Attending a graduation ceremony for children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews and other sundry relatives is a time for celebration of accomplishment and new beginnings. In these days of politicization of virtually everything, including the air we breathe, it can also be a time of hailing the speakers or seatsquirming, depending on the listeners' point of view. And when it comes to college commencements, it's fairly certain which audience members will be cheering or fidgeting and frowning.
Having just driven over a thousand miles to be present at UCLA's commencement exercise in honor of the last of the sibling's children walking to receive their undergraduate diploma, I was the one disturbed by some of the professorial maunderings at the podium. No shock there.