Sorry, I can’t get politics out of my head right now.  And you’ve probably heard this little political story before, but it keeps coming back to me now.

I was incredibly happy to study at the University of Rochester, especially in my third and fourth years where, as part of an honors program, I got to take two seminars a week where we all wrote papers and discussed them in our privileged classes of about seven students, usually with a brilliant professor.  The attention I got personally changed my life.  One prof took it upon himself to aid my dyslexic writing, the secretary helped find me jobs that were nearby and not too demeaning so I could supplement my scholarship and keep my car for commuting.   And most of the professors enjoyed my quirky way of thinking.  I can only think of one antisemitic lady who never let me participate, and one aristocratic guy who frequented my father’s barber shop and seemed to think I didn’t have the class my fellow students had (and reminded the class of this publicly).  But they were isolated incidents.  Some of my happiest moments were in conversation with Hayden White or N.O.Brown – and in general, I felt very very privileged.

Until graduation when it was announced that Richard Nixon would speak.  I had had enough of Nixon in the previous elections when I rejoiced that he lost to JFK, and I happily joined the students opposed to his participation in our graduation.

The university countered our opposition by announcing that those boycotting the ceremony would not receive degrees; that threat worked.  We decided to attend and demonstrate our opposition by turning our chairs around when Nixon began his speech.  

To our surprise, however, the chairs on the lawn had been tied to each other, so movement was not possible.

I don’t remember the talk he gave, but this was the moment that brought Nixon back into politics and eventually the presidency.  And his election meant for me that silence was complicity and complicity was dangerous.

After the election, I moved to Israel where, I felt, individuals and their opinions could matter.