Aaron Kubat Commencement Speech

Forrest Gump was wrong. Life isnt like a box of chocolates. If it were, we would all be
prancing around, happy as can be. There would be no stress, no drama, no anything bad. This is
in no way shape or form what life after high school will be like.
But today we live in a culture that in many ways, is ignorant of that fact, especially in
college. Today we have trigger warnings and safe zones, to try to preserve the feelings of the
young minds that ought to be challenged, that ought to be taken out of their comfort zone. But
the problem of course is that in doing so, we run the risk of being offended by different ideas. We
run the risk of not living in this euphoric state. Its almost like we think that if we do take all
these extra pains to make sure that no one is offended, utopia will achieved but thats not the
case. Utopia is by definition unattainable and even if it was, its going to be achieved by
rationality and logic.
Thats what were missing, the willingness to take a step back and approach issues from
an objective, rational standpoint. We have to put our emotions into everything. We have to
analyze everything that is said or written, and the worst part is that, as a culture, we are so
addicted to feeling incredulous and superior, that we look for anything that can be considered or
misconstrued as sexist or racist or whatever other ists there are.
The worst part of all this is that the problems that are the reason this mentality exists, still
persevere in America. In the United States, black people still dont have the access to education
that white people do. Women still struggle to break the glass ceiling. Many homosexuals still live
in a state of fear because they cant come to terms with who they are.
If we cut out of all the extra, lets call it stuff because Mrs. Pettay wont let me call it
what actually is, we would be good, we would be golden. The truth is that if used rationality and
logic, more than our feelings, which at the end of the day arent the most important thing in the
world, if we used facts and not our emotions, to deconstruct the aspects of American society that
bring people down and stand in the way of true manifestation of the enlightenment and humanist
ideals this country was found upon, many of the problems that we face, wouldnt seem so
daunting. If we had been doing that for the past 18 years, the choice that we have for President
wouldnt be between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
The truth is, the way to fight the beast of injustice and stupidity, not just in this country,
but in this world, is by elevating the debate, making it rise above petty feelings of hurt. Facts and
sense must take the place of tears and anger. Theres a storm coming ladies and gentleman. We
know how to face it. We just have to have the guts to do it.