Step Down Mr. Trump
We must remain committed to the kindness and community that are the hallmarks of civilization. Ken Burns.
On June 12, Ken Burn’s, an American historical documentary maker, delivered the 2016 Commencement address to the graduating class at Stanford University.
It was a blistering attack against Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican candidate for president of the United State. While it was ostensibly directed to the graduating class, it was meant for a greater audience.
He reminded them, and us, that ‘we no longer have the luxury of neutrality or “balance,” or even of bemused disdain.’ We cannot remain be silent in the face of such a candidate. ‘History,’ he said, ‘is not a fixed thing, a collection of precise dates, facts and events that add up to a qualifiable, certain, confidently known truth. History is a mysterious and malleable thing, constantly changing.’ Unspoken is the knowledge that the veneer of civilization is surprisingly thin.
He exhorted thoughtful people everywhere to stand firm and not acquiesce to Mr. Trump’s daily stream of invective; a disrespectful, dishonest outpouring of poison, falsehoods and prejudices so easily and quickly disseminated by the press and social media outlets.
Among his many observations and admonitions was this: ‘Free yourself from the limitations of the binary world. It’s just a tool. A means. Not an end. Embrace new ideas. Read. The book is still the greatest manmade machine of all – not the car. Not the TV. Not the smartphone.’
There is much more. You can watch it on You Tube or read the full account:
Prepared text of the 2016 Stanford Commencement address by Ken Burns
Pass along his speech to others. Discuss it over the dinner table with family and friends. It isn’t just about America. This is a critical time in history.
It concerns all of us in the free world who are living in what has been a golden age. One that is in danger of slipping away if we don’t speak out.
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