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GrAbMAtíon 1999
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cAejfts
suggest one or two.'
By Rev. Jesse Jackson
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Focus
June 9,1999
I extend my heartfelt con gratula
First and foremost: the enormous run
tions to all of the students who have
up in wealth that our nation has enjoyed
learned and persevered; to the paren ts
over the course of the past seven years
who have sacrificed; to the g ran d p ar
must be more broadly shared.
Pessimism is for the faint at heart; the
Vanity asks the question, ‘is it popu
our acts, by our choices. A nd nowhere
doers, the leaders will always be the
lar?” Politics asks the question, “will it
is character m ore clearly revealed than
optimists. You must have the courage of
work, is it feasible?” Morality and con
in how one treats the least of these...
your convictions, a dignity-level that is
science ask the question, “is it right?” This
Beyond color and culture, there
lies the high plateau o f character. You
not non-negotiable. T h at’s what gave
is a haunting question of hope that will not
T h e m o ral im p e ra tiv e o f ou r
Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King,
go away - is it right ? - whether in South
inherit color an d culture, you must
day.. .actually, it is the moral imperative of
Jr., Cesar Chavez, Lech Walesa, and
Africa, southern Connecticut, Kosovo,
earn character.
your day...to leave no American behind.
Bobby Kennedy lives worth emulating.
Yugoslavia, or Moscow - is it right '’.
the ad m in istrators who...well, who
The Marines have it right: there is no
In the face of material temptation, or in
And so, let us call one another to act
have done whatever it is that adm inis
honor on the field of battle for those who
the face of a threat to your career or life.
in faith and to reward good character.
in outlook. Fight the good fight. Keep
trators do. I congratulate you all.
save themselves at the expense of their
your dignity must remain non-negotiable.
For character is constantly revealed by
hope alive!
ents who built the foundation on which
this gTeat day stands; to the teachers
who have im parted w isdom ; and to
F or those of you who are grad u at
fallen countrymen. Bury
ing, it is the com m encem ent of your
the
journ ey through life.
wounded; that is the way
d e ad ,
save
the
tion to make choices...to stand on you
of the Marines.
As it is in war, so should
own two feet.. . and that obligation begins
it be in times of peace.
today. These choices extend beyond the
There is no honor for a
realm o f private gain and personal
nation that leaves so many
gratification... they extend into the world
countrymen behind eco
Indeed there exists a m oral obliga
p e r so n a l
nomically, especially when
gratification...they extend into the world
the overall performance of
o f public policy. You see, you emerge
the economyis so strong. It
from the cocoon that school represents.
is precisely at such a time,
You are now citizens of the world, o f a
when our wealth is at its
nation, o f a community , .and you share
greatest, that the shame
responsibility with your fellow citizens
associated with such an
for the way that world, that nation, and
unfair distribution of our
that community works.
And so, while our selfish impulses might
nation’s resources is most
of
p u b lic
g a in
an d
tell us that nothingmuch matters that exists
beyond our own noses, the better angels of
Let
us
sa v e
the
wounded who live in our
nation. Let us leave no
nation and to create a world that is more
A m erican behind.
principal weapons in its
lenges. T h e story of Am erica is filled with
arsenal: missiles, m orals,
chapters of howyoung people stepped up
and minds. We must not
to these challenges; how they chose change
perm it our overcon fi
over the status quo...and how they would
dence in missiles to close
not rest until that change was realized.
our m inds or undercut
Past generations of people no older than
our moral authority.
you are today did remarkable things: they
You see; w ar is easier
fought World W ar 2, to combat Nazism,
than peace. W ar is one
to preserve freedom and democracy; they
sided; it can be waged
fought a Civil War to end slavery, they
unilaterally. Peace re
provided a big part of the energy and
quires two sides; it re
idealism that fueled the civil rights move
quires that all players
m en t The end of legal segregation, the
com e to the table; peace
establishment of a universal right to vote
involves reconciliation; it
and the birth of universal access to public
requires building bridges
education did not happen by accident.
o f trust.
They happened because past generations,
We m ust be prepared
at their moment of truth, were willing to
to build such a peace,
stand up and be counted...They hap
even as we wage a war.
pened because young people put them
And so I call on this
selves on the line, sometimes even risking
class, the class of 1999, to
their lives, for their conception of the
always be ready to do the
public good.
more difficult thing. T o
walk boldly. T o d o justice.
memories move our nation forward. And
T h e sworn enem y of
it is the hopes and dream s of the young that
those who would d o ju s
propel our nation in the right direction.
tice is cynicism , the col
And so, what are the special chal
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A m erica h as three
Every generation faces special chal
Hopes and dreams, not fears and
PORTLAND PUBLIC SCHOOLS
pronounced.
our nature cause us to seek to build a better
secure for all who live in it
R em ain faithful. R em ain optim is
tic. Rem ain enthusiastic. Rem ain young
lapse o f faith.
lenges, the special public challenges, the
Great things are not
special moral challenges by which your
achieved by cynics; they
generation will be judged? Permit m e to
are achieved by believers.
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