Kamala Harris Makes History Again as the 1st Woman to Make U.S. Naval Academy Commencement Address
Vice President Kamala Harris made history once again on Friday, May 28, as the first female commencement speaker in the United States Naval Academy history.
In her commencement address in front of the graduating class of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, Harris described a political moment, unlike any era that came before, NPR reported.
Kamala Harris urged the graduating midshipmen to defend the U.S. against numerous threats around the world. In front of an outdoor audience at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Harris cited climate change, cybersecurity attacks, and biological hazards like the COVID-19 as global threats.
Kamala Harris Talks About COVID-19 Pandemic
Kamala Harris compared the ongoing global health crisis brought by the COVID-19 to other "critical moments" of the country in the past that have shaped U.S. history, such as Pearl Harbor, the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and the 9/11 attacks.
In her almost 20-minute speech, Kamala Harris told the Academy graduates that they are now walking into a rapidly changing world, NBC News reported.
The Vice President also stated that the global pandemic accelerated what was happening before and the entire world into a new era. She noted that COVID-19 forever impacted the world and it has forever influenced the perspective of mankind.
Kamala Harris emphasized that unlike before, it is now clear that the world is interconnected, interdependent, and it is fragile.
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The address of Kamala Harris came while the administration of President Joe Biden navigates numerous challenges across the world.
The Biden administration is currently probing the origin of COVID-19, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and the cyberattacks done by Russia, ABC News reported.
Also in March, Biden asked Harris to lead the administration's diplomatic efforts with the Northern Triangle countries and Mexico. Harris' main task is to address the migration at the U.S. border. But she did not mention issues related to immigration in her speech.
Last month, the White House also announced that the U.S. would withdraw all of the remaining troops from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The remarks of Kamala Harris set a different tone compared to the address made by former President Donald Trump in 2018.
Harris focused on the potential threats that the U.S. might face while Trump during his address said to the graduates that they are witnessing the great reawakening of the American spirit and might.
Kamala Harris also expressed her confidence in the ability of the U.S. military in putting the country at a strategic advantage. She cited the role of the U.S. forces in the development of tactical technologies like walkie-talkies, the internet, and the usage of satellite navigation.
The Vice President also mentioned the involvement of the military in the COVID-19 vaccine distribution. She then praised the graduates for getting vaccinated.
Kamala Harris added that before the ceremony, she visited the grave of the Arizona Republican, late Senator John McCain, which is also located at the Naval Academy Cemetery.
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