Janet Napolitano Heckled at Commencement Speech

‘Tis the season for boycotting
commencement speakers. The latest mover-and-shaker to get the cold
shoulder from the Class of 2014 is former Secretary of Homeland
Security Janet Napolitano.

The student government of Laney College, a community college in
California, first “approved a resolution calling for Napolitano,”
who is currently the head honcho of the University of California
system, “to be disinvited.” She came anyway and was poorly
received, and not only by students.

The San Francisco Chronicle
reports:

Booing and at one point turning their backs on her, dozens of
students, faculty and supporters in the audience objected to
remarks by the former chief of Homeland Security, who has been
faulted for her stance on immigration issues during her time with
the Obama administration. Many pumped their fists as a gesture
of defiance.

“No one could hear her as she was speaking, the whole time,”
said Yvette Felarca, one of the organizers of the protest. “It
was a very proud day for Oakland—we made it clear that she was not
welcome at Laney College. It was an insult, it never should
have happened.”

This incident has been marked with conspicuous silence compared
to other boycotts of high-profile speakers like Bush-era Secretary
of State
Condaleezza Rice and International Monetary Fund Managing
Director
Christine Lagarde. This graduation season there’s been
debate about whether the kids are vigorously exercising their
own free speech or if they’re just childishly plugging their ears
from new ideas. Perhaps people aren’t talking about Napolitano
because they’re already jaded to the commencement debate. Or
perhaps people have far less sympathy when the person being snubbed
has deported a
record number of immigrants, suggested that veterans pose a

right-wing terror threat to the U.S., and instituted
“enhanced
pat downs” of the genitals of air travelers.