美国联邦参议员陆天娜在瓦萨尔学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx
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美国联邦参议员陆天娜在瓦萨尔学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx
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美国联邦参议员陆天娜在瓦萨尔学院毕业典礼英语演讲稿
美国联邦参议员陆天娜在瓦萨尔学院2019年毕业典礼英语演讲稿
ThankyoutoActingPresidentChenette,mydearestfriendandthepersonwhoinvitedmeGerryLaybourne,theboard,thefacultyatVassar,alloftheproudparentsthatarehere,ouralumnaeandouralumni,andallthedistinguishedguests.AndtotheVassarClassof2019–manycongratulations.
Vassartrulystandsasabeaconofhopeandopportunitythatcontinuestoinspireallofus.Youhaveshownastrongsenseofjustice,community,andboldactivism.AlthoughIknowthereisalwaysmoreworktobedone,youhaveshatteredmanyglassceilingshere...womenhavealwaysbeeninleadership…youareadvancingLGBTequalityandacceptance,andyoudohaveacampusthat’sdiverseinmorewaysthaneverbefore!
TheeducationthatyoureceivehereatVassarisapreciousopportunity,onethattensofmillionsofyoungpeopleacrosstheworldaredeniedeverysingledayduetopoverty,violence,prejudiceandinjustice.
ButIknowthatsomedaywecanactuallychangethat–withstudentslikeyouleadingtheway.StudentswhostooduptothebigotryoftheWestboroBaptistChurch.Youdidnotstandquietlyby.Youcreatedanationalconversation.Youraisedover$100,000,andyoumadeyourvoiceheard,inspiredactioninothers,andproducedrealresults.
Myhopeforthisclassisthatthisdeterminedcourage,thisspiritofactivism,thisfierceoppositiontohatewillbetherule,nottheexception.
SoI’vecomeheretoaskyoutoday,eachandeveryoneofyou,justonequestion:
Howareyougoingtotakethelessonsthatyou’velearnedhereatVassar,andcarryonthislegacyofmakingarealdifference?
Ihopethateachoneofyoufindstheopportunitytodopublicservice,andtrulyhaveanimpactonthelivesofsomanyothers.
SoIwanttotellyouallalittlebitaboutmyownjourneytopublicservice.IwasveryluckybecauseIgrewupinafamilythathadaverystrongrolemodel.Therolemodelwasmygrandmother.Shestartedhercareerasayoungwoman…sheneverwenttocollege…sheworkedasasecretaryinourstatelegislatureinAlbany.
Shehadthisveryboldideathatwomen’svoicesshouldbeheard.Therewereveryfewwomeninelectiveoffice75yearsago.Shewantedtohaveasay,andshewantedtohaveanimpact.
Andsheknewsomethinginstinctivelythatallofusknownow,thattospeakinonevoiceisveryimportant,buttospeakalongwithmanyvoicesisfarmorepowerful.ShesheaskedallthewomeninthelegislatureandallthewomensheknewinUpstateNewYorktogetinvolvedinpolitics.
Togethertheycreatedanorganizationofactivism,wherethesewomenrancampaignsforaboutfiftyyears.Theydidallthedoortodoorwork,alltheenvelopestuffing,allthekindsofthingsittakestowinmoderndaycampaigns.Andthatiswhytheywereabletohaveavoice.Theywereabletoelectpeoplewhosharedtheirvalues,whosharedtheirconcerns,andwantedtohavethesameimpactontheircommunitythattheydid.
Sowhatthattaughtmeasayounggirlwatchingheristhatnotonlydowomen’svoicesmatter,butwhatyoudowithyourtimematters.Grassrootsactivismmatters.Fightingtomakeadifferencematters.
AfterIwenttocollegeandlawschool,IsawmyselfworkinginNewYorkCityinabiglawfirm,andIwatchedourFirstLady,thenHilaryRodhamClinton,gotoChina.
Nowifyouremember,shewenttoChinain1995,andshegaveherhistoricspeechonwomen’srights.Shesaid,“Letitbeknownthathumanrightsarewomen’srightsandwomen’srightsarehumanrightsonceandforall.
NowIwasincrediblyinspiredbyheratthatmomentbecauseI’dbeentoBeijing,Ihadstudiedthere,IhadlearnedMandarin,andIknewhowpowerfulitwasforherastheFirstLadytobegivingthatspeechatthattimeinthatplacetothataudience.TheywerestillkillinggirlbabiesinthecountrysideandIknowthatshewasmakingadramaticimpactontheworldatthatmoment.
AndIthoughttomyself,whatamIdoingwithmylifeandamImakingadifference?
AndIthoughtifIwasgoingtoeverbewithheratthatconferenceinBeijingwithher,Iwouldhavehadtobeinvolvedinpolitics.Andthat’swhatspurredmetogetoffthesidelinesandfocusonmakingadifference.Andthat’swhenIengagedinpolitics.
SoofcourseIfollowedinmygrandmother’sfootsteps.Istartedworkingoncampaigns.Istartedorganizingotherwomenanddoingthetoughworkittakestoelectcandidates.AndthemoreIgotinvolved,themoreIrealizedthatIreallylovegrassrootsactivism,andIdecidedIwantedtoleavethelawanddosomeformofpublicservice.
Itriedallsortsofwaystogetthere,andmywaywasn’tclear.FirstItriedtheU.S.Attorney’sOffice.Ididnotgetthejob.ThenItriedabunchofcharitiesinNewYork.Ididn’tevengetaninterview.
TheHillaryClintondecidestorunforSenate,andIsay,“Thisismychance!
Iwillgetajobonhercampaign.”Icouldn’tgetapaidposition,soIcouldn’taffordit.
SoIwenttoalargeevent,andourthen-secretaryofhousingandurbandevelopment,ournow-governorAndrewCuomo,wasgivingaspeech,aspeechnotunlikethisaboutpublicservice.AndIwentuptohimafterwardsandIsaid,“Well,Mr.Secretary,I’vebeentryingtogetintopublicservice,andit’snotaseasyasyousay.”
AndrewbeingAndrew,ourgreatgovernorsays,“Well,wouldyoumovetoWashington?
”Andofcourse,determined,Isaid,“Yes,IwillmovetoWashington.”Truthbetold,IhadnointerestinevermovingtoWashington.But,Ididinfacttakethatopportunity,andIwoundupgoingtoWashingtonandservingashisspecialcounsel.
Now,neverinmylifehaveIgottenoutofbedasquicklyasIdidoverthosefewmonths,becauseIlovedhelpingothers.Andwhentheadministrationlostthenextelection,therewerenomorejobsinWashington.AndsoIthoughtlongandhard.AndIsaid,“CouldIrunforoffice?
CouldIactuallyserve?
”Andovert
Whyshouldn’tIserve?
Whyshouldn’tImakethatjump?
SoItalkedtoafriendofminewhoisapollster.HisnameisJeffrey.He’sstillmypollster.AndIgotohimandIsay,“Jeffrey,couldyoujustlookupthisdistrictforme?
I’mthinkingofrunninginUpstateNewYorkwhereI’mfrom.”Andhelooksitup,andhesays,“Hmmm.Thatisatwo-to-oneRepublicandistrict.Youhavenochanceofwinning.”
AndIthought,really?
Nochance?
“WhathappensifIruntheperfectcampaign?
Can’tIwinthen?
”Hesaid,“No.”HesaidthattherearemorecowsthanDemocratsinthatdistrict.Isaid,“Well,whathappensifIraisetwomilliondollarsandreallygetmymessageout?
”Hesaid,“No,Kirsten,I’msorry.Youjustcan’twin.”
Isaid,“Well,whathappensifthisguygetsindicted?
He’satroublemaker.Icouldsurelywinthen.”Andhesaid,“Well,itdependswhathegetsindictedfor.”
Well,thestorygoes,Ididwinthatelection.Anditwassomethingthatnoonethoughtwaspossible.Infact,eventheNewYorkTimescalledmea“dragonslayer”becauseitwassuchatoughdistricttowin.
Sothattaughtmeafewthings.Ittaughtmetoalwayschallengeconventionalthinking.Ittaughtmetothinkanddreambigandcertainlynevergiveup.Andthetruthis,there’snothingtoobigforanyoneofyouheretoachieve.Youjusthavetobelieveinthatdream,evenifnooneelsebutyourmotherbelievesinitwithyou.Becauseyoucangoasfarasyourvisionwilltakeyouandasfarasyourhardworkwilltakeyou.
Sonowyou’veheardthebeginningofmystory.Iamfarmoreinterestedinyourstory.I’dliketoknowwhatyourpathwillbe?
Whatwillyouaccomplishinyourlife?
Whatwillyousetouttochange?
Ichallengeyoutorefusetoacceptthatthingscan’tchangesimplybecauseotherstellyouso.IhearthatexcuseeverydayinWashington,anditmakesmeevenmoredeterminedtofindaway.
IamincrediblyhumbledtoserveinaSenateseatonceoccupiedbygiantsinourAmericanhistory:
mymentor,friendandtrailblazerHillaryRodhamClinton,andthebrilliantscholar-turned-politicianDanielPatrickMoynihan.And,theiconiccivilrightshero,RobertF.Kennedy.
RFKoncequotedGeorgeBernardShawandsaid,“Therearethosethatlookatthingsthewaytheyare,andaskwhy?
Idreamofthingsthatneverwere,andaskwhynot?
”
Ilovethosewords,andIthinktheyapplysomuchtoallofusheretoday.TherearethosewholookatallofyouasGenerationY.IlookatyouandseeGenerationY-Not.
Yourgenerationispoised,likenoneotherinhistory,tochallengeeverysinglenotionofequality,justiceandopportunityforall.
Youhaveahistoryofsaying“whynot!
”hereatVassar.In1861,theCivilWarwasabouttocommencewhenMatthewVassarasserted“whynotcreateawomen’sinstitutionforlearningequaltomen’s”--athoughtthatseemedabsolutelyrevolutionary,evendangeroustosome,adreamthatwasfullyrealizedhere.
By1969,VassarCollege,inasignofitsstrength,madethedecisiontobecomeacoeducationalinstitution,rejectinganinvitationtomovetoNewHavenandjoinforceswithYale,declaring:
“whynotbecomeacoeducationalinstitutionwherestrongwomen’svoicesareheardandmenwhoarecomfortablewithstrongwomen’svoicesareheardequaltothem.”
MenlikeBillPlapinger,yourboardchairfromtheclassof1974sittingrighthere,thelegendaryclassof1974thatledyoutothisimportantnextstage.AndBillseemstohavesurvivedtheexperimentmoreorless.
Sobecauseofsuchgroundbreakingleadership,wehaveactuallyachievededucationalparityinthiscountry.Morethanhalfofourcollegegraduatesandouradvanceddegreesaregiventowomen.Butthequestionis,howfarhavewecomeinreachingourgoalofeconomicorpoliticalparityforwomen.
Lookingfrommycommencementin1988tonow,therewereonlytwowomenintheSenatewhenIgraduated.Todaythereare20.Thereareonly18percentwomenintheHouseofRepresentatives.
W
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