The Whitworthian

Issue date: 12/4/07 Last Updated: 12/18/07

Commencement speeches interest me for their challenge. Giving such a speech is much like attempting to permanently impact the lives of an elevator full of strangers on just one 60-story ride. Your message must be practical or it will bore your audience. Useless speeches begin, "We worked hard but we made it." At the same time the speech must not be so complex that it leaves your audience confused. Commencement is not a good time to introduce a new philosophy. The speaker should aim to offer one practical message with clarity.

Since I won't be at graduation, I offer here my attempt at a commencement speech. I hope I live up to my own standards.

As we consider if we wish to devote our post-collegiate life to our individual happiness or to a collective good - or both - it may be helpful to realize that none of us wishes violence upon those we love. We surely have a common goal: that we wish to avoid experiencing harm. It is important, then, to note violence does not have a body. The "evil" we wish to avoid is not an apparition with a foreign address. Evil is what we call the violence we do to each other. It is likely every person you know hurts others. You are no better. Evil dwells among us.

It is clear violence is a local problem. Since you and your neighbors are as likely to commit violence as a foreigner, change must begin in your neighborhood, just as it must also begin in a foreigner's neighborhood. The safety we all seek begins with us. As you reach out to embrace your neighbors, you join with them to convert your isolated homes into a broad sanctuary. You create a haven to which you and your neighbors may retreat. You create a place where violence is not welcome.

As we scatter about the world, each of us has the opportunity to foster these sanctuaries. Imagine if each of us does. That's 400 havens. Further, as people visit our neighborhoods, they will experience the peace we and our neighbors share. Their may return to their neighborhoods to attempt the same. And so safety spreads.

The idea of World Peace is harebrained. You cannot attain World Peace because it, like evil, is just a label. What we really mean when we say we want World Peace is we want our neighborhood, and every neighborhood, to be safe-havens for ourselves and those we love. We want local peace, and local peace is attainable. Of course, if our homes are to be peaceful, it is up to us.

In our neighborhoods live hungry people, frustrated individuals scared and disillusioned as we, and humans who want so badly to be embraced that they will hurt others who stand between them and acceptance.

We know these people. We are them. We each live walking distance from strangers to befriend. As we embrace our neighbors, we will fill the space with trust, leaving no room for violence. We will replace fear with sanctuary.

Some will say human nature will prevent permanent havens. Evil will always be with us, they will say. Perhaps. But even if humanity is inherently evil, we may attempt to live well. We act hastily if we assume that since we are imperfect, our flaws limit our potential. We do ourselves disservice when we assume impossibility.

We inherit our circumstances - circumstances that are often harmful - but how we react to those circumstances is our choice. We may learn from the mistakes of our predecessors; we may reconcile with those who hurt us; we may foster sanctuaries with our neighbors; we may protect our friends; we may embrace. We may, if we choose.

Galen Sanford is an opinions columnist and a senior majoring in philosophy. Contact him at galen.sanford@whitworthian.com.

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