In the event that you just took up residence on Planet Earth, Hanks is an Oscar winning actor who's collection of work is extensive, varied, and inspiring. His voice is one of the most recognizable in the 'Biz', instantly identifiable by young and old alike, whether it's the charming drawl of Forest Gump, the phrenetic gibber of Toy Story's Woody, of the resounding yawp for a shipwrecked comfort, Wilson. Hanks himself tells the story of sharing an elevator ride with a youngster and family, and when a parent's revelation that Woody (of Toy Story fame) stood across the elevator was met with extreme disbelief, the single line uttered, "Guys, we gotta get back to Andy's room!" prompted a wide-eyed, slack-jawed reaction incredulity as the youngster instantly connected the dots thanks to that iconic voice.
Hanks was the keynote address at Harvard's graduation 2023. Although a lengthy affair, the 'CLICK' will be well worth the minutes invested.
One of many themes in a brilliant speech was the insistence the graduates embrace their super powered propensity for change, putting a thumbprint on the world, because "... there has never been a graduating class that has not faced the greatest challenges of all time. That come every spring, the maelstrom of history swirls so wildly that no matter the year or the era or the generation, there is always an atmospheric river of events that makes right now the hinge upon which our fate is turning." A challenge, if you will, to meet the impending times of conflict and strife with passion and commitment, a passing of the torch as it were. He succinctly summarizes his challenge, "We all have special powers and abilities far beyond the reach of other mortals. Some of us can repair a screen door with ease. Some of us can take care of a five-year-old kid and a toddler for 24 hours a day and never stop loving them. Some of us make sense of physics and economics and global policy. Some of us survive somehow on minimum earnings. Some of us graduate from colleges despite years of lockdowns and Zooms. Now these achievements are all stellar, even though yes, we are all but human. Still, we’d like to look up in the sky and see not a bird, not a plane, but well, someone who is young and strong and super who will fight the never ending battle for truth, for justice and for the American way."
Hanks warns the graduates that the task of his challenge will not go smoothly, "The work is the keeping of the promises of our promised land, the practice of decency, the protection of freedom and the promotion of liberty for all with no exceptions. And man, that takes on a lot of work." Using infallible logic, he pokes the ogre of indifference, his appointed threat to the American way, squarely in its chest, "The American way could be exampled, would you respect the law and the rights of all? Because if you don’t, who will? When your food is brought to you, will you thank the server? Because if you don’t, who will? Would you pick up the litter that has missed the recycling bin? Because if you don’t, who will? When you vote your conscience and make sure your neighbour has the opportunity to do the same with theirs, because if you don’t, who will?"
It is the summation of his address that left me pondering his argument, so much so that I re-watched to ensure I understood his message. In an act of profound bluntness, Hanks identifies the 'elephant in the room', lest there be those listening that miss the point. "Truth has synonyms such as honesty, honour, transparency. And yet, the common practice of so many is to play fast and loose with those very words, to create enemies, to claim victimhood, to raise the mediocre into merit and to make cloudy a vista that is actually crystal clear." In its essence, he is calling out those who would use fake news as a means to an end.
The battle for truth is the work he referred to earlier, amidst the daily insurgence of half-truths and fake news, to employ resistance to sit idly by, to spectate from the sidelines, to be lured to the 'Dark Side' that is indifference. "Ignorance and intolerance can be replaced by experience in the wink of an eye, but indifference will narrow the vision of America’s people and make dim the light of Lady Liberty’s symbolic torch." Hanks simplifies his point, that all in attendance will understand his urgency, "Every day, every year, and for every graduating class, there is a choice to be made. It’s the same option for all grownups who have to decide to be one of three types of Americans, those who embrace liberty and freedom for all, those who won’t, or those who are indifferent."
His challenge is simplistic in it's essence. Now that you've graduated into the fray of adulthood, you're tasked with making a choice to either fight for Truth, Justice, and the American way, thumb your nose at those time-tested values, or shrug shoulders in an act of indifference ... but choose you must. "The never ending battle you have all officially joined as of today, the difference is in how truly you believe and in how vociferously you promote, and how tightly you hold to the truth that is self-evident, that of course we are all created equally yet differently." Those last few words are the paradox that begs solving. Can we embrace being created equal while at the same time be cognizant and tolerant of differences?
I strongly doubt that Hanks himself penned this diatribe in a solo effort, yet should I be wrong, good on him! After spending a winter in the USA, listening to the opinions, the polarized news casts, and poolside chats, I'm a fan of his message, regardless of its origin. And it's not just the Americans! The Earth as a whole could use some super-powered help right now.
I'll state it in different words ... it's NOT offensive to be different, but being different doesn't diminish one's inherent value.
To the thousands of grads this spring, which of the three options will you choose?
More importantly, which of the three will we as a society choose?
Heavy stuff!
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