Wednesday, February 04, 2004

Music: Super Furry Animals - The Undefeated
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I just realized that I never said anything about the fact that, on Monday Ben Stein was here!!!!

He gave a speech which just about everyone on campus came out to see. So many, in fact, that they simulcast it in another auditorium. I was lucky to get there early with people and we got good seats up in the balcony.

Ben Stein really is a character. He was very witty when discussing his book "How To Ruin Your Life" (which I plan on getting soon), and very coherent when discussing things of a political nature. I can really tell that it was a good speech since we were all still talking about it afterward.

If you didn't know Ben Stein was a Republican, you live under a rock. So of course he had a few things to say of a Republican vein, but was less preachy than some of the school's other speakers. On all issues but one: his anti-abortion stance. He was very adamant about that, but many of his other points were more centrist than anything. Unfortunately no one paid any attention to those points and just got pissed about his abortion views.

He made an interesting point about the futility of contempt. He did this by relating how, while he does enjoy debating with Al Franken (how cool is that!?), he had a slight problem with the level of contempt Al felt for his opponents. I think that is a nice sentiment. Respect for your opponent, and the idea that people can still get along despite differences of opinion.

I really had a respect for the fact that, while a campaigning Republican, he does not agree with everything that the current administration is doing. For instance, and this might make Jason happy, Ben Stein is very pro gay marriage. How interesting is that? Of course not a single person talked about that later and one person I know even went so far as to say that if he respected his gay friend as much as he said he did (Stein said that one of his very closest friends is gay and the idea that someone would think of him as immoral or bad only on that basis was "heartbreaking"), than he wouldn't be a Republican.

Oh well. Maybe no big bridges and understandings between the two political sides of campus were built out of this visit, but we did get Ben Stein to quote gangsta rap, do the Clear Eyes bit, and, of course, Bueler...


*~"Wait a minute. Aren't we supposed to be watching Raiders of the Lost Ark?" Dominic Monaghan "The Two Towers" cast commentary track (so funny. Definitely as good as the Mallrats one)~*

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This transmission logged byErisSaid on 6:10 PM

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