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BarbaraPierceBush:CommencementAddreatWellesleyCollege
delivered1June1990
Thankyouvery,verymuch,PresidentKeo
hane.Mrs.Gorbachev,Trustees,faculty,parents,andIshouldsay,JuliaPorter,clapresident,andcertainlymynewbestfriend,
ChristineBicknell--and,ofcourse,theClaof1990.Iamreallythrilledtobeheretoday,andveryexcited,asIknowallofyoumustbe,
thatMrs.Gorbachevcouldjoinus.
These--Theseareexcitingtimes.They'reexcitinginWashington,andIhavereallylookedforwardtocomingtoWellesley.
Ithoughtitwasgoingtobefun.Ineverdreamtitwouldbethismuchfun.So,thankyouforthat.
Morethantenyearsago,whenIwasinvitedheretotalkaboutourexperiencesinthePeople'sRepublicofChina,
Iwasstruckbyboththenaturalbeautyofyourcampusandtheiritofthisplace.
Wellesley,yousee,isnotjustaplacebutanidea--anexperimentinexcellenceinwhichdiversityisnotjusttolerated,
butisembraced.
Theeenceofthisiritwascapturedinamovingeechabouttolerancegivenlastyear
byastudentbodypresidentofoneofyoursistercolleges.SherelatedthestorybyRobertFulghumaboutayoungpastor,
findinghimselfinchargeofsomeveryenergeticchildren,hitsuponthegamecalled"Giants,Wizards,andDwarfs."
"Youhavetodecidenow,"thepastoritructedthechildren,"whichyouare--agiant,awizard,oradwarf?"Atthat,asmallgirltuggingathispantsleg,asked,"Butwheredothemermaidsstand?
"Andthepastortellshertherearenomermaids.Andshesays,"Ohyesthereare--theyare.Iamamermaid."
Nowthislittlegirlknewwhatshewas,andshewasnotabouttogiveuponeitherheridentity,orthegame.
Sheintendedtotakeherplacewherevermermaidsfitintotheschemeofthings.
"Wheredothemermaidsstand?Allofthosewhoaredifferent,thosewhodonotfittheboxesandthepigeonholes?"
"Awerthatquestion,"wroteFulghum,
"Andyoucanbuildaschool,anation,orawholeworld."Asthatverywiseyoungwomansaid,"Diversity,
likeanythingworthhaving,requireseffort--efforttolearnaboutandreectdifference,tobecompaionatewithoneanother,tocherishourownidentity,
andtoacceptunconditionallythesameinothers.
YoushouldallbeveryproudthatthisistheWellesleyirit.NowIknowyourfirstchoicetodaywas
AliceWalker--guehowIknow!--knownforTheColorPurple.Iteadyougotme--knownforthecolorofmyhair.AliceWalker'sbookhasaecialresonancehere.AtWel
lesley,eachclaisknownbyaecialcolor.Forfouryears [1] [2] [3] 下一页
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