Encouraging Speeches vs. Political Speeches

Encouraging Speeches vs. Political Speeches

Over the years, I have written hundreds of speeches, both political and encouraging speeches, and never have I incorporated political jargon into a speech that is meant to be encouraging. Recently, I listened to a few graduation speeches given by both celebrities and elected officials that made my skin crawl. Not only were the speeches inappropriate, but downright hostile in its message.

If I were a parent of a graduating student who had to sit through and endure speeches given by Representative Jasmine Crockett at Tougaloo College, or Governor Tim Waltz at University of Minnesota Law School, who didn’t express encouraging messages to the graduating students, instead spewed hate and racial propaganda during their time at the microphone.

Whoever wrote Crockett’s speech should not only learn when to bring up political speech or history in a speech, but also be fired because her speech was terrible, and she wondered why she and the college got bad feedback the next day. Crockett spewed hate and negative so-called truth, like to tell the graduating students to remember their blackness and to sustain their blackness by dreaming big, but to remember what being black means to be vigilant and steadfast in upholding that blackness. Then she had the nerve to mention Dr. Martin Luther King, who would have walked out on her ugly words if he were alive at that moment. 

Tim Walz gave the commencement speech at the University of Minnesota Law School and at first brought up the history of law and the constitution, and then went into the Rule of Law. Then he stepped over the line and began attacking President Trump and accusing him of stepping on the rule of law. He admitted he was getting way too political in his speech, then went on to claim he had to address it because it was bothering him way too much. Talk about a DNC call to attack that I’ve heard way too many times in the past. Then he went on to call members of the administration fascists and further goes on to spout the DNC’s propaganda talking points as set forth by them when a republican is in power.

There is a time and place to bring up politics in a speech and I have to say that a graduation commencement speech is not the time or place for that mind of crap. Word to the wise to future college commencement invitations: Be sure to tell the invitee to submit their speech 3 months in advance for review and acceptance. If the invitation committee strikes your speech, come up with a new concept because these new graduates need encouragement and wisdom, not political propaganda to look back on.

Elizabeth Kilbride is a Writer and Editor with forty years of experience in writing, with 12 of those years in the online content sphere. Author of 5 books and a Graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Business Management, then a degree. Mass Communication and Cyber Analysis from Ashford University, then on to Walden University for her master’s in criminology with emphasis on Cybercrime and Identity Theft and is currently studying for her Ph.D. degree in Criminology. Her work portfolio includes coverage of politics, current affairs, elections, history, and true crime. Elizabeth is also a gourmet cook, life coach, and avid artist in her spare time, proficient in watercolor, acrylic, oil, pen and ink, gouache, and pastels. As a political operative who has worked on over 300 campaigns during her career, Elizabeth has turned many life events into books and movie scripts while using history to weave interesting storylines. She also runs 7 blogs ranging from art to life coaching, food, writing, Gardening, and opinion or history pieces each week.