This year's graduates are missing out on their long-awaited ceremonies. A third event is slated for June 6, when Obama and his wife, Michelle, will participate in a star-studded graduation celebration via YouTube. Taking a thinly veiled swipe at President Trump, President Obama on Saturday decried racial inequities revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic and told graduating college students that the crisis has “torn back the curtain on the idea that so many of the folks in charge know what they are doing.”. Obama delivered the speech, followed later in the day by a nationally televised address to high school graduates, as educational institutions across the country have been forced to cancel in-person graduation ceremonies to comply with stay-at-home and social distancing orders during the public health emergency. Moderator Chris Wallace on the wild presidential debate: 'It was revealing', All Adults Should Wear This $49 Smartwatch, Sacha Baron Cohen Pranks Mike Pence as Trump in ‘Borat 2’ Trailer, Here's why 'Dancing With the Stars' replaced Tom Bergeron and Erin Andrews, Republicans Scold Trump on White Supremacy, Fearing a Drag on the Party, "Little-Known Tech" Behind Electric Vehicle Boom, Menstruation advocates optimistic that Pantone's new 'Period' red color will combat stigma, Jimmy Carter, oldest living president, turns 96, 2020 election updates: COVID-19 stimulus talks find life, Trump and Biden campaign after first debate, Amy Coney Barrett meets with senators, Find the Best Deals. So, if the world’s going to get better, it’s going to be up to you.”. The NFL’s major COVID testing flaw has been exposed. “Nobody can tell you anymore that you should be waiting your turn. terms of service. Due to COVID-19, graduation ceremonies across the country have been cancelled. “A lot of them aren’t even asking the right questions. Text HELP to 668366 for more information.
told officials to note Kyle Rittenhouse sought to “defend small business owners”: memo, New Senior Living Apartments Near New York. “On the big unfinished goals in this country, like economic and environmental justice and healthcare for everybody, broad majorities agree on the ends,” he said. May God grant you the courage and wisdom to do what is right. Obama, like the presidents before him, has mostly steered clear of directly attacking his successor, although he did criticize Trump and his policies as he campaigned for Democrats in the 2018 midterm election. Platforms to broadcast could be: facebook, YouTube or television. | “We see it in the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on our communities, just as we see it when a black man goes for a jog, and some folks feel like they can stop and question and shoot him if he doesn’t submit to their questioning.”. for Anti-Christian Radicals ». Notre Dame Petition Against Obama Commencement Speech, Name Calling is O.K. Nobody can tell you anymore, 'This is how it’s always been done.'". Donna Plante started this petition to Former President Obama to deliver virtual Commencement speech to class of 2020 and With many Graduations canceled across the country, I invite President Barack Obama to deliver a live virtual Commencement speech to the class of 2020. “A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge,” Obama said in a livestreamed commencement address to students graduating from the nation’s historically black colleges and universities. Video: Barack & Michelle Obama deliver their 2020 commencement speeches/YouTube. Activists pressure debate moderator to question Pence, Harris on LGBTQ issues. The idea of Obama giving a national commencement speech provoked a social media clamor in April when a Los Angeles high school student, Eagle Rock High senior Lincoln Debenham, took to Twitter to petition the former president. Instead Notre Dame has chosen prestige over principles, popularity over morality. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS -- A growing number of UI students want former President Barack Obama to speak at commencement. His vice president, Joe Biden, has emerged as the Democratic Party's presumptive nominee and is embracing the Obama legacy. He said the pandemic response had become “an absolute chaotic disaster when that mind-set of ‘what’s in it for me?’ and ‘to heck with everybody else’ — when that mind-set is operationalized in our government.”. The petition reads: It has come to our attention that the University of Notre Dame will honor President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker on May 17.
The former vice president’s campaign dismissed these attacks as a crackpot political ploy to distract from the president’s handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Other participants in the eclectic lineup include Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani women’s education activist who won the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. It turns out that they don’t have all the answers,” he said. It is an outrage and a scandal that “Our Lady’s University,” one of the premier Catholic universities in the United States, would bestow such an honor on President Obama given his clear support for policies and laws that directly contradict fundamental Catholic teachings on life and marriage. Receive mobile alerts from MoveOn. To create a memorable moment for graduates and their families, we're asking former President Barack Obama to virtually deliver a national commencement speech for the Class of 2020. Enter your email below to receive daily clips: « What's with the MSM and St. Obama? Recurring messages. Note: By signing, you agree to receive email messages from MoveOn Civic Action and MoveOn Political Action. “With everything suddenly feeling like it's up for grabs, this is your time to seize the initiative," he said. Obama’s recent critique of Trump’s response to the coronavirus crisis came in a videoconference with 3,000 former aides, a private speech that he doubtless knew would leak. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. The speeches turned the national spotlight on Obama at a time when the former president is becoming a central figure in the 2020 presidential campaign. Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 05:30 PM | Permalink. Republicans move forward with plan to investigate presidential election in Pennsylvania, This Junior Gold Stock Is Making Big Moves In 2020, US Senate subpoenas heads of Google, Facebook and Twitter, Trump admin. But is the league willing to eliminate it? Today, the Class of 2020 is united by a feeling of uncertainty and separation.
Notre Dame Petition Against Obama Commencement Speech You can sign the petition to Father Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame here. | Name Calling is O.K. You may unsubscribe at any time. The event was sponsored by XQ Institute, an education reform nonprofit; the LeBron James Family Foundation; and the Entertainment Industry Foundation. MoveOn Petitions is an open tool that anyone can use to post a petition advocating any point of view, What is TikTok? We prayerfully implore you to halt this travesty immediately. What better way to unite our graduates while they're apart than a national commencement speech? Saturday night, Obama also addressed 2020 high school graduates in an hourlong broadcast carried by major networks and across social media platforms. And after largely keeping away from politics during the primaries, as he has for much of his post-presidency, Obama has lately aimed a series of withering critiques at Trump for his handling of the coronavirus crisis and other matters. “Like most high school/college seniors, I’m saddened by the loss of milestone events, prom & graduation. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama headlined a special virtual commencement this past weekend that honored graduates across the country that were unable to have in-person ceremonies due to the coronavirus pandemic. MoveOn Civic Action does not necessarily endorse the contents of petitions posted on this site. “All those adults that you used to think were in charge and knew what they were doing? A commencement speech by Barack Obama would provide a memorable moment of hope. The idea of Obama giving a national commencement speech provoked a social media clamor in April when a Los Angeles high school student, Eagle Rock High senior Lincoln Debenham, took to Twitter to petition the former president. Due to COVID-19, graduation ceremonies across the country have been cancelled. Main “That’s why folks with power will keep trying to divide you over the means.”. In his speech to black college and university graduates, Obama did not mention Trump. The honor also comes amid great concern among Catholics nationwide about President Obama’s future impact on American society, the family, and the Catholic Church on issues such as traditional marriage, conscience protections for Catholic doctors and nurses, and expansion of abortion “rights.”, This honor is clearly a direct violation of the U.S. bishops’ 2004 mandate in “Catholics in Political Life”: “The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. An Obama aide said Saturday that the former president was “aware of and flattered by the viral campaign,” but that his commencement plans were made in response to a broader “deluge of requests from institutions, school systems and other organizations.”. | High-quality Products, PHOTOS: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg — A look back, Oscar-nominated actor unmasks himself in strangest 'Masked Singer' reveal yet, Veteran Who Voted For Trump Now Backs Biden After Wife Dies Of COVID-19, Must Read Resources for Retailers & Restauranteurs. Obama also criticized the Justice Department for asking a judge to drop charges against Trump’s first national security advisor, Michael Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. As the nation’s first African American president, Obama had a special message for black college graduates Saturday about the challenge of confronting racial inequities exacerbated by the coronavirus crisis and spotlighted by the case of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man who was shot dead after being chased down by two white men in Georgia.
We do so with the hope that Catholics nationwide will likewise call on you to uphold the sacred mission of your Catholic university.
Trump, meanwhile, stepped up his attacks on Obama, advancing a conspiracy theory about efforts to block his 2016 election that he dubbed “Obamagate.” Trump has tried to portray Flynn — and himself — as victims of a “deep state” conspiracy involving a tangled cast of perceived enemies from the Obama administration. Trump has targeted his predecessor for a fresh round of attacks for an ill-defined scandal Trump has called “Obamagate.”. Considering President Obama’s strongest supporters during the campaign came from the college sector, it’s surprising that one college has collected over 79.200 signatures asking that President Obama’s invitation to speak at Notre Dame’s May 17rh Commencement Exercises be rescinded.
“Let’s be honest — a disease like this just spotlights the underlying inequalities and extra burdens that black communities have historically had to deal with in this country,” Obama said.
You can sign the petition to Father Jenkins, President of the University of Notre Dame here. Msg & data rates may apply. “Our basic understanding of the rule of law is at risk,” Obama said. “Like most high school/college seniors, I’m saddened by the loss of milestone events, prom & graduation.
Obama began stepping up his profile in 2020 politics when, after refusing to back any of the many candidates for president, he endorsed Biden once the former vice president had effectively beaten all his primary opponents. “Given the unprecedented situation graduates are facing, the president wanted to send inspirational messages to them directly across several platforms,” the Obama aide said. In an unprecedented time, it would give us great comfort to hear your voice,” he tweeted at Obama, and drew 226,000 likes and more than 46,000 retweets. And what does President Trump have to do with it? Commencement is typically a landmark moment for graduates and their families. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”.