Wayne Danielson's Address

College of Communication Commencement

May 17, 1975



AMERICAN DREAMS



It may be that age is catching up with me, but recently I have been impressed with low fragile most human accomplishments are:

A family thought to be one of the most stable in the community suddenly dissolves in divorce.

An old, established church splits up on the issue of whether to hold charismatic services where the congregation speaks in tongues.

A College that has served its state and community for more than a century closes its doors for lack of funds.

A country in civil war for thirty years collapses, casting up its refugees on distant shores.

Our most permanent accomplishments -- families, churches, schools, governments -- are revealed to be ephemeral creations, easily torn apart and tossed aside.  In the words of Ecclesiastes:  "Vanity of Vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity."

The impermanence of human institutions comes to mind this spring, I suppose, because we are about to celebrate the American Bicentennial and we are about to hear a great deal about the permanence of the American dream.  We are going to hear about a governmental structure so stable that it has survived 200 years.  We are going to hear about a country that grew from nothing to become the dominant economic and military force in the world.  We are going to hear about a nation that is the greatest bastion of individual freedom in history.

Well, it hasn't been all that simple, or easy, or straightforward.  There hasn't been an American dream.  There have been many American dreams and not all of them have been good.

Ben Franklin had a dream of a Republic, but George III dreamed of an American empire.

Thomas Jefferson had a dream of an ordered democracy, stretching from coast to coast, but Aaron Burr dreamed of a monarchy in the West.



Abraham Lincoln had a dream of a federal union; but the southern politicians dreamed of confederacy.

The black people in the cotton fields had a dream of freedom, but their masters dreamed of the permanence and security of a slave economy.

Woodrow Wilson had a dream of a world made safe for democracy but the Kaiser dreamed of medals and uniforms and marching bands.

Wendell Willkie had a dream of one world, but Adolf Hitler dreamed dark dreams of conquest and death for the Jews.

Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream of an integrated America, but his opponents dreamed of segregation.

John and Robert Kennedy had their dreams, too, but so did their assassins.

The progress of American has not been steadily forward toward a single dream.  There have been delays, detours, deadends as various American dreams have had their day.  sometimes, more often than we realize perhaps, the Republic nearly has been lost.  The accomplishment of America -- even after 200 years of existence -- is like most other human accomplishments; it is a fragile, precious thing, easily damaged or broken beyond repair.

Even as we enter this Bicentennial year, we do so with an appointed president and vice president.  The whole Watergate affair should make us humble -- and thankful that we got through it, that we survived it as a nation.  We should enter the new American century not with pride, but with thankfulness that we've made it this far and with determination to keep up the fight for the good American dreams.  For the struggle is not over.

What are the competing American dreams today?  I'm sure you have your own list, but here are a few from mine:

We've got to have clean air, clean water, clean food.  Or -- it's expensive to change; we'll lose our profit margin; let the next generation deal with pollution.

Every candidate should have a fair chance to place his ideas before the public.  Or -- we'll win this election by whatever means at whatever cost.

The people must have the truth.  Or -- the people are not ready to know the truth just yet; they simply won't be able to handle it.

Honesty in all things.  Or -- let's just mention the positive aspects; don't encourage the client to read the fine print.

A man's home is his castle.  Or -- a few telephone taps, in the public interest, may be needed from time to time.

Equal pay for equal work.  Or -- of course, she'll just get married and leave the firm; let's hire the man.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.  Or -- we cannot allow that vicious doctrine to be heard in our streets or in our pulpits.

Competing American dreams.  They are waiting for you.  You will have to choose among them.  And the choices you make will be vital for our country.

Today some of your personal dreams have come true.  I expect, you have made it to your degree while 50 per cent of those who entered with you as freshmen have not.  You have persevered and largely by your own wits, your own determination, your own endurance -- and with a little help from your parents and friends -- you have reached your goal.

Now I urge that as you take up your role as professionals in the vital field of communication you continue to persevere to make the good dreams come true for your country.  In public communication, you will be in a position to expose the evil dreams, to hold them up to the light of public opinion, to destroy them.  It is important that you do this.  but it is equally important, and it is your duty, to protect the good dreams, to give them the light and air and nourishment they need in order to live and grow.

Almost all human accomplishments are fragile.  They are held together by devotion and by hard work and by a little bit of luck.  The American accomplishment is no exception.  That we are still here after 200 years is a tribute to the men and women who chose wisely among the competing dreams for this place and who backed their dreams with incredible devotion and labor.  Whether this country will still be here in another 200 years, or another 100, or 50 or 50, will depend on the choices you make and the energy you invest in them.  May you be strong in the faith, may your choices be wise ones, and may your good dreams for America come true.


I have been impressed with the progress of America