Letter to the editor: Rob Portman speaking at commencement is ‘insulting’

Maureen Flanagan
Tue, 05 Dec 2017 03:31:54 +0000
Letters to Editor, News, Opinion, Print Edition, autumn commencement, commencement address, Commencement Speaker, ohio state, osu, Rob Portman commencement address, Rob Portman Ohio State, senator rob portman

Senator Rob Portman introduces Vice President Mike Pence at Dynalab, Inc. in Reynoldsburg on April 1. Credit: Alexa Mavrogianis | Former Photo Editor

With much respect and gratitude to Ohio State, having been a student here for the past 4 1/2 years, I must speak out against our upcoming commencement speaker on Dec. 17. By allowing Sen. Rob Portman the honor of holding a platform at Ohio State, disrespect is cast upon more than half of the graduating class. Portman has been extremely vocal about his lack of respect for women’s and minority rights. He has worked avidly against the Paycheck Fairness Act, the Affordable Care Act, Planned Parenthood and a number of others to further oppress women and minorities who are already marginalized in the United States.

As Ohio State is a historically accepting and progressive university, women have been included in the university since its inception in 1870. The decision to allow a man with these views to speak is hypocritical, insulting and insincere.

Maureen Flanagan, fifth-year in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
flanagan.160@osu.edu