Enough is Enough Already

I have never understood the way “honorary doctorates” work.  I have never agreed with giving someone an honorary degree because they have done something great or even because they hold a high office.  This is all across the board.  George W. Bush received doctorates, and now Barack Obama is receiving an honorary doctorate.

So, besides the fact that I think that it is dumb to give these out there are many other reasons why I can’t stand them.  Think about the students who have worked hard for years to attain this goal.  They pour their lives into getting a doctorate degree.  Why do people like Obama and Bush get honorary doctorates?  Some people argue that those people in power who receive these “degrees” wont ever have to use them because they are set for life.  That brings me back to the initial point.  WHY GIVE THEM?

Now that I got that off my chest, there is one particular instance of giving an honorary doctorate that seems to erk me.  This Sunday, Barack Obama will be given one of these degrees at Notre Dame University.  You know how I feel about them already so lets delve deeper into the story.  The wording on the piece of meaningless paper seems to bother me too.  Let’s think about it for a minute.  Like our teachers also said, let’s go back and discuss what we’ve learned.  Obama has been president of this country for 115 days.  He hasn’t done much of anything as far as changing the face of the nation.  He’s made some moves but nothing too major.  With that in mind read these words.

Here are the words on the honorary degree.  “…inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.”    It continues, “A community organizer who honed his advocacy for the poor, the marginalized and the worker in the streets of Chicago, he now organizes a larger community, bringing to the world a renewed American dedication to diplomacy and dialogue with all nations and religions committed to human rights and the global common good. Through his willingness to engage with those who disagree with him and encourage people of faith to bring their beliefs to the public debate, he is inspiring this nation to heal its divisions of religion, culture, race and politics in the audacious hope for a brighter tomorrow.”

Oh really Mr. President?  Every time someone disagrees with you, you seem to count them off as ignorant or just merely stubborn.  How about the time you said and I quote, “I won, so what I say wins.”  Remember that?  Seems that I am not the only one who feels this way.

George Weigel, a catholic theologian said, “I don’t see any evidence that President Obama takes the moral arguments of those who disagree with him on the life issues seriously, this was most clear in his address at the time he announced the federal government’s stance on embryonic destructive stem cell research.”

I want you to examine the words in the above paragraphs.  First of all does Obama deserve an honorary degree for becoming president?  He’s only been president for 115 days.  Only 8 other presidents have received this honor from Notre Dame.  What about the other 35 presidents of these United States?  Lastly, has Obama really listened to everyone?  Does he just discredit the Right because we disagree with him?  I thought he said he would be a bipartisan president.  Thank you Mr. Obama.