In all of the speeches Barack Obama has made, as a State Senator at the 2004 DNC, as a Senator, as a presidential candidate, and as president, this speech he made on Saturday at the University of Michigan commencement has to be one of his best ever.
Although many people on the right often lump college students together with the liberal left, it's important to remember that is Michigan one of the largest schools in the country. The audience consisted of the graduates as well as their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. I would imagine a handful of the parents/grandparents/aunts/uncles consider themselves to be part of the tea party crowd.
An important theme in his speech is the importance of listening to the other side and "disagreeing without being disagreeable". He tells his audience that if they read the Editorial page of the New York Times, they should look at the Wall Street Journal opinions once in a while. Likewise, if they listen to Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, they should read the Huffington Post once in a while. (I was surprised he actually mentioned Beck and Limbaugh by name.)
This is definitely an Obama speech worth watching. Hope you take the time to do so and enjoy it.
No comments:
Post a Comment