People tend to get outraged when conservative speakers come to college campuses.
Campus Reform's Lawrence Jones said commencement speakers should not be pushing their political agenda, instead give graduates information and encouragement to enter the workforce, as well as congratulate them on making it through college.
“The universities are no longer facilitating conversations. They have a point of view. And, they’re trying to present that point of view to students on college campuses in the hopes that they may share that point, vote the way that they vote. And that’s not really how education is supposed to work,” said Jones.
He said colleges are there to facilitate both conservative and liberal viewpoints.
Instead of colleges choosing an internal speaker--like high-ranking administrator or standout graduate, Campus Reform found 37 liberal speakers compared to 10 conservatives are booked for this year's commencement ceremonies.
Four were political moderates...two of whom make up the country music group Lady Antebellum.
Christian school Liberty University chose former president Jimmy Carter, who is against some of their teachings.
Jones said parents need to be aware of what they're funding.
“This is really not the professors or commencement speaker’s moment. It’s those students’ moments and those parents that sacrifice for their children and pay that tuition and grandparents to enjoy,” said Jones.
College tuition might be going to pay a well-known speaker at commencement for a fee of anywhere from $50,000 to $200,000 appearance.
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