The Daily Pennsylvanian :: Editorial

We are appalled by the inappropriate manner in which some members of the Penn community responded to Newt Gingrich’s arrival to campus.

While we understand that many students passionately disagree with the politics of the former Speaker of the House, the ways in which some expressed their dissent were unacceptable.

A group of students stormed out of Irvine Auditorium in protest while Gingrich was still speaking. One of them shouted as he left.

Even in the days leading up to Gingrich’s speech, students’ anticipation was marked by rudeness.

Penn Democrats distributed an e-mail on its official listserv two weeks ago in which it resorted to name-calling and referred to Gingrich as “an evil salamander.” This week, some students hung posters of the politician’s face and some of his controversial quotes on doors of bathroom stalls and above urinals.

Gingrich was a guest at the University and should have been treated with respect. The type of behavior students exhibited lowers the level of discourse on campus and is not becoming of an esteemed institution such as Penn.

What do you think of students' response to Gingrich? Send us a letter to the editor: letters@theDP.com.

Comments (3)

The responses to Gingrich's hypocrisy were totally appropriate and brave. Politicians do not inherently deserve respect, they should earn it. Especially with Gingrich his stated platforms about the immorality of gay marriage and pro-family rhetoric are in direct opposition with what he actually does and say. That's a representative betraying the group of citizens he has the responsibility to represent adequately. And we have the right to be mad as hell when politicians are hypocritical.

Hypocrisy shouldn't be accepted as part of the fabric of America's political system today, and its way to readily accepted. I applaud the students who are fighting against this lackadaisical acceptance of hypocrisy. Being "courteous" "respectful" and asking softball questions leads to nothing, confrontation leads to action and change and bringing to light so much of the bullshit in american politics that is so readily accepted because were so bombarded with it on a daily basis.

We are meant to confront and keep our politicians in line, and be angry and confrontational when they display patterns of hypocrisy and immorality. They don't deserve respect or courtesy unless they earn it.

Isabel was extremely brave and her manner of questioning was well researched and structured- rude is definitely not the word to describe her. Complacency is way more dangerous than "rudeness".

I prefer to see students act passionately and well informed about a speaker's history than to have them passively accept what is being fed to them. What you see as rude I see as engaged and excited, whether it is walking out in protest or posting opinionated posters. The idea that a speaker to campus is a guest who should not be insulted, challenged, or questioned is such a bizarre notion: they are here to be involved in a dialogue, rude or polite, and not to have their opinions and ideas go unchallenged.

It's too bad the DP board has forgotten or never knew that the only way for a journalist to look upon a politician is down.

Newt's a big boy. If he can't handle a rough question from a college student, how's he going to stand up to al Qaeda?

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