Wolf at St. Louis University commencement

[PragMantisT]

I was lucky enough to attend the graduation at St. Louis University (a private, Jesuit school in St Louis) this last weekend. My nephew was a graduate. Wolf Blitzer was the speaker. He spoke mostly about Iraq (go figure, Iraq 1 made him a household name). I pretty much tuned him out, but I did hear something about not ignoring horrible things in foreign countries (Burundi, etc.). It was nothing special. He did get an honorary doctorate from the University. They even called out his name individually; something they did not do for those who had earned their degrees.

The most troubling event of the whole ceremony was not Wolf or anything else political. During the opening of the ceremony, the president of the university asked the audience to gaze skyward and place their hands in front of them as if placing it on the head of their child. NO SHIT! IT LOOKED LIKE A NUREMBERG RALLY! THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN AN AUDITORIUM GIVING THE NAZI SALUTE. I SWEAR, I WAS BAFFLED. My other nephew and I would not take part, and even wondered what the hell was going on. Later, the graduating nephew mentioned that there were many in the graduating class jokingly saying "Sieg Heil".

Congratulations to all new college graduates out there. Good luck. Hope your commencement is everything you want it to be. Hopefully it will not include a display of fascist allegiance.