Class of 2015

If I were to give a speech to the Class of 2015:

Hello class.  I want to thank you for listening to me.  We have been through a lot together, and I hope to never lose contact with you.  I would say that the Class of 2015 has had more than anyone's fair share of difficult times.  I decided to look back at all that has changed in the world and things that have impacted us all since you were born.  Here is some of what I have found.  We all learned the name Monica Lewinsky, watched President Clinton get impeached and then acquitted.  We have watched US Embassy bombings in Tanzania, Kenya, and Bengazi.  We have watched Gay and Lesbian movements including extreme brutality and endearing affections.  We have watched the Dow Jones yo-yo.  We watched what became the first, unfortunately many more to follow, school shootings at Columbine which has brought gun control and bullying into the debate it is today.  We have watched Mother Nature let us know who is in charge with her tornadoes in Oklahoma that killed 50 people to her floods in Tennessee that washed away homes.  We even survived the dreaded Y2K bug that was going to wipe us all out.  We have watched as foreign and domestic terrorists have attacked us by land, sea, and air.  We all learned the term "hanging chad" thanks to the 2000 election and the state of Florida.  We watched indestructible building fall on 9/11 as each of us hugged you a little tighter that night. We learned Anthrax was not just a heavy metal band name.  We watched as our family and friends went off to fight in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.  We watched as we lost the Space Shuttle Columbia and all the wonderful astronauts on board.  We watched as building and fire codes strengthened across the country after a series of fun nights in a night clubs turned deadly.   We watched as Saddam Hussein was captured as well as Osama Bin Laden.  We watched the launch of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social networks.  We watched some of the deadliest hurricanes hit the US including Charley, Frances, Ivan, Jeanne, Rita, Wilma, Ike, Irene, Sandy and Katrina.  We watched Massachusetts become the first state to legalize same sex marriage. We watched in horror as Virginia Tech was hit by tragedy.  We watched the I35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis.  We watched the beginning of the recession.  We watched as tornadoes killed over 60 people in Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama, including many college students.  We watched gasoline prices rise to unbelievable highs, but to you they were just numbers on a sign and pump and normal.  We watched the first African-American president elected.  We watched the creation of the Tea Party.  We experienced the death of a pop icon, Michael Jackson and many of you were born when we lost a Princess.   We watched the last Space Shuttle touch down ending space exploration.  Sandyhook now brings instant sadness to us with just one word. We did see some technology invented together.  They include Ipods, Gamecubes, Xbox, Nintendo DS, PSP, Blu-Ray, Wii, Ipod Touch, Ipad, and Iphones.
So I thought about what positive has happened to us during this time?  Well here is what I feel.  You have a different outlook on life.  You have seen the evil that can take place, in what seems to be an overwhelming amount.  But you WILL make a difference on our world.  I believe you will make our world better.  You have compassion like no other generation, in my opinion.  You support your peers and adults alike.  While you can hurt one another with words, you also have shown you can build each other back up with actions.  You can make this world a better place if you so choose to do so.  But you will make a difference - which way will you make it?
You have lost parents, siblings, and classmates.  You are stronger today than yesterday.  You have an understanding that the "taboo" topics must be talked about if we are going to fix them.  You can change this world.  You can find cures for what is we are told will never be cured.  You can invent technology to help those who feel helpless.  You have helped to invent fun words like "selfie" and my hope is you help me delete the words like "suicide".   While we can't change the ways or minds of us old people, your minds are open to seeing the wonderful possibilities of what can, and should be.
Class of 2015 I beg you, please make this world a Kinder World, a More Understanding World, and a More Loving World.