Wisconsin Lutheran College Cancels Speech by Vice President Mike Pence
“has chosen Rev. Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church as a substitute speaker for Saturday’s event”
We’ve reached a point where half of America is not welcome on college campuses. Taxpayers should not be expected to make something ‘free’ when half of them aren’t welcome.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports:
Wisconsin Lutheran College won’t host Mike Pence for commencement, citing Kenosha unrest
Wisconsin Lutheran College said Vice President Mike Pence won’t serve as the school’s commencement speaker Thursday after “careful consideration of the escalating events in Kenosha.”
The college, which is in Milwaukee, said it has chosen Rev. Mark Jeske of St. Marcus Lutheran Church as a substitute speaker for Saturday’s event. The commencement is not on campus; it’s at Franklin Field in Franklin.
The college said the change was a joint decision.
“Vice President Pence understands and supports Wisconsin Lutheran College’s decision to prioritize the safety and well-being of their students, and wishes the students well as they celebrate the accomplishment of graduating from college and as they embark on their next journey,” said Devin M. O’Malley, Pence’s spokesman.
Pence’s appearance had already caused some controversy.
When the college announced it last week, it said the selection was not an endorsement of a political party and “cannot” be viewed as a political event.
“We believe it is possible within our context to leave partisan politics at the door and to celebrate America, our freedoms, Christian servant leadership and our graduates’ immense accomplishments,” the statement said.
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Comments
Universitatum delenda est
Fun Fact: The denomination with which Wisconsin Lutheran College is nominally affiliated (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) has lost nearly 50% of its membership in just the last 30 years. Depending on the source, it’s predicted the ELCA will be effectively defunct by 2050.
Gosh, I can’t even imagine why….
You’re wrong. It is WELS – Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. They are NOT ELCA. They are independent of both ELCA and Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS). As a matter of fact they are considered more theologically conservative than the LCMS (the conservative of the two main American Lutheran denominations).
And, btw, even though it was “mutual” I’m still disappointed in them. Having a very pro-Christian top official come to deliver a graduation address should be a thing to celebrate. Any student causing a stir over it should be expelled and their diploma shredded.
Dershowitz: I have never met a group of less courageous people in my whole life than tenured professors.
I’m glad that Martin Luther didn’t have the courage of these administrators–there would have been no Protestant movement.
As I said on the other thread, in the unlikely alternative universe in which I was paying either my own or someone else’s tuition to this college, my immediately response would be: “You had every right to cancel the Vice President’s speech; and I have the same right to cancel my tuition check. Try to collect and you will have to justify in court how this decision is consistent with the values you advertised, on the basis of which I decided to patronize your business in the first place.”