"Graduating Class..."

Posted this comment on SactoDan’s site regarding what would I say to the Class of 2005. He recommended I should post so here it is with some additions/edits:

“Graduating Class, yours is the most gifted country in the world. There are those in the world, and in this country itself, that will demand you renounce those gifts, or worse yet denounce them as unfair. Is that what you do on Christmas morning? Of course not. To do so would be to denounce the Gift Giver.

"Uh-oh," winces the principal turning to the vice-principal, "Go get the stage hook!"

What you choose to do with those gifts will be either fair or unfair to those around you. That depends solely on you. Gifts can be taken away if not used or misused. Don't let that happen to your generation nor your country. Quoting Ronald Reagan: ‘America is the last best hope of Mankind.’ He couldn’t have been more right. We and our gifts is all that stands before the anarchy and misery we can see all around us if only we were to open our eyes and turn off MTV. Use them or lose them.”

Alas, in this postmodern era of not-wanting-to-offend anybody’s sensibilities, you won’t hear that kind of speech in lieu of speeches quoting Cinderella, Pocahontas, Jiminy Cricket, and some other inane, non-existent figure Hogue revealed occurred at a “Placer County High Skrool” commencement on his show this morning. Oh, yeah, Hercules. Jeeez. It’s only the bloody morning and already I feel an Irish urge for a good, stiff drink. Either that or a good barroom brawl.