President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. Issues Statement On Post-Election ‘Populist Anger’
11/16/2016
Riverdale, N.Y. – University of Mount Saint Vincent President Charles L. Flynn, Jr. has called upon the campus community to “inspire and lead” against bigotry toward “various students, immigrants, and individuals” perceived by some as ‘not real Americans’” in a statement released today following last week’s controversial 2016 presidential election. No incidents have occurred on the Mount campus. If they do, President Flynn said in his statement, they will not be tolerated.
The University of Mount Saint Vincent is among the most socioeconomically, racially, and ethnically inclusive colleges and universities in the United States, both public and private.
In his statement, President Flynn invoked the life of Elizabeth Ann Seton, America’s first native-born saint recognized by the Church: “A patriotic American, she found in Catholicism an understanding of our common humanity, a commitment to human dignity, and a profound appreciation of our obligations to each other.”
He continued, “Across our country, some…who do not share these values or do not recognize what they mean for our republic have been sanctifying anger…in a scrim of patriotism. There are seeds of fascism in such behavior.”
President Flynn concluded, “We lament that populist anger threatens to subvert our democratic values in the name of promoting them. We object.”
Read President Flynn’s full statement.