Bill Kirk was fired rather unceremoniously. I'm sure the ND sports fans think this is a good thing, since the athletes will now be able to smoke marijuana without repercussions, but David Solomon thinks it is for daring to protest Obama's honorary degree.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
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Kirk may have been fired because alumni complained about his disciplinary approach. He was not the only administrator to attend pro-life demonstrations on campus last year. In all likelihood, when the new vp for student affairs took over, he decided to implement major reforms which meant firing Kirk (who held a powerful position for a very long time).
One would give them the benefit of the doubt, except that the University has proven itself vindictive to those who protested. See the ND 88, who still are being prosecuted aggressively.
Kirk was behind the ND88 arrests. Their violation was trespassing on campus. Student led protests were allowed on campus, but outsiders were not allowed for a variety of reasons. Those are the campus rules, and Kirk enforced them.
Besides, as a student at Notre Dame, I can vouch for the fact that the pro-life movement is strongly supported on a daily basis.
Except when there's a chance to have the president speak. Then, we are compelled to give honorary degrees.
On the 88, was it really so horrible that ND must continue this? Is there not a high road they could take on this subject?
Giving Obama the honorary degree was a formality. It was not a commendation of his pro-choice position.
If it was a formality, then there shouldn't have been a problem in dispensing with it.
Goodness. Being "pro-choice" is just a position, a policy position, like being for a 4-day work week?
That's precisely what makes the graduation speech so insidious. It makes it seem like supporting abortion is just some quirk of character that can be overlooked.
But I suppose we needn't go over all of this again?
I have to disagree here, Karl.
Kirk did a lot of very unpopular things in his 22 years at ND. He also was a chief lieutenant of a fairly unpopular VP. A new VP was hired to run student affairs, and he got rid of some of the senior people. It happens.
The student disciplinary process at ND was infamously vague and frustrating for ND students. I have no problems for suspensions for marijuana use/possession, but the way that Kirk and his office handled other matters (e.g. the tailgating crackdown) is worthy of much examination and could possibly have cost him his job.
I agree with you that the honorary degree for Obama was a terrible decision by ND. I still haven't gotten over it.
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