迈克尔布隆伯格在哈佛大学毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx

迈克尔布隆伯格在哈佛大学毕业典礼英语演讲稿.docx

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迈克尔布隆伯格在哈佛大学毕业典礼英语演讲稿

迈克尔·布隆伯格在哈佛大学2019年毕业典礼英语演讲稿

　　Thankyou,Katie–andthankyoutoPresidentFaust,theFellowsofHarvardCollege,theBoardofOverseers,andallthefaculty,alumni,andstudentswhohavewelcomedmebacktocampus.

　　Imexcitedtobehere,notonlytoaddressthedistinguishedgraduatesandalumniatHarvardUniversitys363rdcommencementbuttostandintheexactspotwhereOprahstoodlastyear.OMG.

　　Letmebeginwiththemostimportantorderofbusiness:

LetshaveabigroundofapplausefortheClassof2019!

Theyveearnedit!

　　Asexcitedasthegraduatesare,theyareprobablyevenmoreexhaustedafterthepastfewweeks.Andparents:

Imnotreferringtotheirfinalexams.ImtalkingabouttheSeniorOlympics,theLastChanceDance,andtheBoozeCruise–Imean,themoonlightcruise.

　　Theentireyearhasbeenexcitingoncampus:

HarvardbeatYalefortheseventhstraighttimeinfootball.ThemensbasketballteamwenttothesecondroundoftheNCAAtournamentforthesecondstraightyear.AndtheMensSquashteamwonnationalchampionship.

　　Whodathunkit:

Harvard,anathleticpowerhouse!

Prettysoontheyllbeaskingwhetheryouhaveacademicstogoalongwithyourathleticprograms.

　　MypersonalconnectiontoHarvardbeganin1964,whenIgraduatedfromJohnsHopkinsUniversityinBaltimoreandmatriculatedhereattheB-School.

　　Youreprobablyasking:

HowdidIevergetintoHarvardBusinessSchool,givenmystellaracademicrecord,whereIalwaysmadethetophalfoftheclasspossible?

Ihavenoidea.Andtheonlypeoplemoresurprisedthanmeweremyprofessors.

　　Anyway,hereIamagainbackinCambridge.AndIhavenoticedthatafewthingshavechangedsinceIwasastudenthere.Elsies–asandwichspotIusedtoloveneartheSquare–isnowaburritoshop.TheWursthaus–whichhadgreatbeerandsausage–isnowanartisanalgastro-pub,whatevertheheckthatis.AndtheoldHolyokeCenterisnownamedtheSmithCampusCenter.

　　Dontyoujusthateitwhenalumniputtheirnamesallovereverything?

IwasthinkingaboutthatthismorningasIwalkedintotheBloombergCenterontheHarvardBusinessSchoolcampusacrosstheriver.

　　Butthegoodnewsis,HarvardremainswhatitwaswhenIfirstarrivedoncampus50yearsago:

Americasmostprestigiousuniversity.And,likeothergreatuniversities,itliesattheheartoftheAmericanexperimentindemocracy.

　　Theirpurposeisnotonlytoadvanceknowledge,buttoadvancetheidealsofournation.Greatuniversitiesareplaceswherepeopleofallbackgrounds,holdingallbeliefs,pursuingallquestions,cancometostudyanddebatetheirideas–freelyandopenly.

　　Today,Idliketotalkwithyouabouthowimportantitisforthatfreedomtoexistforeveryone,nomatterhowstronglywemaydisagreewithanothersviewpoint.

　　Toleranceforotherpeoplesideas,andthefreedomtoexpressyourown,areinseparablevaluesatgreatuniversities.Joinedtogether,theyformasacredtrustthatholdsthebasisofourdemocraticsociety.

　　Butthattrustisperpetuallyvulnerabletothetyrannicaltendenciesofmonarchs,mobs,andmajorities.Andlately,wehaveseenthosetendenciesmanifestthemselvestoooften,bothoncollegecampusesandinoursociety.

　　Thatsthebadnews–andunfortunately,IthinkbothHarvard,andmyowncityofNewYork,havebeenwitnessestothistrend.

　　First,forNewYorkCity.Severalyearsago,asyoumayremember,somepeopletriedtostopthedevelopmentofamosqueafewblocksfromtheWorldTradeCentersite.

　　Itwasanemotionalissue,andpollsshowedthattwo-thirdsofAmericanswereagainstamosquebeingbuiltthere.EventheAnti-DefamationLeague–widelyregardedasthecountrysmostardentdefenderofreligiousfreedom–declareditsoppositiontotheproject.

　　Theopponentsheldralliesanddemonstrations.Theydenouncedthedevelopers.Andtheydemandedthatcitygovernmentstopitsconstruction.Thatwastheirright–andweprotectedtheirrighttoprotest.Buttheycouldnothavebeenmorewrong.Andwerefusedtocaveintotheirdemands.

　　Theideathatgovernmentwouldsingleoutaparticularreligion,andblockitsbelievers–andonlyitsbelievers–frombuildingahouseofworshipinaparticularareaisdiametricallyopposedtothemoralprinciplesthatgaverisetoourgreatnationandtheconstitutionalprotectionsthathavesustainedit.

　　Ourunionof50statesrestsontheunionoftwovalues:

freedomandtolerance.AnditisthatunionofvaluesthattheterroristswhoattackedusonSeptember11th,2019–andonApril15th,2019–foundmostthreatening.

　　Tothem,wewereaGod-lesscountry.

　　Butinfact,thereisnocountrythatprotectsthecoreofeveryfaithandphilosophyknowntohumankind–freewill–morethantheUnitedStatesofAmerica.Thatprotection,however,restsuponourconstantvigilance.

　　Weliketothinkthattheprincipleofseparationofchurchandstateissettled.Itisnot.Anditneverwillbe.Itisuptoustoguarditfiercely–andtoensurethatequalityunderthelawmeansequalityunderthelawforeveryone.

　　Ifyouwantthefreedomtoworshipasyouwish,tospeakasyouwish,andtomarrywhomyouwish,youmusttoleratemyfreedomtodoso–ornotdoso–aswell.

　　WhatIdomayoffendyou.Youmayfindmyactionsimmoralorunjust.Butattemptingtorestrictmyfreedoms–inwaysthatyouwouldnotrestrictyourown–leadsonlytoinjustice.

　　Wecannotdenyotherstherightsandprivilegesthatwedemandforourselves.Andthatistrueincities–anditisnolesstrueatuniversities,wheretheforcesofrepressionappeartobestrongernowthantheyhavebeensincethe1950s.

　　WhenIwasgrowingup,U.S.SenatorJoeMcCarthywasasking:

Areyounoworhaveyoueverbeen?

Hewasattemptingtorepressandcriminalizethosewhosympathizedwithaneconomicsystemthatwas,eventhen,failing.

　　McCarthysRedScaredestroyedthousandsoflives,butwhatwashesoafraidof?

Anidea–inthiscase,communism–thatheandothersdeemeddangerous.

　　Buthewasrightaboutonething:

Ideascanbedangerous.Theycanchangesociety.Theycanupendtraditions.Theycanstartrevolutions.Thatswhythroughouthistory,thoseinauthorityhavetriedtorepressideasthatthreatentheirpower,theirreligion,theirideology,ortheirreelectionchances.

　　ThatwastrueforSocratesandGalileo,itwastrueforNelsonMandelaandVáclavHavel,andithasbeentrueforAiWeiWei,PussyRiot,andthekidswhomadetheHappyvideoinIran.

　　Repressingfreeexpressionisanaturalhumanweakness,anditisuptoustofightitateveryturn.Intoleranceofideas–whetherliberalorconservative–isantitheticaltoindividualrightsandfreesocieties,anditisnolessantitheticaltogreatuniversitiesandfirst-ratescholarship.

　　Thereisanideafloatingaroundcollegecampuses–includinghereatHarvard–thatscholarsshouldbefundedonlyiftheirworkconformstoaparticularviewofjustice.Theresawordforthatidea:

censorship.Anditisjustamodern-dayformofMcCarthyism.

　　Thinkabouttheirony:

Inthe1950s,therightwingwasattemptingtorepressleftwingideas.Today,onmanycollegecampuses,itisliberalstryingtorepressconservativeideas,evenasconservativefacultymembersareatriskofbecominganendangeredspecies.AndperhapsnowhereisthatmoretruethanhereintheIvyLeague.

　　Inthe2019presidentialrace,accordingtoFederalElectionCommissiondata,96percentofallcampaigncontributionsfromIvyLeaguefacultyandemployeeswenttoBarackObama.

　　Ninety-sixpercent.TherewasmoredisagreementamongtheoldSovietPolitburothanthereisamongIvyLeaguedonors.

　　Thatstatisticshouldgiveuspause–andIsaythatassomeonewhoendorsedPresidentObamaforreelection–becauseletmetellyou,neitherpartyhasamonopolyontruthorGodonitsside.

　　When96percentofIvyLeaguedonorspreferonecandidatetoanother,youhavetowonderwhetherstudentsarebeingexposedtothediversityofviewsthatagreatuniversityshouldoffer.

　　Diversityofgender,ethnicity,andorientationisimportant.Butauniversitycannotbegreatifitsfacultyispoliticallyhomogenous.Infact,thewholepurposeofgrantingtenuretoprofessorsistoensurethattheyfeelfreetoconductresearchonideasthatrunafoulofuniversitypoliticsandsocietalnorms.

　　Whentenurewascreated,itmostlyprotectedliberalswhoseideasranupagainstconservativenorms.

　　Today,iftenureisgoingtocontinuetoexist,itmustalsoprotectconservativeswhoseideasrunupagainstliberalnorms.Otherwise,universityresearch–andtheprofessorswhoconductit–willlosecredibility.

　　Greatuniversitiesmustnotbecomepredictablypartisan.Andaliberalartseducationmustnotbeaneducationintheartofliberalism.

　　Theroleofuniversitiesisnottopromoteanideology.Itistoprovidescholarsandstudentswithaneutralforumforresearchinganddebatingissues–withouttippingthescalesinonedirection,orrepressingunpopularviews.

　　Requiringscholars–andcommencementspeakers,forthatmatter–toconformtocertainpoliticalstandardsunderminesthewholepurposeofauniversity.

　　Thisspring,ithasbeendisturbingtoseeanumberofcollegecommencementspeakerswithdraw–orhavetheirinvitationsrescinded–afterprotestsfromstudentsand–tome,shockingly–fromseniorfacultyandadministratorswhoshouldknowbetter.

　　IthappenedatBrandeis,Haverford,Rutgers,andSmith.Lastyear,ithappenedatSwarthmoreandJohnsHopkins,