Legalities
Life, Politics and the Law From ABC News Correspondent Jan Crawford Greenburg
Jan Crawford Greenburg is a correspondent for ABC News' bureau in Washington DC. She covers politics, the Supreme Court and provides legal analysis for ABC News. She is a graduate of the University of Chicago's law school and is a member of the New York bar.
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Perseverance and Promise
May 21, 2007 3:35 PM
This is a blog about life. And hope and promise. And I’m not talking about changes in the Court, the next landmark case, or how my Crimson Tide, starting this season, is about to teach Auburn how a champion wins with class.
This is about something more.
It was my great honor to spend yesterday with the 2007 class of Manhattan College, on the school’s beautiful campus tucked away in the leafy hills of the Bronx. Some of you may know of the school because the Jaspers whipped Florida in the 2004 NCAA tournament, which is always something to cheer about. Or perhaps you’ve recently read the bio of Rudy Giuliani (class of ‘65). Other graduates you may know are Raymond Kelly, the NYC police commissioner, Thomas Donahue of the AFL-CIO, and Thomas O’Malley, the oil magnate who now chairs the school’s board.
These guys (Manhattan College only started admitting women in the 1970s) were sons of working-class parents whose families were recent immigrants to this country. O’Malley once said he didn’t grow up with a silver spoon in his mouth but a “with a stickball bat in my hand.” He made money for college driving a bus for a private school, chauffeuring the more privileged children of Manhattan around the city. Now he makes his fortune turning around billion-dollar oil companies.
Just over 700 students graduated yesterday—many, like their predecessors at Manhattan College, the first in their families to get college degrees. The names may have changed since the Giulianis and Kellys and Donahues and O’Malleys went there—joining them now also are Alvarados and Guzmans and Garcias and Chos. But the pride and promise of greatness and opportunity is the same.
Walking through the courtyards of the campus yesterday, seeing the graduates with their parents and grandparents—holding balloons and flowers and snapping pictures--there was an unmistakable emotion common to all the diverse faces. It was the look of hope.
In talking with these graduates, and meeting their parents and grandparents, it became so clear what makes our great country what it is and why we all should have hope for its future. Manhattan College is America, where people have opportunities and where they appreciate them. Where they see promise, not failure.
This is not a class you’d tell to “wear sunscreen,” a cautionary line by Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich that got included in commencement addresses everywhere (and erroneously attributed to Kurt Vonnegut). To this class, you’d do better to echo the sentiments of Winston Churchill, who famously told graduating seniors in the early days of World War II, “Never give in. Never give in, never never never never.”
You’d tell them to speak out. Believe. To fight and make our great country even greater.
And you’d leave the campus of Manhattan College knowing that’s exactly what they’re going to do.
UPDATE: A link to Jan's commencement speech is here: http://abcnews.go.com/images/TheLaw/JanSpeech_1.pdf
May 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9)
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I too was at Manhattan College’s 2007 Commencement and saw the same perseverance and promise of which the author speaks among its students and their families.
Her inspirational words to graduates (from her own father and her roots in rural Alabama) “Keep one hand on the plow and the other reaching for the sky” were quickly translated by the students to their urban setting “keep one hand on the subway strap and the other reaching for the sky”. They got it and were buzzing about it afterwards – great speaker…very inspiring…she spoke right to us.
As their speaker predicted, they may not recall the name of Jan Crawford Greenburg years from now (although I predict we’ll all be hearing much more from and about her) but they will remember her father’s words to her – to them.
Posted by: Walt Matystik | May 22, 2007 9:54:07 AM
I GRADUATED FROM MANHATTAN COLLEGE IN 1970 AND I NO IDEA WHO GAVE THE GRADUATION ADDRESS! MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED ON SUNDAY AND I ALONG WITH THE REST OF MY FAMILY,ICLUDING MY FATHER CLASS OF 1937,ATTENDED. I JUST WANTED YOU TO KNOW HOW IMPRESSED WE ALL WERE WITH YOUR SPEECH!I ALSO GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN AND CAN APPRECIATE YOUR FATHER'S HOME SPUN PHILISOPHY,YOU HIT IT RIGHT ON THE SCREWS. I AM INCREDIBLY PROUD OF MY 'JASPER' HERITAGE BECAUSE I HAVE COME TO APPRECIATE THE VALUES INSTILLED BY MY LASALLIAN EDUCATION. ONCE AGAIN,THANKS AGAIN FOR A BEAUTIFUL SPEECH WITH WONDERFUL INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHTS. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THAT YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT CHURCHILL APPLY TO MOST MANHATTAN MEN AND WOWEN. BEST WISHES AND I'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOU ON TELEVISION.
Posted by: kevin mccourt | May 23, 2007 2:36:00 PM
I am a Manhattan alum class of 1979 and the two words from this years speaker still ring true in my life today almost thity years later those being HOPE and PROMISE. Manhattan College still a gem of a school tucked away on the outskirts of the Big Apple.The school continues to put forth well rounde grads in filed such as business, engineering and eduaction. GO JASPERS
Posted by: kevin reilly | May 23, 2007 9:56:32 PM
Great!
Posted by: Kevin Qiu | May 24, 2007 5:22:13 AM
As an M.A. graduate in Information Management from San Jose State University of Calif., I agree that every student of life has to make the contribution to stand up for truth in each life situation if America is to remain the land of the free and the home of the brave.
And to enact those decisions, one has to grow brave and desire freedom in one's soul.
And let's not forget the process of improvement in America is by VOTING.
Press On! My fellow citizens.
Adam
Posted by: Adam Young | May 24, 2007 5:10:53 PM
My name is Joanna Da-Sylva and I graduated 2 weeks ago as a Peace Studies and International Studies major with a Religious Studies Minor. Mrs Greenburg, I LOVED your speech. You inspired me and gave me hope to continue fighting for justice, tolerance, and equality. You captivated me from the beggining to the end and I cannot thank you enough for illuminating the class of 2007. You are an amazing woman and I hope to make great changes like you
Joanna Da-Sylva
Posted by: Joanna Da-Sylva | May 24, 2007 9:37:53 PM
Jan, Great speech. It is a penetrating question, why is it that good people sit in silence? I think a lot of it is that "good" people think that is the most moral path, to be quiet and peaceable and not rock the boat. With my roots all across the south how many times did we hear, "children should be seen and not heard." But we are not children anymore, do we know that? Do we now know it is our time to stand up and lead with our actions and even sometimes our mouths? Do we know its OK to lead and to do that? I agree, it's time to fight the good fight.
Posted by: Bruce | Jun 4, 2007 4:18:37 PM
Excellent speech,if I may say a few words.The only true barrier against the despotism of public opioion,whether it be of the many or of the few,is enlighted individual freedom and purity of personal character.Without these there can be no vigorousmanhood,no true liberty in a nation.Political rights,however broadly framed,will not elevate a people individually depraved.Indeed,the more complete a system of popular suffrage,and the perfect its protection,the more completely will the real character of a people be reflected,as by a mirror,in their laws and government.Political morality can never have any solid existence on a basis of individual immorality.Even freedom,exercised by a debased people,would come to be regarded as a nuisance,and liberty of the press but a vent for licentiousness and moral abomination. Sad to say that I was born to a poor family which limited my education to high school thank you for your time....
Posted by: Roger Waugh | Jun 18, 2007 8:49:56 PM
After reading this article for the first time, I decided to take extra time to read the commencement speech...
I am so honored as a humane being to know that Jan's speech came from a woman who grew up in the south...Alabama where followers are a dime a dozen, and very few who stand front and center, to live here one must know everyone conceeds to go behind their door and not lead...leave it to another, many feel that way, I am proud to hear and read what was said for I am a woman today, I have stood up against the biggest winers and followers to date, who have nothing more but to hold on to old ways...the those ways are not healthy for the weak, they have disadvantage many who need...Bravo Alabamian! Bravo! Apache
Posted by: Apachecheynne | Jul 10, 2007 7:44:25 PM
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