In a commencement speech at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on May 19, CBS News and 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley began—after the standard niceties—by paraphrasing a quote from British author George Orwell about liberty meaning the freedom to tell people things they don't want to hear.
Online buzz about Pelley's speech grew until it went viral over the Memorial Day weekend. His message to graduates elicited kudos from the left, but triggered only vitriol from MAGA minions.
A reaction Pelley predicted in his May 19 speech, when he stated:
"I fear there are some people in the audience who don’t want to hear what I have to say today."
He added:
"As a reporter, I have learned to respect opinions. Reasonable people can differ about the life of our country... To move forward, we debate, not demonize. We discuss, not destroy."
Then Pelley addressed the (GOP) elephant in the room, warning:
"But in this moment—this moment, this morning—our sacred rule of law is under attack. Journalism is under attack. Universities are under attack. Freedom of speech is under attack."
"An insidious fear is reaching through our schools, our businesses, our homes and into our private thoughts. The fear to speak.
"In America? If our government is—in Lincoln’s words—'of the people, by the people and for the people,' then why are we afraid to speak?"
"Today, great universities are threatened with ruin."
While not getting specific, most who heard the speech concluded Pelley was referring in part to MAGA Republican President Donald Trump's war on Harvard University. Online speculation continues to attribute Trump’s animosity to a personal vendetta after Barron Trump was denied placement at the Ivy League institution and several other major universities Trump has since targeted.
You can see an excerpt from Pelley's speech here:
After highlighting a declaration signed by the president and provost of Wake Forest and the leadership of other institutions of higher learning, Pelley added:
"Why attack universities? Why attack journalism? Because ignorance works for power."
Pelley then laid out the blueprint for destroying the First Amendment rights to Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Speech, saying:
"First, make the truth seekers live in fear. Sue the journalists. For nothing."
"Then send masked agents to abduct a college student, a writer of her college paper who wrote an editorial supporting Palestinian rights, and send her to a prison in Louisiana and charge her with nothing."
"Then, move to destroy law firms that stand up for the rights of others."
After outlining how, Pelley moved on to why, stating:
"With that done, power can rewrite history. With grotesque, false narratives, they can make heroes criminals and criminals heroes."
A vocal advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the public and private sector, Pelley added:
"And they can change the definition of the words we use to describe reality. Diversity is now described as illegal. Equity is to be shunned. Inclusion is a dirty word."
Coming back to Orwell, Pelley stated:
"This is an old playbook, my friends. There is nothing new in this. George Orwell in 1949, he warned of what he called 'new speak.' He understood that ignorance works for power."
People were fiercely divided in their opinions of Pelley's speech with the usual rhetoric from the MAGAsphere.
@Amos0515
But not everyone quoted from the MAGA playbook.
In addition to Orwell, Pelley also spoke of lessons learned from Martin Luther King Jr., Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Marad, Dr. Samer Attar, and former Wake Forest faculty member Maya Angelou—whose poem Still I Rise Pelley quoted from.
"You may write me down in history"
"With your bitter, twisted lies,"
"You may trod me in the very dirt"
"But still, like dust, I'll rise."
The veteran journalist also told the graduates:
"You only lose if you quit. Do not settle."
In his conclusion, Pelley acknowledged the graduates may not cherish the role history picked for them, but added:
"We’re handing you a baton. Run with it..."
"In a moment like this, when our country is in peril, don’t ask the meaning of life. Life is asking, 'What’s the meaning of you?'."
You can read the full transcript or you can watch Pelley's full commencement address here:
- YouTubewww.youtube.com
