Every American Needs To Hear This Speech | 5 Minute Videos | PragerU — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:02If every high school principal gave the following speech, America would be a much better place.
2. 0:10To the students and faculty of our high school:
3. 0:12I am your new principal, and honored to be so.
4. 0:16There is no greater calling than to teach young people.
5. 0:21I would like to apprise you of some important changes coming to our school.
6. 0:25First, this school will no longer honor race or ethnicity.
7. 0:30I could not care less if you are black, brown, red, yellow or white.
8. 0:35I could not care less if your origins are African, European, Latin American or Asian,
9. 0:41or if your ancestors arrived here on the Mayflower or on slave ships.
10. 0:46The only identity this school will recognize is your individual identity—your character,
11. 0:52your scholarship, your humanity.
12. 0:56And the only national identity this school will recognize is American.
13. 1:01This is an American public school, and American public schools were created to make better Americans.
14. 1:09If you wish to affirm here an ethnic or racial identity—or a national identity other than
15. 1:15American —you will have to attend another school.
16. 1:19This includes after-school clubs.
17. 1:22I will not authorize clubs that divide students based on identities such as race, ethnicity,
18. 1:28sexual orientation or whatever else may become in vogue in our society.
19. 1:34Those clubs cultivate narcissism—an unhealthy preoccupation with the self—while the purpose
20. 1:41of education is to get you to think beyond yourself.
21. 1:46This school’s clubs will be based on interests and passions—clubs that transport you
22. 1:53to the wonders and glories of art, music, astronomy, languages you do not already speak, and more.
23. 2:02If the only extracurricular activities you can imagine being interested in are those
24. 2:07based on ethnicity, race or sexual identity, that means that little outside of yourself
25. 2:14really interests you.
26. 2:16Second, I do not care whether English is your native language.
27. 2:21My only interest in terms of language is that you leave this school speaking and writing
28. 2:27English as fluently as possible.
29. 2:30The English language has united America’s citizens for over 200 years,
30. 2:35and it will unite us at this school.
31. 2:38Furthermore, I would be remiss in my duty to ensure that you will be prepared to successfully
32. 2:44compete in the job market, if you leave this school without excellent English-language skills.
33. 2:51We will learn other languages here—it’s deplorable that most Americans only speak English
34. 2:57—but if you want classes taught in your native language rather than in English,
35. 3:02this is not the right school for you.
36. 3:06Third, because I regard learning as a sacred endeavor, everything in this school will reflect
37. 3:12learning’s elevated status.
38. 3:15This means, among other things, that you and your teachers will dress accordingly.
39. 3:21There will be a dress code at this school.
40. 3:24And you will address all teachers by their title, not by their first name.
41. 3:30They are your teachers, not your pals.
42. 3:35Fourth, no obscene language will be tolerated anywhere on this school’s property.
43. 3:41By obscene language, I mean the words banned on radio and television, plus epithets such
44. 3:47as the b-word, even when addressed by one girl to another, or the n-word,
45. 3:53even when used by one black student to another.
46. 3:57It is my intent that by the time you leave this school, you will be among the few your
47. 4:02age to distinguish between the elevated and the degraded, the holy and the obscene.
48. 4:09Fifth, we will end all self-esteem programs.
49. 4:14In this school, self-esteem will be attained in only one way—the only way self-esteem
50. 4:19can be attained—by earning it.
51. 4:23One immediate consequence is that graduating classes will have one valedictorian, not eight.
52. 4:31Sixth, and last, I am reorienting the school toward academics
53. 4:37and away from politics and propaganda.
54. 4:41No more time will be devoted to racism, sexism, Islamophobia, homophobia, global warming,
55. 4:49tobacco, or gender identity.
56. 4:52No more classes will be devoted to condom-wearing and teaching you to regard sexual relations
57. 4:58as no more than a health issue.
58. 5:01And there will be no more attempts to convince you that you are a victim because you are
59. 5:06not white or male or heterosexual or Christian.
60. 5:11This school will have failed if any of you graduate without considering him or herself
61. 5:18inordinately lucky—lucky to be alive and lucky to be an American.
62. 5:25Now, please stand and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of our country.
63. 5:31As many of you do not know the words, your teachers will hand them out to you.
64. 5:37I’m Dennis Prager.