Only a year before Le Guin gave her historic commencement address, Ronald Reagan spoke to the graduates of another small school, his alma mater Eureka College. (Source)

In his address, Reagan focused on his political goals for dealing with the "problem" of Soviet Russia, and other means of guaranteeing peace for our nation. It's a great speech: it's clear, concise, and has just the right amount of jokes to keep the graduates entertained.

It's fascinating, though, to compare his address with Le Guin's, because they could not be more different. Their tone, their style, and most importantly, the concepts they consider crucial to improving American society are incredibly dissimilar. Maybe it's because Le Guin was speaking in public in the language of women?