GREENVILLE, S.C. — President Bush, ignoring faculty members who stood in silent protest of his commencement speech, admitted Saturday that when he left college, thinking about how to be a “model citizen” was the furthest thing from his mind. Yet that was the goal the president set for the 2008 graduating class of Furman University.
“As you move ahead in life, you will find temptations and distractions that can take you off course,” Bush said. “You might also find that years may pass before you learn some important truths: That who you are is more important than what you have. And that you have responsibilities to your fellow citizens, your country, your family and yourself.”
Scores of Bush supporters lined his motorcade route, and the crowd gave him a warm welcome as he strode into the university stadium for the commencement ceremony. But about 15 members of the faculty stood in silent protest during the president’s speech. They wore white T-shirts emblazoned with “We Object” to show their opposition to Bush’s policies on the Iraq war, global warming and other issues.
Bush urged students to vote in the upcoming race to succeed him.
“I know the democratic spirit is alive in our country because there was a big vote recently: The new American Idol got about 55 million votes,” Bush said. “I hope we see an even bigger turnout this November.
Bush offered one self-deprecating line about his verbal gaffes. Noting that his father, former President George H.W. Bush, spoke at the university’s commencement 25 years ago, Bush said, “This is a great step forward for the Bush family, and a great step backward for your English department.”
But the backbone of his speech was to urge the 655 graduates to be responsible and accountable to both themselves and the nation.
Bush said volunteerism was on the rise in America. He noted the compassion and camaraderie displayed in Greensburg, Kan., after last year’s tornado; the work community and religious groups do; the military service of U.S. troops; and the U.S. effort to help fight disease in Africa.
“As you leave this campus today, my call to you is this: Strengthen this rising culture of responsibility in America by serving others, contributing to our civic life and being accountable to yourself and your families,” he said.
In addition to the silent protesters, 31 other professors were granted “conscientious objector” status, allowing them to skip commencement exercises in objection to Bush’s visit.
