Learn English George Bush You too can be President with BIG subtitles
the president Turner thanks members of
the Board of Trustees Provost Ludden
faculty staff distinguished guests
parents and most importantly the class
of 2015 I thank you for your warm
welcome and I appreciate the invitation
to be with you you know when I mentioned
this speech to some of my pals they were
surprised I was going to give it say I
haven’t given a commencement speech
since leaving office you know my
decision is quite practical so I got a
phone call from my landlord
Jerald Turner
rather than raising the rent or
threatening to hold our security deposit
I was relieved to hear president Turner
ask if I believed in free speech
[Laughter]
I said yeah he said perfect here’s your
chance to give one as a proud member of
the SMU community I am honored to be
here truly honored to deliver the 100
commencement address
I admire a president Turner’s
persuasiveness and his leadership he
runs a fantastic University
it is dynamic diverse and destined for
continued excellence he’s assembled a
strong administrative team he is
supported by an engaged alumni and he
has an outstanding Board of Trustees I’m
fortunate know many of the trustees you
know for example I’m good friends with
the Chairman Mike Boone there’s one
trustee I know really well she’s a proud
graduate of the class of 1968 and went
on to become our nation’s greatest first
lady
do me a favor and don’t tell mother
[Laughter]
I know how much the trustees love and
care for this great University I see it
firsthand when I attend to bring your
spouse night dinners I also dropped by
classes on occasion I’m very impressed
by the intelligence and energy of the
faculty I want to thank you for your
dedication and thank you for sharing
your knowledge with the students
Teresa stay the graduates have had the
supportive loving families some of you
love you so much they’re in the overflow
sites across the campus I congratulate
the parents who have sacrificed to make
this moment possible it is a glorious
day when your child graduates from
college and a really great day for your
bank account I know the members of the
class of 2015 will join me in thanking
you for your love and your support
most of all I congratulate the members
of the class of 2015 you worked hard to
reach this milestone you leave with
lifelong friends and fond memories you
will always remember how much you
enjoyed the right to buy a required
campus meal plan you will remember your
frequent battles with the park and Pony
office you may or may not remember those
productive nights at the barley house
[Laughter]
you were founding members of the mighty
SMU mob bouncing like mad and watching
in wonder as your then student body
president senior Lobster danced with joy
after the pony victories right here in
moody you’ll think back to those
carefree fall game days on the boulevard
though I don’t recall seeing too many of
you in the stadium
those of you who are graduating this
afternoon with high honors awards and
distinctions I say well done and as I
like to tell the C students you too can
be President
[Applause]
after four years of sitting through
lectures I have a feeling you’re not in
the mood for another one what I’ve
learned about graduation speeches is
that they’re too long and rarely
remembered so I’m gonna keep this short
I can’t attest to the how memorable be
I’ve also learned it’s important to
refer to someone associations associated
with the University so I picked one an
SMU trustee who by the way is not here
Reverend Mark Craig now I asked mark to
deliver the sermon at the First United
Methodist Church in Austin before my
second inauguration as governor of Texas
I still remember his Fort Worth twang as
he talked about Moses God called Moses
to action and and Moses repeatedly found
excuses not to act Who am I that I
should go to Pharaoh and bring the sons
of Israel out of Egypt oh my lord I pray
send some other person I have sheep to
tend and the people won’t believe me I’m
not a very good speaker and I obviously
was not the only one who’s ever mangled
the English language or in his case
Arabic
fortunately Moses recognized a call to
serve something greater than himself he
answered the call lettuce people and
history was made you too will be called
at some point the question as Mark aptly
and artfully laid out is will you be
optimistic and hopeful or pessimistic
and cynical here are three reasons why
you should be optimistic and hopeful one
you’re graduating from a great
University
your SMU degree will open the door to a
wide variety of career options millions
will never have had this opportunity and
some years later foundation so you can
reason and continue to learn throughout
your life it has given you the tools to
be productive citizens one of the great
strengths of America is our active
public square
issues are influenced by the will of the
people that is why an educated citizenry
is so important to the success of our
country as SMU graduate which you are
well equipped to participate in these
vital debates my hope is that you speak
out on the issues that matter to you
participate in your nation’s civic life
as citizens not spectators you’ll come
to learn that who you are is more
important than what you have and that
you have responsibilities to your fellow
citizens your country and your family by
taking part in American democracy you
will make our country stronger secondly
you’re blessed to live in the greatest
nation ever
here you can strive and succeed as far
as you dare to dream it says something
about our country that millions around
the world are willing to leave their
homes and families and risk everything
to come here and realize the American
dream their pursuit of that dream
invigorates our national soul it renews
our country’s character and it adds
vitality to our culture you live in a
land that is compassionate and decent
because we believe in the rights and
dignity of our own citizenry we are
committed to defending the rights and
dignity of people everywhere America has
liberated millions around the world from
tyranny and terror
we’ve helped turn the tide against
deadly disease in places like Africa in
our hearts we believe all are created
equal under God the Liberty we prize is
not America’s gift to the world
it is almighty God’s gift to humanity at
home there are thousands of platoons in
the armies of compassion working to
honor those beliefs no matter what’s
your career path enlist when you help
another you enrich your heart and you
strengthen the fabric of our collective
goodness many of you many of you have
already made service a prior priority in
your lives by volunteering during winter
spring and summer breaks and completing
more than a hundred to community
projects through engaged learning I
thank you for recognizing the timeless
truths of those to whom much is given
much is required as you serve others you
can inspire others i’ve been inspired by
the example of many selfless servants
winston churchill a leader of courage
and resolve inspired me during my
presidency and for that matter in the
post presidency like churchill i now
paint
unlike Churchill the painting didn’t
worth much without the signature
19:41 he gave a speech to the students
of his old school during Britain’s most
trying times in World War two it wasn’t
too long and it is well remembered Prime
Minister Churchill herbes never give in
never nothing great or small large or
petty never give in except to
convictions of Honor and good sense I
hope you’ll remember this advice but
there’s a lesser-known passage from that
speech that I also want to share with
you these are not dark days these are
great days the greatest day of our
country our country has ever lived and
we must all thank God that we have been
allowed each of us according to our
stations to play a part in making these
days memorable in the history of our
race when Churchill uttered these words
many had lost hope and Great Britain’s
chance of survival against the Nazis
many doubted the future of freedom today
some doubt America’s future and they say
our best days are behind us I say given
our strengths one of which is a bright
new generation like you these are not
dark days these are great days and
finally you can be hopeful because there
is a loving God whether you agree with
that statement or not is your choice it
is not your government’s choice it is
essential
it is essential to this nation’s future
that we remember that the freedom to
worship who we want and how we want or
not worship at all is a core belief of
our founding I’ve made my choice I
believe that the Almighty’s grace and
unconditional love will sustain you I
believe it will bring you joy amidst the
trials of life it will enable you to
better see the beauty around you it will
provide a solid foundation amidst a
rapidly changing somewhat impersonal
technologically driven world it will
show you how to love your neighbor
forgive more easily and approach success
with humility and failure without fear
it will inspire you to honor your
parents and eventually be a better
spouse and parent yourself it will help
you fully grasp the value of life all
life it will remind you that money power
and fame or false idols and I hope and
believe that God’s love will inspire you
to serve others I want to thank you for
letting me share this special day with
you I wish you all the very best stay in
touch with your friends love your family
treat this day as a step toward a
lifetime of learning and go forth with
confidence may God bless you
[Applause]
you