As of the writing of this letter, Murray State is still bringing in Mitch McConnell to give the keynote address at the 2013 Spring Commencement exercises.
I would like to thank those responsible at Murray State for bringing in a recognized leader like McConnell to speak at this event. We won’t all agree with his politics, but that would be true regardless of who is chosen to speak.
To be honest, I would also be thankful if someone like Michelle Obama was speaking at graduation. I personally would not like her political brand, but it would be stimulating to hear someone of her caliber. I would also be embarrassed if the University canceled her invitation because of outside pressure.
As such, I am excited about hearing Mitch McConnell, who is one of the most powerful figures in the U.S. government today and from Kentucky to boot, having won five straight Senate races (several by large margins).
Despite this, some people are expressing their displeasure with McConnell speaking at graduation. As best I can tell, it seems their arguments center around having a personal distaste for McConnell’s conservative voting record, which is not a good reason to cancel the speech.
I personally have heard many prominent figures speak at Murray State in recent years, and I have not always agreed with everything they stood for (most notably in 2008 when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. spoke).
But I applaud Murray State officials for bringing in a variety of public figures over the years to present sometimes controversial ideas. Murray State has been, and I hope will continue to be, a great marketplace of ideas for students to ponder.
I’m in favor of Murray State being tolerant and inclusive of all views, even those of conservatives.
Letter from Todd Broker, director of the center for economic education.
It isn't about his conservative voting record, its a fine thing to be a conservative. It is about politicizing graduation, I wouldn't be happy to have Steve Beshear speaking during an election year either.