Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) news anchor Jim Lehrer urged Hamilton College graduates to honor their peers who recently served in the war against Iraq, and exhorted them to "find a way to serve your neighborhood, town, city, state and country ... serve a common purpose beyond yourself, and your immediate family and/or interests," in his speech at Hamilton's 191st commencement.
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Alison Lin and Yina Luo |
Bachelor of arts degrees were awarded to 463 Hamilton graduates at the ceremony, held on Sunday, May 25, in the Margaret Bundy Scott Field House.
Lehrer reminded the graduates that the young men and women Americans who fought in Iraq were peers their age. "They did risk their lives and they did so in your name, my name, our names, in the name of our country and our democracy. So if you like what happened in Iraq, cheer them when they come home. And if you hate what happened in Iraq, cheer them when they get home. That's message number one."
Lehrer then urged the graduates to "Find a way to also serve. I don't mean necessarily joining the Marines to fight in the next war or two. I mean, no matter what you decide to do with your life, also serve. Go ahead -- be rich ... or poor. Draw pictures, write novels, make movies, be single, be married, make babies, raise babies, try cases, treat sick people, teach people, drive buses, play ball, act, sing, play an instrument, bank, invest, invent, manufacture, experiment, compute, cook, research, pray, preach ... whatever, wherever. But also find a way to serve ... to serve your neighborhood, town, city, state ... and country.
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Mohawk Valley Frasers lead |
"Serve a common purpose beyond yourself and your immediate family and/or interests. You are graduating at a time when there are enormous opportunities to do great things, but also to do terrible things. The possibilities for good and evil have seldom been so limitless," Lehrer said.
He told the graduates "We are the most powerful nation in the world. There has never been one nation so powerful in so many ways at one time when compared to all others as is the case for us now, and it's not just about our smart weapons and our money. Look and listen to the people of all ages and beliefs throughout the world. They are wearing American clothes, listening to American music, watching American movies.
"They are talking about us. Some in the language of fear and loathing, some with words of admiration and envy. Some with expressions of warmth and love, and gratitude, but, whatever they're saying or thinking, it's about us right now. This moment in history belongs to us, and I believe every one of us has a right and responsibility to be involved in how we seize the moment. How we exercise this historically monumental power that has come to us at this particular time in history.
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"We elect people to serve us at city hall, the state house, the Congress and the White House. We hire people to serve us in embassies, departments and agencies, in police cruisers, in courtrooms and classrooms, on fire engines, on battlefields. I believe each of us owes it to each of them ... as well as ourselves ... to do our part. To also serve, each in our own way.
"Serve by staying informed ... by forming and expressing opinions ... by challenging the opinions of others -- particularly those others who hold public office or who otherwise exercise public power, including those who write and edit the newspapers and magazines you read," Lehrer said.
Lehrer also saluted his friend and 1935 Hamilton graduate Sol Linowitz, who served as ambassador to the Organization of American States, and co-negotiator of the Panama Canal treaties. He was President Jimmy Carter's representative in the Middle East negotiations from 1979 to 1981.
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A packed Field House |
Honorary degrees were awarded to the Rt. Rev. G.P. Mellick Belshaw, retired Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Jersey; Hamilton graduate David Grubin '65, producer, director, writer and cinematographer; Shirley Ann Jackson, president of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; Jim Lehrer, Public Broadcasting System news anchor; John "Bucky" Pizzarelli, jazz guitarist; and Roger W. Straus, founder of Farrar, Straus & Giroux publishers.
