Some glimmers of hope, in a sea of hate, strife and discontent
For the past year, I have tried to keep my blogs and Facebook posts
very light on political discussions and debates. The world is
contentious and divisive enough of late. There is little room left for
discussion anymore it seems. It went to new heights this week when Joy
Behar of The View stated she wished Mitt Romney's house would burn down
since he questioned the expansion of public sector employment. Really?
So, your "enlightened view" Ms. Behar is to wish potential death and destruction upon a politician and his family so he might not criticize your viewpoint? Wow, aren't you the poster child for tolerance and acceptance. It is little wonder our country is facing a time of crisis and continues to splinter further. Hate and vitriol are becoming acceptable in the mainstream media. A civilized people can find a way to communicate and debate topics without having to resort to hate speech and wishing harm on others.
But despite this toxic political atmosphere burning so prevalent in our current landscape, in the past few weeks I have also seen a few glimmers of hope. It did not come from some politician, or referendum; nor did it come from anyone in the media. No, the two slivers of hope I saw came from an English teacher in Wellsley, MA and the voting populace in Wisconsin.
David McCullough Jr., an English teacher and son of a Pulitzer Prize winning author, offered a wonderful commencement speech to his school's graduating class. His theme: You're Not Special.
His speech is the kind of lesson parents need to drive home to their children. I list some of my favorite excerpts below, and encourage you to listen to the entire speech. He got a rather large dose of applause from his graduates and the speech has gone viral on the internet.
He did not give in to the common boost their self-esteem, make everyone feel special and self indulgent platitudes so rampant in education and especially in youth society today, and instead gave them a long overdue reality check, wake up call, and some much needed perspective. He realizes by trying to protect every child from the world, many parents and educators are failing them instead because they are completely unprepared for the harsh world of reality that awaits them. And he also tried to remind them perhaps the most important lesson they can take into the world is to be selfless and not selfish.
"...Your ceremonial costume, shapeless, uniform, one-size-fits-all. Whether male or female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray-tanned prom queen or intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you’ll notice, exactly the same. And your diploma… but for your name, exactly the same. All of this is as it should be, because none of you is special. You are not special. You are not exceptional."
"Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That’s 37,000 valedictorians… 37,000 class presidents… But why limit ourselves to high school? After all, you’re leaving it. So think about this: even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you. And consider for a moment the bigger picture: your planet, I’ll remind you, is not the center of its solar system, your solar system is not the center of its galaxy, your galaxy is not the center of the universe. In fact, astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it. "
"If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. ...We Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point — and we’re happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole. No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it… Now it’s “So what does this get me?” As a consequence, we cheapen worthy endeavors, and building a Guatemalan medical clinic becomes more about the application to Bowdoin than the well-being of Guatemalans. It’s an epidemic — and in its way, not even dear old Wellesley High is immune… one of the best of the 37,000 nationwide, Wellesley High School… where good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C, and the midlevel curriculum is called Advanced College Placement."
"The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer. You’ll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–quite an active verb, “pursuit”–which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots roller skate on YouTube. "
"Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is."
I think Mr. McCullough must be a great English teacher. He clearly has a great command of the language and he clearly has plenty of useful life experience to share with his charges. It certainly ranks among the best speeches I have ever heard. Maybe more will follow his lead.
Also providing some hope in my eyes, happenings in Wisconsin. Things there have been as contentious as ever over the past 18 months. Governor Scott Walker , upon taking office, inherited a nearly $4 billion budget deficit. He campaigned on a platform of balancing the budget, and creating jobs, real private sector jobs, in his state. As part of his balancing of the budget, he required public sector employees to contribute money for their pensions, 3% to be exact. Ironically the same amount us Floridians in public service pay. I supported that initiative last year when it got proposed and passed. I still do. We should have to contribute to our future pensions.
Now, I am sure there are some who disagree with Governor Walker's politics and actions. I am not declaring the man a saint. However, the man did what he promised to do during his campaign, and he has given Wisconsin a budget surplus in only 18 months in office. There are now 30,000 more private sector jobs in the state than there were when he took office. Children are not starving in the streets, schools are not plummeting in their performance, and indeed the voters of Wisconsin actually gave him a larger margin of victory over his opponent in the recall election than they did in his original election.
Some will say it is no big deal, and others, myself included, say this is a very big deal. Why? Because Governor Walker did exactly what he promised he would do, his results are evident to the people of Wisconsin, and they voted for him and his policies in greater numbers. This is the most unionized and politically active state in the union. People are growing tired of the contentious and argumentative nature of politics today. Voters are looking for actions and results, not placards and nice slogans.
We really need people who can balance budgets, lower deficits and quit burying our children and grandchildren in debt so deep it will enslave them to it before our generation even dies. Wisconsin voted to continue leading the charge.
So, maybe there is some hope left after all. Maybe the ones who pour gas on the fire of hate can be doused by the flow of common sense, reason and civil discourse which can help us all arrive at a place we can all live. Because if we don't, if we can't, then the type of world we live in will be more like the Middle East, and less like the America I have known and loved in my life. Maybe people who deliver on promises and actually get results can serve us long enough to get our country back on track. Maybe...
So, your "enlightened view" Ms. Behar is to wish potential death and destruction upon a politician and his family so he might not criticize your viewpoint? Wow, aren't you the poster child for tolerance and acceptance. It is little wonder our country is facing a time of crisis and continues to splinter further. Hate and vitriol are becoming acceptable in the mainstream media. A civilized people can find a way to communicate and debate topics without having to resort to hate speech and wishing harm on others.
But despite this toxic political atmosphere burning so prevalent in our current landscape, in the past few weeks I have also seen a few glimmers of hope. It did not come from some politician, or referendum; nor did it come from anyone in the media. No, the two slivers of hope I saw came from an English teacher in Wellsley, MA and the voting populace in Wisconsin.
David McCullough Jr., an English teacher and son of a Pulitzer Prize winning author, offered a wonderful commencement speech to his school's graduating class. His theme: You're Not Special.
His speech is the kind of lesson parents need to drive home to their children. I list some of my favorite excerpts below, and encourage you to listen to the entire speech. He got a rather large dose of applause from his graduates and the speech has gone viral on the internet.
He did not give in to the common boost their self-esteem, make everyone feel special and self indulgent platitudes so rampant in education and especially in youth society today, and instead gave them a long overdue reality check, wake up call, and some much needed perspective. He realizes by trying to protect every child from the world, many parents and educators are failing them instead because they are completely unprepared for the harsh world of reality that awaits them. And he also tried to remind them perhaps the most important lesson they can take into the world is to be selfless and not selfish.
"...Your ceremonial costume, shapeless, uniform, one-size-fits-all. Whether male or female, tall or short, scholar or slacker, spray-tanned prom queen or intergalactic X-Box assassin, each of you is dressed, you’ll notice, exactly the same. And your diploma… but for your name, exactly the same. All of this is as it should be, because none of you is special. You are not special. You are not exceptional."
"Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That’s 37,000 valedictorians… 37,000 class presidents… But why limit ourselves to high school? After all, you’re leaving it. So think about this: even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you. And consider for a moment the bigger picture: your planet, I’ll remind you, is not the center of its solar system, your solar system is not the center of its galaxy, your galaxy is not the center of the universe. In fact, astrophysicists assure us the universe has no center; therefore, you cannot be it. "
"If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. ...We Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement. We have come to see them as the point — and we’re happy to compromise standards, or ignore reality, if we suspect that’s the quickest way, or only way, to have something to put on the mantelpiece, something to pose with, crow about, something with which to leverage ourselves into a better spot on the social totem pole. No longer is it how you play the game, no longer is it even whether you win or lose, or learn or grow, or enjoy yourself doing it… Now it’s “So what does this get me?” As a consequence, we cheapen worthy endeavors, and building a Guatemalan medical clinic becomes more about the application to Bowdoin than the well-being of Guatemalans. It’s an epidemic — and in its way, not even dear old Wellesley High is immune… one of the best of the 37,000 nationwide, Wellesley High School… where good is no longer good enough, where a B is the new C, and the midlevel curriculum is called Advanced College Placement."
"The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer. You’ll note the founding fathers took pains to secure your inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness–quite an active verb, “pursuit”–which leaves, I should think, little time for lying around watching parrots roller skate on YouTube. "
"Climb the mountain not to plant your flag, but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative, independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you, but for the good they will do others, the rest of the 6.8 billion–and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special. Because everyone is."
I think Mr. McCullough must be a great English teacher. He clearly has a great command of the language and he clearly has plenty of useful life experience to share with his charges. It certainly ranks among the best speeches I have ever heard. Maybe more will follow his lead.
Also providing some hope in my eyes, happenings in Wisconsin. Things there have been as contentious as ever over the past 18 months. Governor Scott Walker , upon taking office, inherited a nearly $4 billion budget deficit. He campaigned on a platform of balancing the budget, and creating jobs, real private sector jobs, in his state. As part of his balancing of the budget, he required public sector employees to contribute money for their pensions, 3% to be exact. Ironically the same amount us Floridians in public service pay. I supported that initiative last year when it got proposed and passed. I still do. We should have to contribute to our future pensions.
Now, I am sure there are some who disagree with Governor Walker's politics and actions. I am not declaring the man a saint. However, the man did what he promised to do during his campaign, and he has given Wisconsin a budget surplus in only 18 months in office. There are now 30,000 more private sector jobs in the state than there were when he took office. Children are not starving in the streets, schools are not plummeting in their performance, and indeed the voters of Wisconsin actually gave him a larger margin of victory over his opponent in the recall election than they did in his original election.
Some will say it is no big deal, and others, myself included, say this is a very big deal. Why? Because Governor Walker did exactly what he promised he would do, his results are evident to the people of Wisconsin, and they voted for him and his policies in greater numbers. This is the most unionized and politically active state in the union. People are growing tired of the contentious and argumentative nature of politics today. Voters are looking for actions and results, not placards and nice slogans.
We really need people who can balance budgets, lower deficits and quit burying our children and grandchildren in debt so deep it will enslave them to it before our generation even dies. Wisconsin voted to continue leading the charge.
So, maybe there is some hope left after all. Maybe the ones who pour gas on the fire of hate can be doused by the flow of common sense, reason and civil discourse which can help us all arrive at a place we can all live. Because if we don't, if we can't, then the type of world we live in will be more like the Middle East, and less like the America I have known and loved in my life. Maybe people who deliver on promises and actually get results can serve us long enough to get our country back on track. Maybe...
Comments
Post a Comment