The Courage to Stand
Jun. 6, 2006 at 10:59 AM
Here's a video of the speech if you would ike to view it. (Obscenity alert.) His most controversial statement came when he talked about purity in a relationship and dared speak about against contraception.When the students, faculty, and staff of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn., elected Ben Kessler as "Tommie of the Year" and student speaker for this year"s commencement, they got more than they bargained for.
Kessler, a straight-A student and ESPN Academic All American football player who plans to be a Catholic priest, shocked the crowd at his May 20 commencement by delivering an address that elicited catcalls, boos, and obscenities. The controversial content of Kessler's speech led several professors and students to walk out of the ceremony, while other audience members chanted "Stop it! Stop it!" One graduate told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that Kessler "ruined the day" and another told InsideHigherEd.com that Kessler's words made her cry. Two days later, University of St. Thomas president Rev. Dennis Dease apologized for the remarks in a prepared statement that included an apology from Kessler for any hurt feelings he had caused.
Birth control is not good for the female, the male, nor the long-term health of the relationship, Kessler said. "Birth control is selfish."It's controversial but certainly in line with Catholic teaching. He brought it all up because of a recent decision by the university not to allow unmarried chaperones to share rooms while traveling with students on school trips. Sounds like a sound policy decision t?o me. Why would the professors walk out?
He also exhorted his audience not to live selfishly but selflessly.
Pretty sound advice from such a young man who hopes to be a priest someday. Why would someone feel hurt?We all make selfish choices. I am no different in this. We all do. You can ask my parents, you can ask my friends, you can ask my rector, who sit with you today. I also make selfish choices. I am no different in this. I am no different. Regardless of the past, regardless of what's happened in the past, we must change for the future...
I can only hope to meet each of you years from now and see that you are happy, truly happy. Truly happy because you gave, gave, gave, and gave with the end of the community in sight. Truly happy because you lived unselfishly.
His message is one we all need to be reminded of daily. Perhaps if recent climbers of Mt. Everest had heard such a message, they would have been more willing to help. Instead, they ignored a fellow climber's needs in favor of their own selfish desire to climb higher. They lived to make it to the top, he died on the mountain. Said one expert climber,
Everest climbers may be forced to decide whether to jeopardize their once-in-a-lifetime investment to help a dying person.I thought about that incident as I listened to Ben Kessler's speech. He's rightly encouraging his fellow students to do what those climbers were unwilling to do. That is, to consider others more highly then themselves as they struggle to the top of their "mountain" in this life. To put aside their own selfish ambition and consider something more. He dared to stand up for the Truth. For that, he received jeers instead of cheers.
(Thanks Tina for sending me the tip to Barbara Frank's blog.)
Don't miss this week's Homeschool Carnival at Palm Tree Pundit.
Related Tags: education, college, St. Thomas, Ben Kessler, homeschooling, home school, homeschool carnival
3 Comments and Trackbacks
posted by ByHisGraceInColorado on Jun. 7, 2006 at 1:31 AM
I expected a lot of comments on this one, it was real proof of the downhill slide of the nation---the way the crowd was acting anyway. I really wanted to hear the entire speech though---get all the nuances. ANYway, like I said the other day, if people are looking for intelligent commentary.....you know where to go! ;~)
When I posted today I was praying that there would be just ONE person out there who could relate to what I was saying. Thanks for being that person. Your comment was a blessing to me.
Have a great week!!
Nancy
posted by Lachen (http://1starfish.blogspot.com/) on Jun. 7, 2006 at 4:08 AM
This so moved and touched me that I could not muster a response until now. And still, my response is not as profound as the courage of that young man. I pray for the ability and freedom to raise children who stand up boldly for what they believe in and are not intimidated by the violent and voluminous screechings of the morally bankrupt. Whoa. This has stirred me.
posted by shaunms on Jun. 7, 2006 at 8:46 AM
I posted a similar comment on Barbara Frank's blog. As a Catholic who lives near the University of St. Thomas and has been following several stories about the University this year (I live close enough that several professors are parishioners at my church), I think the national news doesn't fully understand the context of the controversy. Rev. Dease, for example, is the creator of the policy that the student refered to, and had earlier been in the very situation Kessler is in now, defending his decision to uphold the Catholic values of his institution.
It's been an emotional year at St. Thomas because of the public attention the policy has received, among other things happening there. What I've heard is that many felt that Kessler was rubbing their noses in past unpleasantness and criticizing those who fall short rather than calling them to something higher. He took that occasion to attack specific people at the university. (And if he really wanted to talk about birth control, he could easily do so without calling other people "selfish.") It's not that the content about Catholicism was incorrect; it's that the chastizing, judgemental tone towards other members of the community felt very out of place at a graduation celebration. I think if you aren't aware of all that's gone on at St. Thomas this year, you might not understand why people responded as they did.
Which is not to say that swearing and shouting is an appropriate response in any case! It's very unfortunate that the general public's introduction to St. Thomas is filtered through the comments of that camera holder. If you know the context, it's plain that people were not booing the Catholic content -- and if you've read anything about Rev. Dease in the past, you know that's not why he apologized, nor is that what his apology says -- but the student's decision to pour salt in the wound on what should have been a happy occasion.