CNN and SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish was set to give the commencement address at Dickinson College, a small college in South Central Pennsylvania. That offer has been rescinded, however.
Smerconish says that the college’s president informed him that he was no longer welcome to speak at graduation due to passages from his 2004 book Flying Blind: How Political Correctness Continues to Compromise Airline Safety Post-9/11.
“In the last few days, some Dickinson faculty and students raised complaints about a book I published in 2004. That’s not a typo — 2004. They were left uncomfortable after a selective reading from my post-9/11 book through their 2024 lens. Signs at a student encampment this week displayed the demand of my cancellation alongside divestment in Israel,” said Smerconish.
One of the thoughts shared during his book was that a policy from the Department of Transportation stating more than two members of any ethnic group from being singled out for screening at airports not being allowable was “illogical” and “ludicrous.”
He added that the offering being rescinded represents “a cautionary tale for anyone in America who believes in fairness, common sense, the free exchange of ideas, rational decision-making, and the importance of leadership in the face of hysteria.”
In an editorial in the college’s newspaper, an Arab student “I’m outraged, frustrated, and disappointed … If Dickinson truly loves and values its students, shouldn’t it honor them with someone who reflects that love?,” adding his belief that “Dickinson students deserve better” than Smerconish.
