Washington's speech not appropriate

I attended the Waukegan High School summer graduation ceremony for my niece. I was very proud of her that although she may not have graduated this May, she did go to summer school to complete her high school education and therefore received her diploma. I don't know what it was like not being able to graduate with all of your friends and having the traditional high school graduation experience. I feel that this had to be somewhat of a hard life lesson to go through but that she did the right thing and stuck it out for summer school like many other students.

I was extremely disturbed by the message that was given to the graduating students by Mr. Eddie Washington. Why would we want to give such a sorrowing send-off to these students? This is supposed to be the time we tell them to go out and flourish, be the best they can be at everything they do. However, that is not the type of message I heard when Mr. Washington spoke. His message was more of "You're a screwup so deal with it. If you end up in jail you don't get a second chance, and those girls who become mothers, if not already, take care of your children."

What is this? Do these students not deserve a positive send off? Are they just being written off by people like Eddie Washington? Is this really their destiny or the one that people have led them to believe is theirs?

It was not accepting reality as I think he mentioned but it was degrading them for a mistake they were correcting or possibly circumstances beyond their control.

I really felt that during the other speeches Mr. Washington displayed nothing but disrespect. Body language is the first way a person reads someone and he sat in his seat like a kid on the street. Why would we expect anything more from a student when this is what they've learned from their elders?

In ending I'd just like to say, way to go, Eddie Washington, you really gave the students a future to look forward to.

Dee Washington

Waukegan