John Kerry

In the plainest terms I say to you that our democracy is at risk unless we reclaim legitimate debate and accountability. In the 1960’s teenage kids risked and some even lost their lives to ride down south on buses to march and protest so other Americans could finally win the right to vote. Here we are fifty years later and in the last election 60% of our citizens decided it wasn’t even worth exercising that right – if they thought about it at all.
...
But politicians won’t find the willpower to make those tough choices until and unless more Americans are holding them accountable.
It may sound corny, but that’s why we need you to be public citizens who make the public sector make better decisions. I know a lot of you want to someday invest in a company of your own, or a house, or stocks and retirement funds– but we need you to invest in being a citizen too, because the privilege of an education comes with the responsibility of building a community.
And you know something: It’s really not that hard compared to what other people from Massachusetts once had to do. This is the place that the Revolution for Independence began—and the Industrial revolution—and the technology revolution. Just think back to Quincy’s own John Adams who had to get on a horse in the dead of winter, wrapped in wool blankets to stay warm, risk getting small pox, and ride to Philadelphia to help write the Constitution. 225 years later, we don’t need you to make that kind of trek for a political idea.
But we do need you to help us. We need you to go to a PTA meeting if you care about education. We need you to ask questions at a town hall meeting if you care about the air you breathe. We need you to call into radio and TV shows if you care about fiscal sanity.
And instead of just assuming that politics doesn’t interest you, we need you to start demanding politicians say and do some things that are interesting.
...
Class of 2012: It’s time we got back in touch with a little of the guts and grit that gave birth to our nation.