Finally Someone Gives The Straight Dope

[3 AE]

Hopefully this takes off and gives our educators, parents, and students the slap in the face they need to wake up and get down to business.

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/high-school-graduation-speaker-tells-students-not-special-145709954.html

[Shawn.L]

well spoken !

[montanadave]

Wellesley, MA is a rather affluent little burg, predominately white, upper class, well-educated folks.

Likely a lot of kids with lofty dreams and high parental expectations. And likely a message they have not heard too often.

Kudos to that instructor for providing a little "reality therapy."

[Evil Colt 6920]

Best commencement speach ever. Reality check!

[Moose-Knuckle]

Kind of reminds me of Jeff Daniels new show. . .

(pay close attention to his rebuttle) :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wC8ovJYAU3U

[P2000]

Best grad speech ever. These days, too many young grads don't get a chance to meet Mr. Reality until their 20's. It is sad.

[Dienekes]

I was lucky--raised by Depression-era parents up on the northern prairies who passed on their values. Got my draft notice about twenty minutes after graduating from college, and off to basic. :blink:

Muddled through a lot. But "special"? Persistent, maybe. Not "special", thank God.

[CarlosDJackal]

That was awesome!!

[QuietShootr]

Somebody needs to do an equivalent speech for their lower-middle-class counterparts too. It would probably start out something like, "You are not special. You are not automatically entitled to an $40/hr factory job with a high school diploma," and go on from there.