“What do you suppose made your transformation possible?” Edward asked. “It’s hard to say,” William said. “It’s just feels right.” “Well, let’s hope we can spread that feeling,” Edward said. THE graduation ceremony was rich with pomp and circumstance. A line of graduates snaked its way out of school and across a long, lush field. Parents and well-wishers cheered the graduates. The sound of whistles, cowbells, and air horns filled the air. After the pledge of allegiance, national anthem, and a prayer, the graduates were asked to take a seat. Jason greeted the graduates, offered some welcoming remarks, and then introduced Edward Birch. The crowd erupted with applause as Edward stepped to the podium clad in a black academic gown, a colorful …show more content…
“Good afternoon, graduates of the Class of 2021, how do you fare?” Edward asked the students. “Hale and hearty, hearty and hale,” the Class of 2021 boomed in unison. “Hale and hearty indeed. I would rather be here delivering this commencement address to you Beacon Academy graduates than any other public, private, or parochial school graduating class. Beacon Academy students, you have earned the right to be called the Class of 2021. The values you have learned here at Beacon Academy have equipped you with everything you need as you head out into the world.’ ‘Let’s take the lessons you have learned here at Beacon Academy, and compare them to those of your counterparts in traditional public schools across this state and nation: You have learned that simply showing up is not enough; you have learned that hard work alone is not enough; you have learned that not everyone gets a trophy, or earns a diploma; you have learned that performance and outcomes are all that truly matters. Life will not grade you based …show more content…
The trajectory of our nation is on a perilous path. Institutions have sprung up around you that will try to convince you that the expansive social contract offered by government can protect us from the realities of life. Too many Americans believe that the laws of men can insulate us from the laws of nature. Too many Americans are willing to turn over their liberty to the rule of tyrants, tyrants who supplicate us with the promise of cradle to grave care in exchange for indentured servitude. Too many Americans are willing to forego the blessing of liberty that is the birthright of this nation, and, instead, scurry around for the crumbs cast forth by a crumbling welfare state. Where will this inevitably lead us? Like lambs to the slaughter, this thinking will lead us to economic and social slavery, slavery not found in leg irons and chains, slavery found in the cycle of debt, deficit and dependence that is the core of big