Emma Heussner attended her commencement ceremony for Harvard University but walked out during the keynote address in an act that is causing quite a stir.
See, Heussner graduated in 2020 with a Master’s degree in psychology. After spending so much time and money to secure the degree, it probably came as quite a bummer that the grads couldn’t have the same experience as others due to the pandemic. So when they finally got the opportunity to hold their belated commencement, it was cause for celebration.
But when it came time for the address, given by Attorney General Merrick Garland, Heussner couldn’t stomach it.
So she walked out.
just walked out of harvard’s graduation because I didn’t want to listen to merrick garland talk about himself for 30 minutes pic.twitter.com/av26ok3mCb
— Emma Heussner (@emmaheussner) May 29, 2022
In a phone interview with Fox News Digital, she explained what led her to leave her long-awaited graduation ceremony.
She admitted that she believed Garland was doing his best to be “inspirational” but it came across as quite patronizing to the United States.
“[B]y the time Merrick Garland finally started speaking, it was very much — I think he was trying to be inspirational and motivating, as in, ‘You guys are responsible for making the world a better place.'”
“But the way it read was very much like, ‘This country sucks and you guys can fix it,'” she explained, saying that the sentiment “didn’t sit right with” her.
“You’re the attorney general — you’re someone who could make an immediate difference based on the actions and decisions you make as attorney general,” she said.
“So it was a very easy decision for me to walk out and meet up with my parents,” Heussner said, adding that she would rather spend such a momentous occasion with the people who supported her and helped her chase her dream.
“They’re the ones who were there for me and who supported me — and I didn’t want to be preached to by Merrick Garland, when he was talking a lot of talk but not really walking the walk that he was preaching.”
Heussner revealed that the social media reaction to her walkout was largely positive, though there were some “haters” who came out of the woodwork to criticize her as well.
Even Reagan-era Education Secretary William Bennett supported her decision to walk out saying, “Well, good for her” before going on to slam Garland’s speech.
“Garland is such a disappointment … He’s no moderate. This is a replay of Joe Biden in the uniform of the attorney general.”
“We’ve heard all of this before. There is nothing new. ‘America is a wreck. Democracy is under threat … January 6 … ‘ My God,” he noted of the speech. “That’s not what you pay all that money for.”
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Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to write. Marlee also contributes to BizPac Review.
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