Along with such uncouth talk is so much of profanity. It too marks a lack of civility. Sloppy language and sloppy ways go together. I hope that you have learned more than the sciences, the humanities, law, engineering and the arts, while you have been here. I hope that you will carry with you from this hallowed place a certain polish that will mark you as one in love with the better qualities of life, the culture which adds luster to the mundane world of which we are a part, a patina which puts a quiet glow on what otherwise might be base metal.
Civility is what gives savor to our lives.
It is the salt that speaks of good taste, good manners, good breeding. My dear young friends, you of the graduating class of 1996, as I compliment you on your achievements, may I add that these will not count for much unless they are accompanied by marks of gentility, of respect for others, of going the second mile, of serving as the Good Samaritan, of being men and women who look beyond your own selfish interests to the good of others. Only as you do so will you find fulfillment. It is an interesting world that lies ahead. In some respects it is a jungle.