Sasse Faces Criticism for Commencement Speech Comments

FOR THE CLASS OF20-20 WITH MANYSCHOOL DISTRICTSTURNING TO VIRTUALCEREMONIES.FREMONT HIGHSCHOOL'S ONLINEGRADUATIONINCLUDED ACONTROVERSIALSPEECH FROM ANALUM...NEBRASKA SENATORBEN SASSE.THE SCHOOL DISTRICTRELEASED ASTATEMENT THAT ITDOES NOT EDIT ORCENSOR GUESTSPEAKERS...BUT SAYS HIS WORDSBELONGED TO HIM...NOT THE SCHOOLDISTRICT.THOSE WORDS - NOWMAKING NATIONALHEADLINES, AS WELL.HERE'S SOME OFWHAT HE SAID."YOU'RE GOING TOSAY STUFF AT YOURHIGH SCHOOLREUNIONCEREMONY--REMEMBER THATTIME THAT CHINASTARTED A BIGGLOBAL PANDEMICTHAT CREATED THEWORST PUBLICHEALTH CRISIS INOVER A CENTURYAND BROUGHT THEECONOMY TO IT'SKNEES AND WE HADTO STAY AT HOMEAND EVERYBODYWAS HOARDINGTOILET PAPER ANDWE ALL WATCHED ADOCUMENTARYABOUT SOMEWEIRDO DUDE WHOWAS RAISINGTIGERS."IN ADDITION TOREFERENCING THENETFLIX SHOW "TIGERKING"...SASSE TALKED ABOUTDEALING WITH THEQUOTE "THUGS INCHINA" WHO LET THECORONAVIRUS MESSSPIRAL OUT OFCONTROL BY LYINGABOUT IT.SASSE'S CAMPAIGNCALLED THECOMMENT A JOKE...HE ALSO WARNEDAGAINST MAJORING INPSYCHOLOGY.SEVERAL PROMINENTNEBRASKADEMOCRATSCRITICIZED SASSEFOR SPEAKING THATWAY AT A HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATION.HERE'S HOW SOMEARE REACTING..SENATOR MEGANHUNT TWEETED "BENSASSE IS NOT THEADULT IN THE ROOMTHAT HEDESPERATELY WISHESTO BE, AND PRETTYMUCH EVERYONEAGREES ON THAT."AND DEMOCRATICPARTY CHAIR JANEKLEEB TWEETED:"GRADUATING HIGHSCHOOL IS A MEMORYOUR KIDS ANDFAMILIES CHERISH......AND BEN SASSEDECIDED TO USE THEMOMENT TO PRACTICEQUOTE...."JOKES."THE PRESIDENT OFTHE AMERICANPSYCHOLOGICALASSOCIATION, DR.SANDRA SHULLMANRESPONDED TOSASSE'S REMARKSABOUT PSYCHOLOGY.SHULLMAN SAID --SENATOR SASSE'SREMARKS ABOUTPSYCHOLOGISTSWEREDISRESPECTFUL ANDHARMFUL.PSYCHOLOGISTSHAVE BEEN ON THEFRONT LINES HELPINGMEDICALPROFESSIONALS ANDPATIENTS AS THEYSTRUGGLE...WITH MENTAL HEALTHISSUES TRIGGEREDBY THE STRESS OFBATTLING THECORONAVIRUS.SENATOR SASSEATTEMPTED TO MAKEPSYCHOLOGY SEEMSMALL, BUT IT ISNOT...SHE SAID.WE CONTACTEDSASSE'S OFFICE ANDHIS SPOKESPERSONRESPONDED WITH ASTATEMENT THATSAYS IN PART..."LIKE HE SAID IN THEVIDEO GREETING,BEN'S PROUD OFEACH OF THEGRADUATES AND HEBELIEVES THEIRGENERATION ISTOUGH ENOUGH TOHELP LEAD USTHROUGH THE BUMPYECONOMIC TIMESAHEAD."THE SPOKESPERSONALSO SAYS -- IT'SRIDICULOUSPOLITICALLYMOTIVATED PEOPLETHAT ARECOMPLAINING ABOUTBEN CALLING OUTCHINA IN A JOKE.WE HAVE MORE OFSASSE'S SPEECH,PLUS MOREREACTION, ALL ONOUR WEBSITE...3 NEWS NOW DOTCOM.STARTING TODAY...