Today I caught the last 5 minutes of the commencement speech for CLS class of 2009. I don't know who the speaker was, but he was preaching up a storm, rallying the robed graduates to action: "If you want to work for liberty and justice, stand with me!"

It might have been a revolutionary moment.

The class of 2009 looked uncomfortably at each other for cues. They rose to their feet. They applauded fitfully. They sat.

So I was wondering why we keep flogging this dead horse. Why do we choose (or rather, why does the administration choose) to perpetuate this habitual lip service to the myth that the school is all about change? Why do we pretend that what is going on here is the training of society's watchdogs, the fearless advocates for Justice who, once unleashed on the world, will not rest until the weak, the poor, the hungry and the oppressed are vindicated? There is nothing wrong* with training next year's corporate army, and this is arguably the thing that CLS does best. And yet we can expect to hear this rhetoric at least twice a year (admitted students day and commencement). What gives?

*right?

-- LeslieHannay - 21 May 2009

I guess the only public leader who would ever told new graduates to make as much money as you could and worry about everything else later is Deng Xiaoping. JFK will tell you to sacrifice first so to defend liberty and justice! Question is from whom? -- XinpingZhu - 24 May 2009