Barack Obama

good morn __PUNCT__ presid leblanc __PUNCT__ the board of truste __PUNCT__ faculti __PUNCT__ parent __PUNCT__ famili __PUNCT__ friend __PUNCT__ and the class of __NUM__ __PUNCT__

congratul on your graduat __PUNCT__ and thank you for allow me the honor to be a part of it __PUNCT__

i also want to thank southern new hampshir univers for thi honorari doctor of law degre __PUNCT__

i end up pai for my first law degre for year and year __PUNCT__ so for all of you with vision of law_school __PUNCT__ i consid run for presid and then wait for a commenc invit instead __PUNCT__ it much cheaper __PUNCT__

there is a vers from the bibl that is sometim read or recit dure rite of passag like thi __PUNCT__

corinthian __NUM__ __PUNCT__ when i wa a child __PUNCT__ i spoke as a child __PUNCT__ i felt as a child __PUNCT__ i thought as a child __PUNCT__

now that i have becom a man __PUNCT__ i have put awai childish thing __PUNCT__

i bring thi up becaus there often an assumpt on dai like todai that grow up is pure a function of ag __PUNCT__ that becom an adult is an inevit progress that can be measur by a seri of mileston __PUNCT__ colleg_graduat or your first job or the first time you throw a parti that actual ha food too __PUNCT__

and yet __PUNCT__ matur doe not come from ani on occas __PUNCT__ it emerg as a qualiti of charact __PUNCT__

becaus the fact is __PUNCT__ i know a whole lot of thirti and forti and fifti_year old who have not yet put awai childish thing __PUNCT__ who continu struggl to rise abov the selfish or the petti or the small __PUNCT__

we see thi reflect in our countri todai __PUNCT__

we see it in a polit that becom more concern about who up and who down than who work to solv the real challeng_face our gener __PUNCT__ a polit where debat over war and peac ar reduc to __NUM__ __PUNCT__ second soundbit and __NUM__ __PUNCT__ second attack_ad __PUNCT__

we see it in a media cultur that sensation the trivial and trivial the profound __PUNCT__ in a __NUM__ __PUNCT__ hour new network bonanza that never fail to keep us post on how mani dai pari hilton will spend in jail but often fail to updat us on the continu genocid in darfur or the recoveri effort in new orlean or the poverti that plagu too mani american street __PUNCT__

and as we fed thi steadi diet of cynic __PUNCT__ it easi to start bui into it and put off hard_decis __PUNCT__

we becom tempt to turn inward __PUNCT__ suspici that chang is realli possibl __PUNCT__ doubt that on person realli can make a differ __PUNCT__

that where the true test of grow up occur __PUNCT__

that where you come in __PUNCT__

no matter where you go from here __PUNCT__ whether it into public_servic or the busi_world __PUNCT__ whether it law_school or medic_school __PUNCT__ whether you becom scientist or artist or entertain __PUNCT__ you will face a choic __PUNCT__

do you want to be passiv observ of the wai world is or activ citizen in shape the wai the world ought to be __PUNCT__ in both your own life and the life of your countri __PUNCT__ will you strive to put awai childish thing __PUNCT__

it is a constant struggl __PUNCT__ thi quest for matur __PUNCT__ and as my wife will certainli tell you __PUNCT__ i haven't alwai been on the win side in my own life __PUNCT__

but through my own test and fail __PUNCT__ i have learn a few lesson here and there about grow up __PUNCT__ and there three i like to leav you with todai __PUNCT__

the first lesson came dure my first year in colleg __PUNCT__

back then i had a tendenc __PUNCT__ in my mother word __PUNCT__ to act a bit casual about my futur __PUNCT__

i rebel __PUNCT__ angri in the wai that mani young_men in gener __PUNCT__ and young black_men in particular __PUNCT__ ar angri __PUNCT__ think that respons and hard_work were old __PUNCT__ fashion convent that didn't appli to me __PUNCT__

i parti a littl too much and studi just enough to get by __PUNCT__

and onc __PUNCT__ after a particularli long night of parti __PUNCT__ we had spill a littl too much beer __PUNCT__ broke a few too mani bottl __PUNCT__ and trash a littl too much of the dorm __PUNCT__

and the next dai __PUNCT__ the mess wa so bad that when on of the clean ladi saw it __PUNCT__ she began to tear up __PUNCT__

and when a girlfriend of mine heard about thi __PUNCT__ she said to me __PUNCT__ that woman could been my grandmoth __PUNCT__ barack __PUNCT__

she spent her dai clean up after somebodi els mess __PUNCT__

which drove home for me the first lesson of grow up __PUNCT__

the world doesn't just revolv around you __PUNCT__

there a lot of talk in thi countri about the feder_deficit __PUNCT__

but i think we should talk more about our empathi deficit __PUNCT__ the abil to put ourselv in someon els shoe __PUNCT__ to see the world through those who ar differ from us __PUNCT__ the child who hungri __PUNCT__ the laid __PUNCT__ off steelwork __PUNCT__ the immigr woman clean your dorm_room __PUNCT__

as you go on in life __PUNCT__ cultiv thi qualiti of empathi will becom harder __PUNCT__ not easier __PUNCT__

there no commun_servic requir in the real_world __PUNCT__ no on forc you to care __PUNCT__

you be free to live in neighborhood with peopl who ar exactli like yourself __PUNCT__ and send your kid to the same school __PUNCT__ and narrow your concern to what go in your own littl circl __PUNCT__

not onli that __PUNCT__ we live in a cultur that discourag empathi __PUNCT__

a cultur that too often tell us our principl goal in life is to be rich __PUNCT__ thin __PUNCT__ young __PUNCT__ famou __PUNCT__ safe __PUNCT__ and entertain __PUNCT__

a cultur where those in power too often encourag these selfish impuls __PUNCT__

thei will tell you that the american who sleep in the street and beg for food got there becaus thei all lazi or weak of spirit __PUNCT__

that the inner __PUNCT__ citi children who ar trap in dilapid school can't learn and won't learn and so we should just give up on them entir __PUNCT__

that the innoc_peopl be slaughter and expel from their home half a world awai ar somebodi els problem to take care of __PUNCT__

i hope you don't listen to thi __PUNCT__

i hope you choos to broaden __PUNCT__ and not contract __PUNCT__ your ambit of concern __PUNCT__

not becaus you have an oblig to those who ar less fortun __PUNCT__ although you do have that oblig __PUNCT__

not becaus you have a debt to all of those who help you get to where you ar __PUNCT__ although you do have that debt __PUNCT__

it becaus you have an oblig to yourself __PUNCT__

becaus our individu salvat depend on collect salvat __PUNCT__

and becaus it onli when you hitch your wagon to someth larger than yourself that you will realiz your true potenti __PUNCT__ and becom full __PUNCT__ grown __PUNCT__

the second lesson i learn after colleg __PUNCT__ when i had thi crazi idea that i want to be a commun_organ and work in low __PUNCT__ incom neighborhood __PUNCT__

my mother and grandpar thought i should go to law_school __PUNCT__

my friend had appli for job on wall_street __PUNCT__

but i went ahead and wrote letter to everi organ in the countri that i could think of __PUNCT__

and final __PUNCT__ thi small_group of church on the south_side of chicago wrote back and gave me a job organ neighborhood devast by steel __PUNCT__ plant_close in the earli 80 __PUNCT__

the church didn't have much monei __PUNCT__ so thei offer me a grand sum of __MONEY__ a year plu __MONEY__ to bui a car __PUNCT__

and i got readi to move to chicago __PUNCT__ a place i had never been and where i didn't know a live soul __PUNCT__

even peopl who didn't know me were skeptic of my decis __PUNCT__

i rememb have a convers with an older_man i had met befor i arriv in chicago __PUNCT__

i told him about my plan __PUNCT__ and he look at me and said __PUNCT__ let me tell someth __PUNCT__

you look like a nice clean __PUNCT__ cut young_man __PUNCT__ and you got a nice voic __PUNCT__

so let me give you a piec of advic __PUNCT__ forget thi commun_organ busi __PUNCT__

you can't chang the world __PUNCT__ and peopl won't appreci you try __PUNCT__

what you should do is go into televis broadcast __PUNCT__

i tell you __PUNCT__ you got a futur __PUNCT__

i could taken my mother advic and i could taken my grandpar advic __PUNCT__

i could taken the path my friend travel __PUNCT__

and object speak __PUNCT__ that older_man had a point about the tv thing __PUNCT__

but i knew there wa someth in me that want to try for someth bigger __PUNCT__

so the second lesson is thi __PUNCT__ challeng yourself __PUNCT__

take some risk in your life __PUNCT__

thi isn't easi __PUNCT__

in a few minut __PUNCT__ you can take your diploma __PUNCT__ walk off thi stage __PUNCT__ and go chase after the big hous and the larg salari and the nice suit and all the other thing that our monei cultur sai you should bui __PUNCT__

but i hope you don't __PUNCT__

focus your life sole on make a buck show a poverti of ambit __PUNCT__

it ask too littl of yourself __PUNCT__

and it will leav you unfulfil __PUNCT__

so don't let peopl talk you into do what easi or comfort __PUNCT__

listen to what insid of you and decid what it is that you care about so much that you will to risk it all __PUNCT__

the third lesson is on that i learn onc i got to chicago __PUNCT__

i had spent week organ our veri first commun meet around the issu of gang violenc __PUNCT__

we invit the polic __PUNCT__ we made phone_call __PUNCT__ went to church __PUNCT__ and pass out flyer __PUNCT__

i had been warn of the turf battl and bad polit between certain commun_leader __PUNCT__ but i ignor them __PUNCT__ confid that i knew what i wa do __PUNCT__

the night of the meet we arrang row and row of chair in anticip of the crowd __PUNCT__

and we wait __PUNCT__

and we wait __PUNCT__

and final __PUNCT__ a group of older_peopl peopl_walk in to the hall __PUNCT__

and thei sit down __PUNCT__

and thi littl old ladi rais her hand and ask __PUNCT__ is thi where the bingo game is __PUNCT__

thirteen peopl show up that night __PUNCT__

the polic never came __PUNCT__

and the meet wa a complet disast __PUNCT__

later __PUNCT__ the volunt i work with told me thei were quit __PUNCT__ that thei had been do thi for two year and had noth to show for it __PUNCT__

i wa tire too __PUNCT__

but at that point __PUNCT__ i look outsid and saw some young_boi plai in a vacant_lot across the street __PUNCT__ toss stone at board __PUNCT__ up apart build __PUNCT__

and i turn to the volunt __PUNCT__ and i ask them __PUNCT__ befor you quit __PUNCT__ i want you to answer on question __PUNCT__

what gonna happen to those boi __PUNCT__ who will fight for them if not us __PUNCT__ who will give them a fair shot if we leav __PUNCT__

and at that moment __PUNCT__ we were all remind of a third lesson in grow up __PUNCT__

persever __PUNCT__

make your mark on the world is hard __PUNCT__

if it were easi __PUNCT__ everybodi would do it __PUNCT__

but it not __PUNCT__

it take patienc __PUNCT__ it take commit __PUNCT__ and it come with plenti of failur along the wai __PUNCT__

the real test is not whether you avoid thi failur __PUNCT__ becaus you won't __PUNCT__

it whether you let it harden or shame you into inact __PUNCT__ or whether you learn from it __PUNCT__ whether you choos to persever __PUNCT__

after my littl speech that dai __PUNCT__ on by on __PUNCT__ the volunt decid not to quit __PUNCT__

we went back to those neighborhood __PUNCT__ and we kept at it __PUNCT__ sustain ourselv with the small victori __PUNCT__

eventu __PUNCT__ over time __PUNCT__ a commun chang __PUNCT__

and so had we __PUNCT__

cultiv empathi __PUNCT__ challeng yourself __PUNCT__ persev in the face of advers __PUNCT__ these ar qualiti that dare us to put awai childish thing __PUNCT__

thei ar qualiti that help us grow __PUNCT__

thei ar qualiti that on graduat todai know especi well __PUNCT__

richard komi wa born thousand of mile from here in southern nigeria __PUNCT__

he probabl still be there todai __PUNCT__ if he hadn't been forc to flee when hi tribe came under attack __PUNCT__

eventu __PUNCT__ he made it to the unit_state __PUNCT__ work hi wai through factori and retail job __PUNCT__ and came here to snhu __PUNCT__ to complet the educ he began in africa __PUNCT__

and now __PUNCT__ with a wife and kid and lot of respons __PUNCT__ he even take the time to give back to hi new countri by volunt on thi campaign __PUNCT__

richard komi mai be graduat todai __PUNCT__ but it clear that he grew up a long_time time_ago __PUNCT__

we celebr with him becaus hi journei is a testament to the power idea that in the face of imposs odd __PUNCT__ ordinari_peopl can do extraordinari thing __PUNCT__

at a time when america find itself at a crossroad __PUNCT__ face challeng we haven't seen in decad __PUNCT__ we need to hold on to thi idea more than ever __PUNCT__

a lot is ride on the decis that ar made and the leadership that is provid by thi gener __PUNCT__

we ar count on you to help fix a health_care_system that leav too mani american sick or bankrupt or both __PUNCT__

we ar count on you to bring thi planet back from the brink by solv thi crisi of global_climat chang __PUNCT__

we ar count on you to help stop a genocid in darfur that take the live of innoc as we speak here todai __PUNCT__

and we count on you to restor the imag of america around the world that ha led so mani like richard komi to find liberti __PUNCT__ and opportun __PUNCT__ and hope on our doorstep __PUNCT__

there ar some who ar bet against you __PUNCT__ who sai that you don't pai_attent __PUNCT__ that you don't show up to vote __PUNCT__ that you too concern with your own live and your own problem __PUNCT__

well that not what i believ and it not what i seen __PUNCT__

instead i seen ralli fill with crowd that stretch far into the horizon __PUNCT__ thousand upon thousand sign up to organ onlin __PUNCT__ score who ar come to the veri first polit event of their lifetim __PUNCT__

and just a few hour befor thi commenc __PUNCT__ i got the opportun to send off hundr of peopl who have chosen to take time out of their busi live and spend an entir saturdai knock on door here in new hampshir __PUNCT__

becaus thei not content to sit_back and watch anymor __PUNCT__

becaus thei believ thei can help thi countri grow __PUNCT__

and whenev the doubt creep in and i find myself wonder if chang is realli possibl __PUNCT__ i end up think about the young_american __PUNCT__ teenag and colleg kid not much older than you __PUNCT__ who watch the civil right movement unfold befor them on televis set all across the countri __PUNCT__

i imagin that thei would seen the marcher and heard the speech __PUNCT__ but thei also probabl saw the dog and the fire hose __PUNCT__ or the footag of innoc_peopl be beaten within an inch of their live __PUNCT__ or heard the new the dai those four littl girl di when someon threw a bomb into their church __PUNCT__

instinct __PUNCT__ thei knew that it wa safer and smarter to stai at home __PUNCT__ to watch the movement from afar __PUNCT__

but thei also understood that these peopl in georgia and alabama and mississippi were their brother and sister __PUNCT__ that what wa happen wa wrong __PUNCT__ and that thei had an oblig to make it right __PUNCT__

when the buse pull up for a freedom ride down south __PUNCT__ thei got on __PUNCT__

thei took a risk __PUNCT__

and thei chang the world __PUNCT__

now it your turn __PUNCT__

you will be test by the challeng of thi new centuri __PUNCT__ and at time you will fail __PUNCT__

but know that you have it within your power to try __PUNCT__

that gener who have come befor you face these same fear and uncertainti in their own time __PUNCT__

and that if we will to shoulder each other burden __PUNCT__ to take great risk __PUNCT__ and to persever through trial __PUNCT__ america will continu it journei toward that distant horizon __PUNCT__ and a better dai __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__ and congratul on your graduat __PUNCT__