An episode out of Bizarro World transpired last weekend at Goddard College in Vermont.  Wesley Cook, aka Mumia Abu-Jamal, in jail since 1981 for murdering Philadelphia policeman Daniel Faulkner, delivered a commencement address from prison to 20 graduating students, at their request.  Angry objections from the Faulkner family and friends of the slain officer were ignored.  Philadelphia police officers observed 30 minutes of silence in honor of their fallen comrade and to protest Goddard’s decision. By way of justification for inviting Abu-Jumal to speak, the college said this: Many diverse commencement speakers have been chosen to represent perspectives not normally in our discourse. Even if it is unpopular, we need to listen to and engage in difficult discussions. This is what free speech is all about. Our students understand there is great merit in what Mumia Abu-Jamal has to say. It is important that we at Goddard College support this complicated...(Read Full Post)