tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5651693901999009960.post7728530072377083960..comments2023-11-13T19:55:04.054-06:00Comments on Memphis Socialist Party: Memphis SP Statement on Obama's Commencement Address at BTW HighS.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03850261652453829787noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5651693901999009960.post-43141062151076998202011-05-16T13:37:28.955-05:002011-05-16T13:37:28.955-05:00UPDATE: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/...UPDATE: http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2011/may/16/president-barack-obamas-commencement-speech/<br /><br />Excerpt: <br /><br />This isn’t just an issue for me. I’m standing here as President is because of the education I received. My father left my family when I was two years old. And I was raised by a single mom who struggled at times to provide for me and my sister. But my mother and my grandparents pushed me to excel in school. And they kept pushing me, especially on those rare occasions where I’d slack off or get into trouble. I’m sure no one here’s ever done something like that.<br /><br />I’m lucky they kept pushing. I’m lucky my teachers kept pushing. Because education made all the difference in my life. And it’s going to make an even greater difference in your lives – not just for your own success, but for our country’s success. We live in a new world. Believe or not, when you’re looking to get a job, you’re not just competing against people in Nashville or Atlanta, but in places like Beijing and Mumbai. That’s some tough competition. And you need to be prepared for it. As a country, we need all of our young people to be ready – to earn those high school diplomas, to earn those college diplomas, to get certified in a trade or profession.<br /><br />Through education, you can also better yourselves in other ways. You learn how to learn – how to think critically and find solutions to unexpected challenges. I remember we used to ask our teachers, “When am I going to need algebra?” Well, you may not have to solve for x to get a good job or be a good parent. That’s true. But you will need to think through tough problems. You will need to think on your feet. So, math teachers, you can tell your students that the President says they need algebra.<br /><br />Education also teaches you the value of discipline – that the greatest rewards come not from instant gratification, but from sustained effort and hard work. It’s a lesson that’s especially important today, in a culture that prizes flash over substance, that tells us the goal in life is to be entertained, that says you can be famous just for being famous.<br /><br />Finally, with the right education, both at home and at school, you can learn how to be a better human being. For when you read a great story or learn about an important person in history, it helps you imagine what it would be like to walk in someone else’s shoes, to know their struggles. The success of our economy will depend on your skills, but the success of our community will depend on your ability to follow the Golden Rule – to treat others as you would like to be treated. We’ve seen how important this is even in the past few weeks, as communities in Memphis and across the South have banded together to deal with flood waters and to help each other in the aftermath of terrible tornadoes and storms.<br /><br />All of these qualities – empathy, discipline, the capacity to solve problems and think critically – these skills don’t just change how the world sees us. They change how we see ourselves. They allow each of us to seek out new horizons and opportunities with confidence – with the knowledge that we’re ready, that we can face obstacles and challenges and unexpected setbacks. That is the power of your education. That is the power of the diploma you receive today.S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/03850261652453829787noreply@blogger.com