viewpoints and being "us vs. them" mentality in all things.  I know they receive tons of hate, but the proof is in the pudding and like 'em or not, they have a history of quite a variety of speakers address their student body.  

[Whoosh]

I agree with people who are advocating for open minds and free speech on campuses.  I question the choice to host this particular speaker on this particular holiday.  Especially since they have these speakers three times a week - I think probably any one of those would be a better choice than MLK day for this particular brand of speaker and I can't see how having that respect for the day would harm freedom of speech on the campus all that much.

I would feel differently if a student group had selected this speaker for this particular day and was adamant in their choice, though I would still be unimpressed.  In this case, it appears that the university actually invited this speaker (unless I am reading it wrong).  If the day is meant to honor Mr. King (which Liberty University states that it is), inviting this particular person to speak on this particular day seems to simply make a mockery of that.

[iknowright]

I just think since he is the front runner in a presidential campaign that is why he is speaking at convocation.  I doubt the university is mocking Dr.  King since they have set aside a special evening service later in the day for his memory.  There is a fairly large African American presence within that student body it seems.  

[Whoosh]

44 minutes ago, iknowright said:

I just think since he is the front runner in a presidential campaign that is why he is speaking at convocation.  I doubt the university is mocking Dr.  King since they have set aside a special evening service later in the day for his memory.  There is a fairly large African American presence within that student body it seems.  

I would agree with this except for the fact that they hold convocations three times a week.  Also, the senior vice president for student affairs is specifically quoted as saying “I think this one was picked to afford Mr. Trump the opportunity to, among other things, honor Dr. King."  I guess what are they honoring here - are they trying to honor MLK and his views (which Trump has basically already trashed and made a mockery of) or are they trying to honor Trump's (pathetic and weak in my opinion) seeming attempt to dig himself out of the crap-filled ditch he has put himself in on this issue?  You may disagree, but I personally don't really see where they can being doing both at the same time.  Kind of like I would not feel "honored" if someone chose to invite the Pissing Preacher to "honor" me at my heathen atheist bound-fer-hell funeral.  I wouldn't really care how well intentioned PP or the person who invited him to speak THOUGHT they were.  I would find that disrespectful and NOT an honor.

[bertnee]

^Pretty much summarizes my view on Trump. 

[Cleopatra7]

10 minutes ago, iknowright said:

I just think since he is the front runner in a presidential campaign that is why he is speaking at convocation.  I doubt the university is mocking Dr.  King since they have set aside a special evening service later in the day for his memory.  There is a fairly large African American presence within that student body it seems.  

I don't think Liberty is intentionally trying to mock MLK, but like many conservative whites, especially those in the South, they don't know how to assimilate the Civil Rights Movement into their worldview. On the one hand, many of them probably do think that judging people based on their skin color is wrong on some level, even if they refuse to entertain the possibility of structural racism. However, the American conservative tradition has always sided with the white Southern view of race relations that says that black people are naturally inferior, can't be entrusted with positions of authority, and people who agitate for racial equality are "troublemakers" and "communists" trying to overturn the "natural" order of things. None of the Cold War era conservatives were in favor of civil rights for blacks, from supposedly mainstream figures like Ronald Reagan and William F. Buckley to the John Birchers on the fringes, so it's hard for modern conservatives to find any way to identify with the movement. Modern movement conservatism also believes that the 1960s was when everything went to hell in a handbasket because of the constant protesting and questioning of authority, yet they can't explicitly say that the Civil Rights Movement was wrong, at least not in public.

[iknowright]

I'm not sure that is correct...look at Harry Reid...pretty racist comments back in 2010 and it was swept under the rug.  I'm pretty sure he went on to speak publicly about race relations though.

[Firiel]

Liberty has invited all the presidential candidates to speak at their school.  The date he's speaking is unfortunate, but his speaking there doesn't mean they support Trump any more than they support Bernie Sanders.

Ted Cruz is their horse in this race, I think.

[Mela99]

Jesus tap dancing Christ on a cracker. Will this man ever go away?