13 May 2006

GOVERNOR MARK WARNER ADDRESS to the CLASS of 2006 LONGWOOD UNIVERSITY

President Cormier, Dr. McWee (Vice-President, Academic Affairs), John Adams and members of the Board of Visitors, Student body President (Craig) Smith, faculty, parents, friends, and graduates – thank you for that warm welcome.

President Cormier neglected to mention one thing in her introduction:  after four years of hard work, I’m currently unemployed.

Sound familiar to anyone?

I am honored to be with you today.

I was honored to be here four years ago to help usher Longwood into a new era.  As a new governor, I was proud to watch Longwood emerge from the ashes of the Great Fire of 2001… and help it re-create itself as a university.

And now four years later, we see the Class of 2006 earn a university degree.
You took the exams, wrote the papers, and completed the problem sets.  You spent long days in the lab – and longer nights in the library.

And now, Class of 2006, you made it!

For that, you should be very proud.

But, if I can for a moment, let me congratulate another group of people here today:  the grandparents who sent the cookies and the care packages…the friends who gave the advice and encouragement…the brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles who set the examples…and the parents – who most of all – paid the bills. You made it too!

In preparing for today’s speech, I thought back to my own graduation from George Washington University in 1977.  I tried and tried to remember what the commencement speaker said.  I racked my brain, but nothing.

Then, it dawned on me:  I was a speaker at GW’s commencement in 1977.  Yes, it was that memorable.

With that in mind, I will follow Winston Churchill’s advice: “Be clear. Be concise. Be seated.”

The diplomas that you will receive are by – all statistical measures – tickets to a better life.  I know that when I became the first in my family to graduate college, I would be able to do things and go places that my parents only dreamed of.

But there is a price for this ticket – and I don’t mean the interest on the student loans.  The price of this unparalleled opportunity is the responsibilities that come with this world-class education.

First, there is an obligation that we ask you to keep with yourselves, and that’s: don’t be afraid to fail.

Now, parents don’t have a heart attack. I know that sounds strange -- particularly in a society that glorifies success at all costs.  But for me, the most important lessons I ever learned came from my failures.

So, graduates, be brave. Be daring. Be courageous.

This spirit is what makes America unique. Our insatiable desire to push the boundaries of what we know or what we can do is what propels our science… our scholarship…and our economy forward.

I know it can be scary.  I failed in two businesses before I was 30. The first one took six weeks to go bust…the second one lasted longer:  a whole six months.

Then, in 1982, a friend of mine told me that there’s this new industry coming around…car telephones, cellular phones.

I always remember my law school classmates practicing at these big law firms, saying “Warner you’re crazy—get a job—who’s going to want a telephone in their car?” Those friends?  They’re still practicing law.

In 1996, I ran for the United States Senate.  I ran against Senator John Warner—who was the most popular politician in Virginia. 

He was John Warner.  I was Mark Warner.  Confused the heck out of everybody.  So we printed up a simple bumper strip that said “MarkNotJohn.”

One day in Danville, just over the border from here, a man rolled down his window and said “Excuse me.  It’s that biblical reference?”

That tells you a little bit about Virginia, and a little bit about the uphill climb I faced in that race.  I ended up with the silver medal and came a lot closer than a lot of folks thought.

But being able to fail, pick yourself up, wipe off the dust, and get right back in the game
– that’s what’s great about America. Never forget that. We need you to take risks – to fail and to succeed.

Second, there is a responsibility you have to the community – a basic obligation that all who live here have, but unfortunately, too few take seriously. And that’s to conduct our political debates in a civil and respectful manner.

Turn on the TV. Listen to the radio. Click on almost any blog. And you’ll see what I’m talking about: personal and partisan attacks…complex issues reduced to easy-to-digest soundbites…and way too much crossfire and not enough cross talk.

Is it no wonder that people are so alienated...cynical and distrustful of the basic institutions of government?

Not at all.

In this age of amazing technological achievement, we have become better connected, but more divided. In this i-Pod age, we are finding it harder and harder to look beyond the “I.”

Of course, we can – and should -- disagree about the great issues of the day – for, indeed, they are great. But we should be able to disagree about the war in Iraq or our nation’s foreign policy without impugning each other’s patriotism.

We should be able to disagree about serious social issues without questioning each other’s underlying morality or religious sincerity.  

We should be able to disagree about tax or health care policy without questioning each other’s basic compassion or motives.

If you remember nothing else I say to you today, remember this: No one – no one – in politics has a monopoly on virtue … on patriotism … or most importantly, on the truth.

And that goes for conservatives and liberals -- and everyone in between.

At this time in our nation’s history, we can hardly afford such a stilted discourse and a shrill civic culture.

The challenges we face now – and that you will have to contend with -- are too great for name-calling and superficial debate.
America’s diminished stature in the world and global terrorism… the hyper-competitiveness of the global economy… our dependence on foreign oil which threatens our national security and adds to global warming…and our massive budget deficits that limit our ability to meet these challenges.
They’re all like snowballs rolling down a hill.  And they’re picking up momentum.
Any one of these on its own would be a major challenge to us. Now, they are rolling down that mountain together…all at once.
To turn this peril into promise…to reap the huge potential of this new interdependent world…we need people passionate in their beliefs, dedicated to debate, and committed to forging consensus in the best traditions of our nation.

As graduates of Longwood, you are perfect candidates for this job. You have been equipped to enter the public arena -- as a concerned citizen…as an informed citizen…and as a community leader

So no matter how many days and how many miles separate you from your time here in Farmville…never forget what you learned here:

Reject the cynicism and shallow posturing that dominate our media;

Tune out the shouting and background noise that masquerade as meaningful commentary; 

Instead, wrestle with the complex issues…be respectful of those with whom you disagree…and always remember that despite all our glorious differences, a love of country binds us together -- as Americans.

And, now, I’ve come to my final piece of advice to you…perhaps the most important lesson that I can leave you with today.  Call your mother.  Call your father.  Call your grandparents, girlfriends, boyfriends, husbands, and wives.

And I say that not just because I was in the cellphone business.

I say that because if you’re going to be honest with yourself you didn’t get here alone.

In a few minutes, this ceremony will be over.  Before it is, think about what you accomplished—of  the billions of people in the world, only the tiniest fraction will get a world-class college education, finish a graduate degree, or become a doctor or a lawyer.

You may be scared about what happens next. You may not know where your life will take you.  But for right now, you know who got you here.

That’s why find that special person and say, “thank you”; tell them, “I love you.”  It will make them feel good, and it will make you feel good too.

So, class of 2006, as you leave the comfortable confines of this quad, never be afraid to fail…always remember that we, as a nation, must be united….and never, ever forget to call your mother.

Congratulations, God bless you all, and go Lancers!