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Arizona State University won't give Obama honorary degree despite protests  email this discussion to a friend?

myLot reputation of 60/100. Taskr36 (6778)   ranked 284 out of 3,984 in politics 3 years ago

Well it's nice to see once college that won't cave under pressure. I'm also glad to see they have higher standards than some universities who just throw these degrees at anyone who speaks there. My wife told me the main reason colleges give them out is so they can get important people to speak for free.

The official statement from ASU was "His body of work is yet to come. That's why we're not recognizing him with a degree at the beginning of his presidency," Media Relations Director Sharon Keller told the AP Thursday.

This is pretty standard for ASU, but apparently people started making a big stink over it after a local paper ran a headline stating something like "ASU refuses to give Obama honorary degree".

What are your opinions? Should they give him an honorary degree? Does he really deserve one just because he's president? Feel free to read the comments at the CNN page. The morons there are accusing ASU of being racist. Of course that's typical of Obama's minions. Does anyone here on mylot actually believe race is a factor?

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tags:  obama does not deserve a degree, schools, speaking, standards, x
 
1. myLot reputation of 70/100. cannette1 (1404)   3 years ago

i'm glad to see ASU isn't bowing to Obama. oh, thats right we should all bow to him because he's the Messiah. the comments have given me the migrane i always get from listening to liberals!

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2. myLot reputation of 82/100. spalladino (11857)   ranked 127 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

Because the president has only been in office for a few months and the standard at ASU has been to award these honorary degrees based on a person's contributions over the course of a person's career, I agree with their decision. Obama is at the very beginning of his career as President of the United States and I don't know of any instances where a newly elected president received this honor by them so, no, I don't believe that he deserves it yet nor do I believe that race is a factor.

I rarely, if ever, read the comments posted under hard news stories on the web. Just because someone has the ability to add their views on something to a site does not mean that what they have posted is worth reading. Of course some folks are going to object to ASU's policy. There are those who are blind to issues...on both sides.


myLot reputation of 60/100. Taskr36 (6778)   ranked 284 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

Well I really think it's stupid to give any kind of degree to someone who has not attended, or done anything for a university, but it seems to be rather common these days to the degree that now some people think the president should get one just for being president.

The reason I look at the comments on CNN articles is that CNN heavily moderates comments and not one single comment I've ever made has gotten past their moderation. As a result, I think the comments that do make are clearly indicative of the opinions of the moderators there who allow such ridiculous and hateful comments to get through. Either way, you're right, most of that garbage is not worth reading.


myLot reputation of 82/100. spalladino (11857)   ranked 127 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

I didn't know that CNN moderates the comments on the website but this only reinforces my opinions about how worthless the Comments section is. Sounds like it's nothing more than a reader supported Op Ed section for CNN's opinions.

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3. myLot reputation of 99/100. scarlet_woman (11395)   3 years ago

i don't think they should hand out honorary degrees to anybody period.
other people worked and paid for those degrees,it's not fair to them.


myLot reputation of 60/100. Taskr36 (6778)   ranked 284 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

I agree. Honorary degrees are meaningless and I don't see why they should be given out to people who didn't even attend these universities. If anything they should be used to honor GRADUATES from these universities that move on to achieve great things.


joinforcash1 (65)   ranked 347 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

I agree with what she said completely.

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4. myLot reputation of 75/100. irishidid (3461)   ranked 838 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

I think we're all being tagged as racist. I heard comparing Michelle to Oprah is racist. Pretty soon I'll be accused of being racist because my son has blond hair and blue eyes.

Good for ASU. I hope they don't back down to pressure and stick by their convictions!


myLot reputation of 60/100. Taskr36 (6778)   ranked 284 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

"Pretty soon I'll be accused of being racist because my son has blond hair and blue eyes."

Well the president of Brazil has already said that white people with blond hair and blue eyes are the ones responsible for the current recession so you can add your son to that list.


myLot reputation of 20/100. PrarieStyle (1161)   ranked 234 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

Oh gee, I thought talk radio, FOX news and conservatives were responsible.

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5. myLot reputation of 58/100. Ima_C_Suvaya (275)   ranked 290 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

Apparently I'm a racist because I didn't vote for him. ASU are racists because they won't honor him with a degree. I guess we have 2 choices: Worship at 0bama's feet, or be a racist.

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6. myLot reputation of 80/100. jonesy123 (3256)   ranked 271 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

Maybe America wasn't quite ready yet for a black president or president of color, however you want to label it. If any criticism and any non-favorable action is simply discarded as racist, we in fact took a giant leap backwards. So his inauguration date will not be remembered as the day we overcame yet another racial hurdle but a date on which racial tensions took a turn for the worse in several decades. People need to stop that and look at things the way they are.

To use one of the quotes of the Obama supporters, 'he hasn't even been in office yet for 100 days, give him time to accomplish something'. Honorary degrees are traditionally handed out to mark a life's work and major accomplishment by an individual. Yes, nowadays they are thrown at people left and right, sometimes for as simple things of making a major donation to the school, even if otherwise the person is an complete moron. Still, the latest trend should not dictate that Obama now automatically should get honorary degrees. It's not like the school said he'll never get one, just that he has really not been in office long enough and hasn't accomplished anything really yet in the position of President. If I understand it correctly, it's not their tradition to hand one to the new president right away anyway. So really, what is the big deal in not giving him one this year?

Really, some people need to start separating and/or their idolization of Obama from the issue at hand and not immediately start calling foul because Obama didn't get what he wanted or in their eyes deserved.

So how many honorary degrees will be dealt out to him this year anyway?

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7. myLot reputation of 20/100. PrarieStyle (1161)   ranked 234 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

Why does he even need an hoary degree anyway? He gets jobs even though he hands in blank applications.

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8. myLot reputation of 67/100. anniepa (11663)   ranked 328 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

I'll answer your last question first, Teskr; I know I'm ONE person on myLot who hadn't even considered race to be a factor and I actually hadn't heard anyone else say that either. Personally I've always thought honorary degrees to be rather silly and meaningless and I think your wife is probably absolutely right, they're given so they can get "important people" for free. I guess my question would be, if someone is that important, why would an honorary degree mean anything to them?

You wrote, "I'm also glad to see they have higher standards than some universities who just throw these degrees at anyone who speaks there." Fair enough, but how do you compare previous recipients of honorary degrees to President Obama?

"Barry Goldwater received his honorary degree in May 1961, three years before his Republican nomination for president and only eight years into his three decades as a U.S. senator. Sandra Day O'Connor was similarly recognized just three years in her 25 years on the U.S. Supreme Court."

I'm not saying for one second either of them should not have gotten them but I'm asking YOU if you think they were deserving and the President of the United States is not.

By the way, I heard it's possible ASU may reconsider. I haven't heard any more about it since last evening so I'm not sure if they actually have or not.

Annie


myLot reputation of 60/100. Taskr36 (6778)   ranked 284 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

"I know I'm ONE person on myLot who hadn't even considered race to be a factor and I actually hadn't heard anyone else say that either."

I doubt anyone currently on mylot would say that. The people like cjr and ery who would have long since been banned. On CNN however those accusations are common and clearly welcomed.

"Fair enough, but how do you compare previous recipients of honorary degrees to President Obama?"

To make that determination I would have to look at their accomplishments at the point that they received their honorary degrees. My point was that simply becoming president was not a reason to give a degree for them. I think Bush got like 3 honorary degrees in his first 6 months. I thought it was stupid then too as he'd accomplished nothing up to that point.

"I'm asking YOU if you think they were deserving and the President of the United States is not."

Whether or not I feel they were deserving isn't relevant. They already have their degrees. If Obama gets an honorary degree now, it won't be because he deserves it, it would be because of public pressure. Complaints should not be the criteria that decides who gets an honorary degree.

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9. myLot reputation of 78/100. suspenseful (19610)   ranked 218 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

Oh that horrible University will not acknowledge Obama's 'divinity' or 'godlike' status. Boo hoo! How terrible! Well he has not been around for that long and the only reason is to acknowledge that he is a wonderful person. An honorary degree is given to someone who accomplished something great or had a lot of achievements not to the first man of a certain ethnic group who became a -
His minions want him to get an honorary degree because of race. They will accept nothing less. Then they will have their belief that "we came out of Africa" confirmed.


myLot reputation of 83/100. ClassyCat (874)   ranked 159 out of 3,984 in politics  3 years ago

H-m-m-m, I must remember in the future when I don’t get my way to yell ”You’re a racist.”

I’m bound to be admired for my intelligent and thoughtful response.

Wonder if someone asked these people who throw this phrase out there, just exactly what they mean.

No honorary for Obama – he has far more important things to do, and there are plenty of others to invite.

‘nuff said


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10. myLot reputation of 95/100. twoey68 (10563)   ranked 811 out of 3,984 in politics   3 years ago

I don't see the point in the honorary degree's for 0bama or anyone else. To me it kind of makes a mockery of the ppl that actually worked their way through the college and earned their degree's.

As to the speaking by important ppl, I read an article recently that a college wanted Michelle 0bama to speak at their college. They set up a Facebook account in her honor, sent dozens of gifts and cards to her and basically pleaded with her to speak...she finally agreed. I think that's stupid. She should have felt honored to even be asked just the same as these other ppl. Obviously the ppl asking them think enough of them to ask and then they make them plead and beg before agreeing. Not saying their all like that but some are. I think that if their decent ppl that care about others and about sharing what they've learned, they'll jump at the chance to speak.

Personally, I haven't seen 0bama do anything that even remotely suggests he deserves a degree in anything.

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