Good Example Of Commencement Speech Reflection Critical Thinking

As Jessica Lahey, a former teacher and writer who frequently contributes to The New York Times, says, “an education in cultural literacy can empower those who have been traditionally excluded in civic debate. It equips citizens and non-citizens alike in the vocabulary and knowledge they will need to understand American culture,” there is no doubt that unless a person understands the basis on which an argument or view is being expressed, the entire effort of that debate. Unless citizens and non-citizens are educated on the history of America and how culture is formed, it becomes difficult for them to understand American culture. This is what cultural literacy is about.
Martin Luther King, by beginning his speech commemorative speech by proclaiming “When a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the emancipation proclamation; this moment of decree came as a hope for the millions of Negros who had been killed in the fields of withering injustice. One hundred years later, the Negros is not free,” had declared why the thousands of people gathered there to hear him had come. He makes it clear to the audience that discrimination and segregation continues a hundred years later. In repeating “One hundred years later,” he has made it obvious why he was making his speech, “I Have a Dream” to the huge audience. In saying that in the declaration of our constitution and independence, they were signing a promissory note that was all Americans; black and white, the guarantee the right of life and liberty and the persuasion happiness. And by saying that instead of honouring this obligation, America has given the Negros a bad time, MLK justifies the creative protest without violence of so many people in Washington. Talking about police brutality, the presence of white brothers there, the fatigue from travel and by addressing the audience as ‘my friends,’ MLK uses ethos, pathos, and logos to make his speech vibrant.
The simplicity of his simplicity is revealed when Neil Gaiman begins the opening statement of his inspirational commencement speech. “I never really expected to find myself giving advice to people graduating from an establishment of higher educationI never graduated from any such establishment,” began Gaiman, before he said he was a writer. He says that he would like to give advice of things he was told but never did; “first of all, when you start out in a career of arts, you have no idea of what you’re doing; this is great. People, who know what they need to do, know the rules and what is possible and what is impossibleyou do not!” “Secondly,” he says, “If you know what you’re here to do, or know what you want to do, just go and do that,” and thirdly, “When you start out, you have to learn to deal with failure.” Whatever you do, do what you think is the best for you; make good art. This is the advice he got from Stephen King; “This is really great, you should enjoy itand I didn’t”. By employing examples that reflect pathos, logos and ethos, Gaiman juxtaposes the sentiments and ideology that the arts students carry. In identifying him with the students Gaiman is able to deliver an extremely powerful speech.
I do consider myself culturally literate because I know what I need to do to attain my goal in life, which I had planned and forayed right from the time I left school. I speak to myself to enhance focus and recollect from memory the incidences that made me be where I am today. I am an admirer of Nicholas James Vujicic, and his videos inspired me to do what I thought I couldn’t do; go to college. I didn’t think I could afford the luxury of going to college, but after seeing a tough guy like Nicholas Vujicic take on the world on his own, I knew that nothing was impossible; it was all in the mind. Thanks to him, I know I belong here.