Hijacking event was rude, selfish

Opinion

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/10/2010 (5467 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I remember little of the long-ago day I graduated from the University of Winnipeg, possibly because of the massive hangover that came from a celebration the night before.

I was 21 and not wise in the ways of the world — or much else.

I have no idea who the valedictorian was, who was conferred an honorary degree or even who the university president was. Clearly, there were speeches. Plenty of speeches, because these sorts of solemn events call for many serious words.

My grad photos show a solemn, white-faced young woman in a black robe, square mortarboard placed perilously on top her Farrah Fawcett hairdo. My parents look unduly proud.

Many years later, the same university honored me as a distinguished alumni. When I got the call I assumed this was a prank. They normally pick someone who has made an impact on the community and has not simply spent decades hectoring the city about its poor behaviour.

They insisted the honour was mine. The university president was Dr. Marsha Hanen. Carol Shields received an honorary degree, as did lawyer Harvey Secter. It was a swell affair and my parents were finally convinced that, even though I wasn’t a lawyer, I might be moderately successful.

I don’t remember any of the speeches from that day either.

But many people will remember University of Winnipeg valedictorian Erin Larsen’s speech this weekend. She used her platform to embarrass Public Safety Minister Vic Toews, who received an honorary degree. She did it deliberately and with some relish.

Student participation in the wider world is laudable. An awareness of political issues is important, especially for a group who will soon be able to cast their first ballots. They may have come to university for any number of reasons, but we hope they will emerge as smart people, capable of making their own decisions, engaged in the world around them and somewhat opinionated.

Some of us hope they will graduate with a sense of social responsibility tempered with the knowledge that scoring points by hurting someone else is not the act of a mature individual. We think life will teach them that being right isn’t always the same as being honourable.

I don’t know Erin Larsen any more than I know Vic Toews. I find many of Toews’ positions problematic, especially as they concern gay rights. But when two people are invited to be guests at the same party, it’s rude for one to blatantly insult the other.

There were protestors outside the university. They held placards, made their point and did not try to interrupt the ceremony or interfere with the grads and families entering the building. They had every right to be there. This is a democracy.

But inside that hall, filled with people celebrating what for some was an unbelievable achievement and for others the first step on a long journey, a valedictorian had no right to hijack the proceedings. True, only a small portion of her speech concerned Toews. True too is that she’s only 22 and will be smoothed by life experience and the realities of what real injustice is done to others. Some people applauded her, others sat silent.

Vic Toews left out of a side door immediately after the ceremony.

It’s tempting to view Larsen as fighting the man, a reference she made in her speech. It was a bold and ballsy move and I give credit to any kid willing to stand up for her beliefs. I just can’t credit her with appropriate behaviour for hijacking a meaningful gathering. This convocation didn’t belong to her. That’s a lesson the young sometimes have a had time learning: It’s not always all about you.

This was about a community at large, about the institution that granted her a diploma and about the remarkable privilege of living in a place and at a time when freedom of speech is encouraged.

Part of growing up, however, is understanding there are social rules that should guide our behaviour. Kindness to others is a good place to start.

lindor.reynolds@freepress.mb.ca