graduation speech
this is my graduation speech. i read it again and i guess i'm proud of it. i can't believe i blanked out when i read it, what a spaz i am. well, get ready to be somewhat informed.
Graduation Speech
When Mr. Creamer gave me the opportunity to speak at graduation, I was honored, but I was also apprehensive. I didn’t know if I was worthy, and I wasn’t sure if I could pull off a speech so I declined the chance to speak, but every time I did, Mr. Creamer insisted that I would do just fine.
With his constant reassurance I finally agreed, and my next step was picking a topic. This was the part I dreaded and was so worried about in the first place. I hadn’t a clue on what to write about. What would intrigue the audience? I thought to myself. I must have started four or five speeches because I kept switching topics. I am known to be a very wishy-washy person and so I was conflicted with my choices, but I eventually decided on one: genocide.
I am not trying to be negative and make anyone feel pity, or to feel sad. This is a momentous day I’m sure for every parent here, a moment you have all been waiting for since before your child was even born. I only want to inform people of the tragedy that is happening right now, the conflict taking place in Darfur. Darfur is the western region of Africa’s largest country, Sudan. There have been debates on whether or not the mass killings of the civilians of Darfur can be labeled as genocide. However, it doesn’t matter what we call it, we’re just wasting precious time on labels while more than five hundred people die each day in just one area.
This conflict is fought over two major groups: Arabs and non-Arabs. The Sudanese government, known for oppressing their non-Arab civilians and attacking humanitarian aid, has sided with the Arab group’s local militia, the Janjaweed. Together they attacked, and pillaged the non-Arab peoples of Sudan. Both sides previously had problems with each other, fighting over land and water, which might be why there have been so many incidences of family crops being destroyed leaving families to die of famine. Whatever the reason, it does not justify millions of deaths due to starvation. It does not justify slaughter. Although this is happening people choose to deny what is going on. Is this conflict in Darfur genocide? you decide for yourself.
This conflict has disturbed me and left me sleepless for nights. I would be up thinking to myself that genocide has taken place in history too many times. One is bad enough as it is. There was the Holocaust with the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia, Rwanda, Nepal, and more. It is as if the world has a sick genocide list it needs to complete. The quota being ten acts of genocide a century. Haven’t we learned from the past how to stop this from happening? Should we now cross the Sudanese genocide off the list now as being the first of the 21st century?
It troubles me that not a lot of people know about the events going on so I’ve taken this opportunity to make everyone here aware. I urge everyone to look further into this and visit the many sites on the Internet that are there to explain everything in detail, and to identify how you can help. Some sites you can visit are darfurgenocide.org, and savedarfur.org.
I hope that you leave with some awareness, I hope you spread this to others, but most of all I hope that I’ll never have to see movies like “The Pianist”, “Schindler’s List”, and “Hotel Rwanda” ever again.
In conclusion, as each and everyone of us begins our journey into adulthood with this wonderful ceremony, it becomes our responsibility to prevent this type of behavior from occurring. It becomes an obligation we must fulfill for the rest of our lives if we are to consider ourselves truly successful. Take the time to prevent future genocide, take the time to continue learning, but today, take the time to be proud of your success. Thank you, and congratulations class of 2006!
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Graduation Speech
When Mr. Creamer gave me the opportunity to speak at graduation, I was honored, but I was also apprehensive. I didn’t know if I was worthy, and I wasn’t sure if I could pull off a speech so I declined the chance to speak, but every time I did, Mr. Creamer insisted that I would do just fine.
With his constant reassurance I finally agreed, and my next step was picking a topic. This was the part I dreaded and was so worried about in the first place. I hadn’t a clue on what to write about. What would intrigue the audience? I thought to myself. I must have started four or five speeches because I kept switching topics. I am known to be a very wishy-washy person and so I was conflicted with my choices, but I eventually decided on one: genocide.
I am not trying to be negative and make anyone feel pity, or to feel sad. This is a momentous day I’m sure for every parent here, a moment you have all been waiting for since before your child was even born. I only want to inform people of the tragedy that is happening right now, the conflict taking place in Darfur. Darfur is the western region of Africa’s largest country, Sudan. There have been debates on whether or not the mass killings of the civilians of Darfur can be labeled as genocide. However, it doesn’t matter what we call it, we’re just wasting precious time on labels while more than five hundred people die each day in just one area.
This conflict is fought over two major groups: Arabs and non-Arabs. The Sudanese government, known for oppressing their non-Arab civilians and attacking humanitarian aid, has sided with the Arab group’s local militia, the Janjaweed. Together they attacked, and pillaged the non-Arab peoples of Sudan. Both sides previously had problems with each other, fighting over land and water, which might be why there have been so many incidences of family crops being destroyed leaving families to die of famine. Whatever the reason, it does not justify millions of deaths due to starvation. It does not justify slaughter. Although this is happening people choose to deny what is going on. Is this conflict in Darfur genocide? you decide for yourself.
This conflict has disturbed me and left me sleepless for nights. I would be up thinking to myself that genocide has taken place in history too many times. One is bad enough as it is. There was the Holocaust with the Nazis, the Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia, Rwanda, Nepal, and more. It is as if the world has a sick genocide list it needs to complete. The quota being ten acts of genocide a century. Haven’t we learned from the past how to stop this from happening? Should we now cross the Sudanese genocide off the list now as being the first of the 21st century?
It troubles me that not a lot of people know about the events going on so I’ve taken this opportunity to make everyone here aware. I urge everyone to look further into this and visit the many sites on the Internet that are there to explain everything in detail, and to identify how you can help. Some sites you can visit are darfurgenocide.org, and savedarfur.org.
I hope that you leave with some awareness, I hope you spread this to others, but most of all I hope that I’ll never have to see movies like “The Pianist”, “Schindler’s List”, and “Hotel Rwanda” ever again.
In conclusion, as each and everyone of us begins our journey into adulthood with this wonderful ceremony, it becomes our responsibility to prevent this type of behavior from occurring. It becomes an obligation we must fulfill for the rest of our lives if we are to consider ourselves truly successful. Take the time to prevent future genocide, take the time to continue learning, but today, take the time to be proud of your success. Thank you, and congratulations class of 2006!
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