1. United States
2. W.V.
3. Letter

As graduation season unfolds, you and your colleagues will take to podiums across our state to deliver speeches filled with inspiration, pride, and promises of opportunity. But this year, empty encouragement is not enough. Our young people deserve leaders willing to speak the truth — even when it is uncomfortable. They deserve leaders who will admit that too many in Congress have stood by, capitulated, or made excuses while authoritarianism has gained ground. They deserve leaders who are willing to own their failures, not hide behind patriotic slogans while the foundations of our democracy are eroded. When you stand before these graduates, I urge you: grow a spine. Be honest about the state of our country and your own role within it. Inspire them not by pretending everything is fine, but by modeling the courage you so often ask them to show. Tell them the truth: that democracy is fragile, and that it is endangered when those elected to defend it choose personal comfort or political expediency over principle. If you want to challenge these young people to build a better future, then start by challenging yourself. Find the courage to speak plainly, act boldly, and finally put country over party — not just when it’s easy, but especially when it is not. We are watching. They are watching. History is watching.