By now, most AU students are aware of the controversy surrounding the selection of Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., as the commencement speaker for the School of Public Affairs.
The campus has become quite divided over his invitation, with the esteemed Sarah DeStefano receiving national attention due to her leading a student group in favor of inviting a less divisive speaker.
Her rationale rests mainly upon the fact that Frank has completely abdicated any sense of responsibility or intellectual honesty surrounding the fact that he, as the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, was asleep at the wheel while the credit market collapsed.
The New York Times reported as much in 2003, in an article entitled "New Agency Proposed to Oversee Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae:" "'These two entities - Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac - are not facing any kind of financial crisis,' said Representative Barney Frank of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Financial Services Committee. 'The more people exaggerate these problems, the more pressure there is on these companies, the less we will see in terms of affordable housing.'"
In an awful fit of irony, the regulation overhaul was proposed by that demon, former President George W. Bush.
The Times goes on to note that "among the groups denouncing the proposal today were ... Congressional Democrats who fear that tighter regulation of the companies could sharply reduce their commitment to financing low-income and affordable housing."
Gosh.
I have no doubt whatsoever, of course, that AU took all of this into account. Frank couldn't have possibly been invited for his leadership skills as head of the Financial Services Committee. The speakers' committee couldn't possibly have overlooked this, right? Of course not.
So what's the rationale, then?
The university's press release provides a clue: "He is a fierce proponent of civil rights issues, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights."
Frank is a civil rights leader? Oh, really, now? How? Because he's gay and supports gay marriage?
What has Frank ever done for civil rights? What movement has he led? What change has he enacted?
In reality, Frank has done everything in his power to make gay people look like degenerate sexual perverts. Most notably, he paid a male prostitute for sex and allowed him use of his apartment, while at the same time using congressional letterhead to try to fix the boy's parking tickets.
Frank was and remains the most prominent openly gay politician. Could there exist a more blatant squandering of opportunity to demonstrate to America an example of sexual normalcy amongst gays?
If AU wanted to invite a civil rights leader, there are a lot of real ones floating around out there. For her part, DeStefano has recommended Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., whose breathtaking courage during the Civil Rights movement is undeniable. Why don't we award him an honorary degree, instead of bequeathing one onto someone like Barney Frank?
Hey, come to think of it, I'm both gay and a fierce proponent of gay marriage. Why not invite me? As an added bonus, I didn't contribute to the downfall of the world economy!
And let's be unequivocally clear, here: this isn't about partisanship. It's about leadership. The School of Public Affairs should represent responsibility and integrity in public service. Barney Frank has demonstrated neither in his political career. AU students deserve better.
Alex Knepper is a freshman in the School of Public Affairs and a conservative columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
