I was pleasantly surprised yesterday as I attended a high school graduation with the commencement speaker. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia spoke to the WT Woodson 2009 graduating class in a rebuttal-like fashion. Very funny man with lots of historical examples (precedents)…
First to put it in context, the student speaker speech was filled with cliches and platitudes (kids these days)… so Scalia, as always, dissented from the normal feel-good speech. He started off saying that he will dissect some of the more commonly used platitudes and instead give his take on it.
Platitude #1 We have overcome unprecedented challenges – this comes from a lack of knowing your history. Scalia went on to talk about how Troy was surrounded by the Greeks and then us facing the possibility of nuclear war, and then terrorism, etc. as examples of when people faced annihiliation and other challenges. His conclusion was that there is nothing new under the sun or learn your history.
Platitude #2 Follow the north star (follow your dreams). – In a direct response to the student speaker, Scalia encouraged people to be zealous, but zealous for the right reasons. He warned people that sometimes following your dreams may not be the best option… especially if your dreams are not based on what is right. He pointed out the many follies of men who were so blinded by their dreams that they did evil instead of good. He mentioned people like Hitler and Lenin who stuck to their convictions, their north star, but ended up in the wrong. So instead he concluded: “seek wisdom, seek good, and then be the captain of your boat” or “it’s better to stay still than to work your butt off in the wrong direction.”
Platitude #3 America is the greatest country in the world.. Off course he agreed with that statement, but not in the way most people do. Some say we are the greatest because we are the free-est, but freedom is not merely the exercise of liberty. He went on to say that it is within the context of laws that our freedoms were created and it is with responsibility of the citizens that our freedom is upheld. He gave an example of spitting gum in the street. If no one did it, then no law would have to be made… but if everyone spat gum in the street, them there will be need for some sort of regulation. He was not talking about gum spitting. He then went to the founding fathers and quoted from Federalist Paper #51:
“The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional rights of the place. It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary.”
Anyways, I think he was trying to say America is greatest when her citizens are most responsible… my take: we are greatest (and free-est) when we exercise our responsbility. Or our greatness isn’t how much liberty we can exercise, but how much responsibility we take.
And there was another one, but I can’t remember right now. But overall, I liked the way he pointed out folly and turned the audience back to wisdom.
My final take: Remember history or you’ll repeat it, you’re not as smart as you think you are, seek guidance from your elders, you’re part of a greater community so do your part…
