Jessica Lange compares Iraq to Vietnam in Sarah Lawrence graduation speech

Sarah Lawrence Website ^

[angcat]

YONKERS - During a Sarah Lawrence College graduation speech she apologetically admitted was filled with "random" thoughts in lieu of a theme, Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange received thunderous applause from students after comparing America's troubled role in Iraq with its troubled role in Vietnam when she was their age.

"History repeats itself," she told them today, repeatedly tucking her messy blonde hair behind her ears. "It is a heavy burden to inherit."

Lange, whose daughter Hannah Jane Shepard was among the 435 seniors and graduate students in black caps and gowns at the liberal arts college's 79th commencement, urged the students to "make a better world ... to educate, to heal, to entertain, to illuminate."

Along the way, they should also remain open to random possibilities, she added, such as the unexpected invitations that took her from a Midwestern college art class to a Parisian mime school to a Hollywood screen test, all within six years.

Student, faculty and alumni speakers expressed similar sentiments, asking the small class to maintain a balance between social responsibility and silliness, nonconformity and community-building.

During the ceremony, the seniors presented their new alma mater with $168,000 for future scholarships - the largest class gift in a decade.

[windsorknot]

The defeatist Dems would like to turn Iraq into Vietnam by abandoning a winnable war, and allowing the chaos that will ensue as a result.

[kcvl]

Jessica Lange

Is there anything left on this face that is real?!

Lange was married to photographer Paco Grande from 1970-1981. Since 1982, she has lived with playwright/actor Sam Shepard. She has three children, Alexandra (born 1981) with dancer/actor Mikhail Baryshnikov, and Hannah Jane (born 1985) and Walker Samuel (born 1987) with Shepard. Lange currently lives in New York City.

Lange is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She has also been a public critic of President George W. Bush, once calling his administration, "a self-serving regime of deceit, hypocrisy and belligerence".

[Snickering Hound]

[kcvl]

http://tinyurl.com/5w79jg

[Ben Bolt]

such as the unexpected invitations that took her from a Midwestern college art class to a Parisian mime school to a Hollywood screen test, all within six years.

So she stood around a city street corner and made faces at people ... for an average of 2 years . ;)

[Darth Tokarev]

I remember my wife’s graduation. She had a nutbar like this, too. The last guy however, had a great, appropriate speech, with just a hint of parody of those who use these occasions to make personal or political statements. All I recall is his closing line” In years to come, you will always remember this day, but if you remember this speaker at all, I hope you will say “He was brief, he was funny, and he talked about his grandkids””.

It sucks that almost no one in education anymore can define the word “appropriate”.

[kcvl]

At 22, for me, the Vietnam war was in its seventh year. Nixon was employing round-the-clock bombing. We were destroying the infrastructure, the people, and the countryside of Vietnam to save it from the Communists.

History repeats itself.

Today, for you at 22, the Iraq war is in the sixth year. Thousands of American soldiers killed. Tens of thousands wounded. Hundreds of thousands Iraqis dead. The infrastructure and land destroyed to save it from (and this is a movable feast) first, tyranny, and then, terrorists.

Now, some of you may feel this is not the proper occasion to make mention of this. However, I would be remiss in addressing a group of young adults if I were to deliberately ignore the political realities that they are faced with.

We are all citizens of a troubled world, yet it is your generation that carries the weight of the future on your shoulders. We are living in an America that in the last seven and a half years has waged an unnecessary war, established prison camps, condoned torture, employed corporate armies, eliminated the right of habeas corpus, practiced extraordinary rendition, and believe me, this is only a partial list—I had to keep myself in check.

I don’t wish to dwell on the misery caused by this administration, but that legacy is being passed down to you. It is a heavy burden to inherit and will require tremendous dedication and hard work to put it right again. You must determine if we are going to measure ourselves on the basis of military might and economic power or if there is perhaps something deeper—more essential in our national character—that needs to be awakened.

http://www.slc.edu/news-events/Jessica_Lange_Commencement_Address.php

[T Lady]

'Lange is a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. She has also been a public critic of President George W. Bush, once calling his administration, "a self-serving regime of deceit, hypocrisy and belligerence".'

It's about the only type of publicity she can get, given she's now one of those used up and thrown away actresses from the late 1970's and early 1980's. Once upon a time I enjoyed her performances, notably that of 1982's smash comedy Tootsie, for which she earned a Best Supporting Actress award. I tell you right now, those days have long since evaporated. I'd rather enjoy the work of the youngsters in Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, Queen Latifah, Patricia Heaton (should she ever star in an upcoming major film), and Steve Carrell.

Jessica and her ilk are so over and major league has beens.

[NormsRevenge]

dumber then a doorknob..

[EGPWS]

Oscar-winning actress Jessica Lange received thunderous applause from students after comparing America's troubled role in Iraq with its troubled role in Vietnam when she was their age.

Persistent anti-Americans are for sure.

Jessica, Vietnam was a cog in the wheel which eventually brought down the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall....

Just do what you are best at and act. Don't think!

[silverleaf]

Hmmm, well it’s far away, like way “over there”

It has “east” in the regional name

US military troops are deployed there fighting day and night, while Ivy Leaguers go about their privileged perrier lives and bitch about the intellectually inferior “warmongering idiot” in the White House .....

Yup- sure is a LOT like Vietnam!

sarc

[mathurine]

History does indeed repeat itself. There’s always some aging has-been railing against reality at an institution that doesn’t matter much anyway. Sarah Lawrence? Who ever heard of that place; or if they did, why? Anyone from there ever do anything both reputable and noteworthy?

[muawiyah]

Just a random thought of my own ~ Democrats continue to hunger and thirst for genocide; either of the kind in Cambodia which happened after our exit from that sad land, or Vietnam, which also saw genocide after we exited.

What is it about them that makes them so terribly blood thirsty?

[july4thfreedomfoundation]

An old moonbat preaching to a bunch of dumbass, young moonbats.

The kids’ parents wasted a boatload of money sending their offspring to these leftist indoctrination centers.

[angcat]

Anyone from there ever do anything both reputable and noteworthy?

NO

I know of the college because I am from Yonkers.

[SJSAMPLE]

Is Sam Shepard still tapping that? Or, did he get tired of her droning and slap a pillow over her pie hole?

[Towed_Jumper]

Age, face-lifts and Botox have not been good to Jessica.

[Cinnamon Girl]

If only she’d stayed at the mime school.

[angcat]

I don’t think he is with her anymore. He is a hunk. I did like Jessica in the Patsy Klein story.

[SJSAMPLE]

She hasn’t aged badly.

Check out Sybill Shepard if you want to see aging badly.

And she wasn’t bad in some movies, but libs always get looney when given the mike.