While I admire her struggle while a student at Washington University as well as her and many others sacrifices at a difficult time in our history, I resent her comments concerning the activities of our current college age population. These are the same citizens who will someday lead us, administer meds to us, teach our children and grandchildren and to diminish them is a shameful thing for her to do.

She has not contributed to society anything of importance or value and to honor her as Washington University wishes to do is questionable at least.

Would Phyllis rather our current college students be playing video games? She should be proud that they are willing to take a stand for what they believe–isn’t that what she herself has been doing for decades?

And good Lord. Why are you disgracing the good Schlafly family–the beer makers–with Ol’ Phyllis. Tom and his side are much more evolved.

I deleted two comments for foul language and personal attacks.
Let’s keep it civil, folks. You can make your point without crossing the line.

She has serious issues. I am a survivor of marital rape currently involved in the prosecution of my husband & rapist. When a woman (or man) marries they do not lose the right to personal safety.

A spouse that is sexually and/or physically abusive is a monsster that uses the sanctity of marriage as a safety blanket. The abuser does not want a divorce because they have a readily available victim in their home. The victim is often so broken down emotionally, mentally and often financially to be capable of leaving of the abusive relationship.

Mrs. Shlafly was fortunate to have a family that supported her need to be an individual as well as a wife and mother. I find it contradictory that she has sought out an education, career and political ambition while simultaneously raising children and maintaining a home. Yet she states she is an anti feminist. By definition she has lived her life as one.

It unfortunate that she is so single minded she can not see that everyones’ life experience has not afforded the comfort and/or opportunity to speak out freely.

Ms. Schlafly, would you consider it rape if a husband forced sex on his wife two days after she gave birth and had to go to be seen in the emergency room? This and worst have taken place in rapes by husbands.

Mrs. Schlafly has difficulty seeing reality outside her environment. She speaks what is true within her small world and mind. Although I would think that in order for one to receive such an honor from such a prestigious institution of higher learning, it would require one to at least be capable of seeing outside their realm of reality and be able to recognize that a husband could indeed be guilty of raping his wife.

The previous comments on marital rape speak volumes that this is a real issue in our society. Just because we do not know someone who has experienced it or it might happen very often in our communities does not mean it does not exist. Marriage means you have made a commitment to love and honor your spouse, not violate their right to personal safety.

Also, her comments about college students are disappointing. Yes, many students work jobs to pay for college. But to assume that students are protesting while someone pays their fee is too broad of a generalization. Many students are on scholarships (which they worked hard to earn) or work long hours during the summer to save money for the academic year. Finally, part of the learning and growing experience in college is to stand up for what you believe in and not be afraid to protest or rally for that cause. I would imagine that these college students she speaks of also are involved in other activities, work hard in their classes, and are developing as individuals so that in the future, they can be productive and active citizens in our society.

But this is what is so great about our country. I disagree with Ms. Schlafly’s comments and opinions, but we both have the right to express them in a free and open society. The First Amendment is great!

Classic Schlafly… Right / Wrong, Agree or not you have to admire the woman that gives no quarter and asks for none. Living proof that the ERA was not needed… just go and get it.

If she wishes neither to give nor ask for quarter, ’tis her own prerogative. Just go out and get it? Wait, this is about an honorary degree she’s getting? As one who had to earn my degrees, methinks the lady doth seek favor after all.

“…I don’t know what college students do with all your extra time, but I guess one of them is go out and protest, while somebody else is paying their fee.”

Perhaps, Ms. Schlafly, we are learning how to write grammatically-correct sentences.

Let’s try:

“I don’t know what college students do with all of THEIR extra time…”

Personally, I think it is quite irresponsible and rather ignorant to lump all college-age students into one overly-liberal bunch. Some of “us” work two jobs to have the financial opportunity to better ourselves academically. I think most would love to graduate without $60,000+ in student loans, so perhaps you could point us all in the direction of the unnamed entity that is paying everyone’s fees.

I am due to graduate from Wash U and I do not want my graduation disrupted by a few disgruntled students and faculty. I think the point that people are missing is that the main speaker is going to be Chris Matthews. I am not a liberal but I will sit in my seat and listen to what he has to say. I actually applaud the university for including a conservative in the graduation ceremony. Washington University is a very liberal campus and I thank them for finally giving the conservative students and faculty a small token.

I admire the survivors of Domestic Violence. And regardless of what Mrs. Schlafly believes, marital rape does happen. My sister was a survivor of marital rape and she is a women that I admire most in this world. So to women like Sharon and my sister!! Continue to be strong.

For others who may be reading this and also experiencing domestic violence - help is available by calling:

National Domestic
Violence Hotline
1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
1-800-787-3224 (TDD)

Pretty hypocritcal comments coming from a woman who feels her place is at home while the husband supports the family.

I think that rape is rape, regardless of who the person is. If a women or a man does not want to have sex and someone forces them to, that is rape. As a college student, we are constantly talked to about rape and even if you are under the influence of alcohol or drugs and you have sex agasint your will, that is rape regardless of your inability to fuction properly. I do not believe that any person has the right to force ANYTHING on another person regradless of their martial status.

Also excuse me ma’am, but I am in college and working two jobs during school and more over the summer. I also have tens thousands of dollars in student loans, and if I believe strongly in something, I can make the time to protest it. That is what college is for, finding who you are and what you believe in and how is the American system of democracy suspossed to function if people are not suspossed to express their opinion.

Ms. Schlafly quite possibly may have missed many boats.
The one that gives us the right to use our “free” time the way we like.
The one that gives us a right to dissent in this country when we see things we disagree with.
The one that knows what work is all about.
Who is the “…someone else is paying there fee” comment directed towards?
A particular gender type, racial type, socio-economic type, political type, or just not her type?
Check the demographics on WashU’s campus and you will find out who the protesters will likely be.

Who paid her fee?

As someone who has benefited from the generosity of Washington University Students who give thousands of hours as volunteers to children in our community, I would be happy to visit with Ms. Schalfly about what college students do with all their extra time.

I don’t know if or when many of you people went to college, but today’s general college setting consists of a majority of Marxist professors who goad their students into marching and protesting against anyone or any idea that they disagree with. And yes, college students whose mommy and daddy are footing the bill have way too much time on their hands. If you really knew who your future leaders were listening to right now, you might be a little surprised.

When I read about Phyllis was being honored at WU, my first thought was, “Isn’t she dead yet?” She was out of touch then, she’s out of touch now. That WU panders to this side of the political spectrum is no surprise. It’s all about the mighty dollar and keeping their endowment at a staggering level while contributing very little. WU’s PR about themselves an alternative to Ivy League schools is a lot of smoke and mirror.

On going to or listening to graduation speakers… I didn’t want to go to my graduation merely because I thought it a huge waste of time and money. I’d done my time, earned my debt, taken the requisite classes. I didn’t care about any ceremony. I don’t need a ceremony to “announce” or have “closure” for my years in school.

We didn’t have any “special” guest speaker, that I recall, certainly no one of “celebrity” status. We didn’t have anyone receiving honorary degrees that I knew of either… and had we, and had I known - if it were to occur during my specific ceremony (usually each college within a university has individual ceremonies, not all on the same day or in the same place), who knows what I may have done, had it been someone I wasn’t fond of.

That all said, I think long term it doesn’t matter. I couldn’t tell you who any of my speakers were at my commencement. I couldn’t tell you what any of them spoke about. I graduated with my B.S. just over 3 years ago. I couldn’t tell you what my pastor preached on last week for that matter!

Lastly, at least at my university, avoiding graduation ceremonies was something made quite difficult. You’d have to request by letter to not attend, and they’d have to accept or decline based upon your reasoning. I knew of only one individual who got out of going and that was because she was going out of country on a trip that had been planned and sealed many months prior - not to mention she had the approval and accompaniment of several of her professors.

So, protest. I’d no doubt be protesting Chris Matthews, but attend. Have a little bit of fun with some quiet civil disobedience. I painted a little message on my mortarboard (”Finally outta here!” I drew an ear for “here” as it was my personal logo and I wasn’t fond of much about my university) and wore a Spongebob Squarepants tie that I flipped out of my robe once I got my diploma, as I walked quite a ways back to my seat… for plenty of people to see!!!

Civil dissent is encouraged by this representative democracy. If Phyllis doesn’t like that, then she may appear pretty unAmerican. In fact, her stand against the simple moral traditional principal of equality for all (men as well as women) smacks of anti-Americanism. When is somebody going to ask her who funds her nonsense. A month ago before a Florida legislative committee which was voting on the ERA (ERA only needs 3 more ratified states), one of Schlafly’s minions let forth a screed about how ERA would cause all teenagers to become prostitutes, there would be sex-shared restrooms, social security would be taken from women, etc. One of our more sane legislators asked this person if she’d seen any of these ’silly’ arguments after Florida voters got a State Equal Rights Amendment. She had to admit she had not. Game over. ERA succeeded 8-3, bipartisan. So there, Phyllis!

Give her a run for her money, students. You are the best and the brightest. Don’t let her convince you you are second-class. Whether male or female, ERA is for YOU. That’s something she will not say. Cheers on your graduation in spite of the featured harridan.