Obama's Wesleyan Commencement Speech: Urges Graduates Into Public Service

MIDDLETOWN, Conn. — Filling in for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and tying himself to the family's legacy, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama urged college graduates Sunday to "make us believe again" by dedicating themselves to public service.

"We may disagree as Americans on certain issues and positions, but I believe we can be unified in service to a greater good. I intend to make it a cause of my presidency, and I believe with all my heart that this generation is ready and eager and up to the challenge," Obama told Wesleyan University's Class of 2008.

The Illinois senator peppered his speech with references to the Kennedy legacy: John F. Kennedy urging Americans to ask what they can do for their country, the Peace Corps and Robert Kennedy talking about people creating "ripples of hope."

He devoted special attention and praise to Edward M. Kennedy, the longtime Massachusetts senator who had planned to deliver the graduation address but backed out last week after he was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.

Obama, who leads in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, said he and Kennedy had talked last week about Obama delivering the speech. Kennedy has endorsed Obama in the nominating contest against fellow Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton and has campaigned for him.

Obama said Kennedy has helped provide health care to children, given parents leave time to spend with new babies, raised the minimum wage and let people keep health insurance when changing jobs "and I have a feeling that Ted Kennedy is not done just yet."

Kennedy's stepdaughter, Caroline Raclin, is a member of Wesleyan's Class of 2008. Her mother, Kennedy's wife, Vicki, attended the ceremony.

Obama, with a presidential campaign appealing to youth and emphasizing change, often evokes comparisons to the Kennedys, particularly Robert Kennedy and his 1968 bid for the White House.

Clad in a black academic robe, Obama received an honorary doctorate. Some of the graduates had stencils of Obama's face and the word "hope" _ a theme of his campaign _ on their mortarboards.

Only briefly did Obama veer into campaign territory, rattling off a list of education changes he promised to make as president. The rest of the 25-minute speech urged students to focus on more than "the big house and the nice suits and all the other things that our money culture says you should buy."

"At a time of war, we need you to work for peace," Obama said. "At a time of inequality, we need you to work for opportunity. At a time of so much cynicism and so much doubt, we need you to make us believe again. That's your task, Class of 2008."

Comments

[AnotherTry]

I'm not inspired. I need to hear that he believes in equality. If you don't stand for that then everything you say is suspect.

http://www.youtube.com/user/msbuch72

[DeSwiss]

So you rather have Hillary's kind of "equality?" The hard-working white folks kind?

Not inspired, eh?

You might want to check your pulse....

:-|

[pertello]

The reason why so many of us are afraid for his safety is that we see now a man of true character and ethics, someone who is a once in a lifetime public servant. Yes, a PUBLIC SERVANT. A person who wants to help people. Not once in all his speeches and interviews does he refer to it as "my" campaign. or "I am running". He says "we". I am assuming he means his team, but it feels like he is speaking for all of us--the collective good, the AMERICAN PEOPLE. How refreshing to have a candidate who cares about helping the world! This must be what the Kennedys see in him. He is someone who actually has a civic sense, like JFK, RFK and Ted.
From Obama's Iowa speech:

"So don't ever forget that this election is not about me, or any candidate. Don't ever forget that this campaign is about you -- about your hopes, about your dreams, about your struggles, about securing your portion of the American Dream.
Don't ever forget that we have a choice in this country -- that we can choose not to be divided; that we can choose not to be afraid; that we can still choose this moment to finally come together and solve the problems we've talked about all those other years in all those other elections."

[PAposter]

I wish more people would commit to public/community service, it is extremely rewarding. I am happy that it is a requirement to complete community service hours in order to graduate high school.

[dawlishgal]

Am I the only one who wanted to watch Obama's speech, but had to turn it off because it made my heart pound to see him in that crowd of people.

It doesn't take any "out of context" distortion of Hillary's remarks to understand what she has done to the American people out of her own personal narcissism.

Now she has the disgusting Terry McAuliffe trying to blame the whole flap on Obama.


Please super-delegates--make her go away.

[lisakaz2]

I hear ya but a graduation ceremony is a pretty lame crowd. Usually there are tickets involved or some way of vetting that you're there to see someone in particular graduate. Hard to imagine some assassin has a relative graduating from Wesleyan. Maybe as a PhD I'm biased as to the nature of such crowds. I dunno. I would thnk here, though, securty was tight for Obama to be present. It should be.

If I were Obama I'd have certain requirements before I'd ever take the stage and a very trusted person (maybe his wife) supervise the security people to ensure it is done to his satisfaction.

[bossmechanic]

What exactly does Obama mean when he urges "entering public service" ? Does that mean running for political office? Or getting hired by an enviro/eco activist organization like greenpeace or WWF? What's wrong with entering private enterprise involved in providing a good or service that people are willing to pay for and has utility? Don't we have enough useless wastes of oxygen already funded by other people's tax dollars? Why add more via public service?

[kawika]

He wants Competent people to work for America, wether it be elected or appointed, volunteer (Peace Corps) or paid (Army, Navy,Police, Fired etc...)!
Not like the Roves and FEMA Brownies...

[vernonbc]

So cynical. So sad. He means joining the Peace Corps, working at your local homeless shelter, mentoring young students, helping where you can. He means looking out for your brothers and your sisters. Working for enviro/eco organizations would be good. Nothing's wrong with becoming involved with a private enterprise that provides goods or services if you try to keep in mind your responsibility to make this a better world rather than just worrying about your own bank account.

[Glacial]

Pretty sure what he means is to work to do something useful for the nation, not just to make a lot of money for themselves. And a little volunteering never hurt, either.

[Krikkit]

Public service is just a way of saying do work that benefits your community. I can't imagine where you got the idea that public service is a waste of oxygen. There's nothing wrong with going to work for a private company either. Public service can be volunteering on the side.

[NeoStar9]

Public service can be any number of things. Being a teacher, police officer, fire fighter, doctor, lawyer, opening a business that betters your community and helps it with fair prices, volunteering, running for office, etc.. I think it can mean a number of things as long as one of the goals and focus for doing so is to better those around you and not solely or mostly just to make yourself rich no matter the cost.

[liseworks]

I'm utterly baffled that this needed an explanation -

[suntzu]

Last Fall my son had to decide which college to apply to. We looked at several academically very good schools in the Northeast, and my son chose Wesleyan because he loved the spirit of the place. He was accepted (with generous financial aid). To have Obama visit the school is such a great beginning for my son.

[JFB]

Congratulations - Wesleyan is a wonderful institution in so many ways. My daughter graduated yesterday, and all of us family members were at Wesleyan for the ceremony. And what an added bonus to have Obama as the commencement speaker!!! Our daughter was delighted to have the opportunity to shake his hand and speak briefly with him.

Obama was inspiring in his call for public service, and the many students I spoke to were moved, and are taking his entreaty seriously. For those who did not hear the speech, it is available on YouTube. It is well worth watching.

The Hartford Currier estimated that there were 10,000 ticketed guests in the official seating in Andress Field, and another 5,000 on the immediately adjacent Foss Hill.

The catch phrase for the day was Wes We Can.

Your son made a very good choice. My very best wishes to him for these next four years.

[All4One08]

Link to the speech! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX5WEgqw6pM

[Bagger]

Obama speaks to his base.....the educated.
Sigh.....too bad most of society are not as bright as these grads. We would not have two terms of Bush. Because of the idiots we Hillary is still in the race and John McCain has a chance. .....sigh.

[Breni]

Bagger - Obama SAT IN for the person who was ORIGNALLY MEANT TO SPEAK - Ted Kennedy. Ted Kennedy endorsed Obama, so he asked him to speak in his place, since he was sick. Kennedy is grooming Obama to be his and the other far-left liberals' 'Yes Man' - they're using him in order to get their 'agendas' passed.

[micahjrose]

Couldn't be that his youthful exuberance, astute mind, and profound sense of hope towards a new kind of politics reminds him just a little bit of a couple of his brothers? Nah, couldn't be.

[DELICIOUS]

AS OPPOSED TO THE AGENDA OF THE ELETIST...ME, ME, ME AND MORE ME. $$$$$$$!

[beaupritchard]

Some people say nice things some people do nice things ... I thought it was reflective of the man that he would take time out from his run for the nomination to be the president of the United States to speak for his friend in his friends time of illness and personal tragedy.

You'd have to be real low to make something negative of this

[preatorius]

Too bad there are people in America who are content to be stupid.

Everyone in America is educated!!!. We are ALL given thirteen years of FREE education.
Some people go on to get four to six more years of education. Some don't. That is a choice we all have. If you decided not to take advantage of financial aid and scholarships to get a degree, it is not Obama's fault.

[dr4Will]

I thought bush was mr.photo op---obama is twice as bad!!!

[wasrepb4obama]

Didn't your mother teach you if you can't say something nice, SHUT UP!

[Chillinout]

What mother?

[ming099]

.....there TRULY is one in every crowd...............

[Bagger]

Huh? He was asked by Teddy Kennedy to do this event. you moron.

[TheInsomniac]

As the article says, he was asked by a very sick man to fill in for him.

[Fireback]

aren't you clinton supporters embarrassed yet?

[queotic]

Good speech (not great, but he can't always be great, can he?). It's been a long time since Americans were really asked to serve their country. I just wish he would have left the presidential race out of it. We all know he's running and the speech was supposed to be about the students.

[JRandomPoster]

The man stood up and spoke the day after a few million people in this nation read his opponent's words as being if not a call for assassination, the as the prospect of assassination a reason for her to stay in the race.

Maybe not great - but definitely grace under pressure.

[Nyland8]

It was Teddy's speech.

8

[laternighter]

Was at the Wesleyan graduation where my son got his BA. Obama did give a good speech and recognized Ted Kennedy. He continue Kennedy's belief in service. For the first time the graduation was closed to the public who sat on a hill to hear Obama speak. What's not mentioned is some of the inconvenices for the graduates and there families. There were many secret service agents, including those with high powered weapon on the roofs pointed at the students just in case. Have no quarrel with that but everyone had to sit much further back than a usual graduation, and the people on the hill were there not for the graduates but for Obama. They cheered loudly when he spoke and most left as soon as he finished. Heard several graduates unhappy that the focus was taken off them. Many people in the audience were big Obama supporters and willingly shook hands with the graduates including my son when they went up on the podium to pick up their diploma.

[lostonechampion]

Thank Hillary for the extra security. It's close to June, you know. Sorry about the inconvenience to your family. I guess at this point, you have to take the good w/ the bad. I know Universities that would give their right arm to score Obama for a keynote.

[freshfunk5]

The inconveniences must be minor compared to having someone of such stature speak at your commencement. It's definitely a rare opportunity.

[LisaMarieC]

I was able to attend as a member of the public. They had ample lawn space on a hill. We got there at 6:00a.m., and "picnicked" for five hours. It wasn't as much of a lockdown as was anticipated. There were hundreds (if not thousands) on the hill, and it was a very positive vibe. Wonderful graduation ceremony. I've never been to Wesleyan University, but was very impressed with the beauty of the campus, and the friendliness of the staff.

[lisakaz2]

Sounds like there was a balance of security issues with scholastic purpose. You'd have to expect that, given the recent vibe of threat being asserted vs. Obama.

Nonetheless, the graduates have a ceremony they'll always remember. I can't recall who the heck spoke at my graduation.

[McSameisthegame]

Wow-all positive comments so far-and deservedly so! Please-trolls-stay out of this thread-!!!

[Chillinout]

Too late

[liseworks]

Yep - too late -
The so sweet & soulful Herr-Breni has chosen to grace us with his kindness & wisdom -

[nativeeyes]

Obama's speech was so inspirational... Those Grads went home with an uplifted spirit..

They feel, those 4-5 years were with it..


Thanks OBAMA and God Bless Ted Kennedy for a speedy recovery...


Our Prayers are with you and the family....

[johnwinner]

another brilliant speech by t greatest politician of our era, calling on us, as JFK did, to remember our civic responsibilities above our greed.
Meanwhile, Hillary made a speech making empty promises about changing the Constitution and fulfilling God's Will, while McCain ate barbeque with Republican party bigwigs.
Anybody wanna bet who best represents us in a representative democracy? Hint: he just paid off his student loans.

[Chillinout]

Hear! Hear!

[dajay]

Yeah, he is really like JFK? Okay.

[Ajita]

He's much better than JFK, I'd say. And he can help us do so much more for the world as long as the cynical among us join in.

[elfpix]

A talented speaker, a highly educated man, charismatic - like Jack in those ways.

It appears he brings much to our country which improves on Kennedy - he loves his wife, adores his children, isn't interested in other women, he appears to have survived Chicago politics without falling into the debt of any of the unsavory parts of it, he appears to actually have spent a big portion of his adulthood doing what he talks about i.e. non-military service, he appears to be healthy and has even managed to shake an addiction to nicotine, he appears to be able to discern enough about the people he works with to choose honest ones, he appears to be generous towards those who make mistakes.

We should be so lucky to have someone who appears to be those things leading our country.

[edva]

Yes, brilliant, almost Buddha-like in it's purity, depth, and lovingkindness. This man truly represents the best within us, and we are so fortunate to have a chance for that ethos to succeed in national politics/media. A giant step forward, already, and hopefully much more to come.

[devadasi]

Edva....I totally agree with you. Ignore the cynics. We are very fortunate to have a Barack Obama in our life time.

[Matt7]

Words of hope and inspiration are only "empty" and "irrelevant" to people who need them the most.

[digitaltruth]

Looks like Obama is backing up all that Hope with action, like the Organizing Fellowship, which alone is an amazing idea.

[pacats]

Including the "Vote for Change", voter registration mobilization drive held in 50 states.



Obama 08.

[ChiGuy]

So, you can speak for those that need hope and inspiration the most, can you?
Do tell.

[devadasi]

Do tell what CHIGUY?

[JumpyJack]

How very very true...