think about how they would -- how people used to live just 100 years ago and the state of oklahoma. i asked her for parents and she were able to go to high school and go on to college and get a better education. she told me, with so many people in our family, we only had two horses and my family moved a lot because there are always searching for work and try to find a better opportunity. she said, when i could go to school i did. but it was a long walk and really had the two horses, so she only completed the eighth grade. but i want you to know something about her. she was one sharp lady. i mean, she was a first-class lady. one that was always putting others about herself. and she always took care of herself, and she died when she was 98 years old, lived on her own all those many, many years.

was a great cook, by the way. how is highly respected her. she was a great role model -- i always highly respecting her. she is a great role model for me. in this day and age with all we have with text messaging, facebook, twitter, cell phones, travel -- you can do business around the world. i think about just 100 years ago where my grandmother was to the opportunities i have today. her granddaughter. to be the first woman governor of the state of oklahoma. it really does tell you how great oklahoma is. so i hope that when you think about your future, that you know that no matter what your circumstances are, no matter where you come from, that you can be anything you want to be if you work hard, if you never give up, if you take risks, if

you believe in service to others, and i will also tell you that life will not always go way you hope it will. life is full of setbacks and disappointments. the setbacks are opportunities for comebacks. and when you come back, come back stronger. just do it even better. to let things holding back. and never stop learning. -- do not let things hold you back. and never stop learning. i learned something every day that is important, that helps me to do my job even better in our state. so, receiving your degree is not only a milestone in your own career, but your degree also marks the end of the journey in your life. but also the beginning of another journey into life. and now it is up to you as graduates to use the knowledge that you have received from oklahoma city university, a

great university, to put that knowledge to work, to see whatever doors of opportunity might open up for you. and i know that through this graduating class today, that oklahoma will be a greater state with even more hope and opportunity ahead. god bless you and congratulations to all of our graduates. [applause] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> today, the greatest danger to america is not some foreign-born enemy. it is the possibility that we will fail to hear the example of that generation, that we will allow the momentum toward democracy to stall, take for

granted the institutions and principles upon which our whole freedom is based, and forget what the history of this century reminds us, the problems abroad if left unattended will all too often come home to america. >> what commencement speeches by notable figures from the past three decades online at the c- span video library. >> on this memorial day weekend, president obama pays tribute to those who lost their lives defending the u.s. then representative lynn jenkins from kansas gives the republican address. she also begins by thanking the u.s. military for their service. and she outlines the republican plan for job creation and economic growth. >> this weekend, folks across the country are opening up the pool, firing up the grill, and taking a well-earned moment to relax. but memorial day is more than a three-day weekend.

in town squares and national cemeteries, in public services and moments of quiet reflection, we will honor those who loved their country enough to sacrifice their own lives for it. this memorial day, michelle and i will join gold star families, veterans, and their families at arlington national cemetery. we'll pay tribute to patriots of every generation who gave the last full measure of devotion, from lexington and concord to iraq and afghanistan. later that day, we'll join vietnam veterans and their families at the vietnam veterans memorial-the wall. we'll begin to mark the 50th anniversary of the vietnam war. it's another chance to honor those we lost at places like hue, khe sanh, danang and hamburger hill. and we'll be calling on you-the american people-to join us in thanking our vietnam veterans in your communities. even as we honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, we

reaffirm our commitment to care for those who served alongside them-the veterans who came home. this includes our newest generation of veterans, from iraq and afghanistan. we have to serve them and their families as well as they have served us -- by making sure that they get the healthcare and benefits they need, by caring for our wounded warriors and supporting our military families, and by giving veterans the chance to go to college, find a good job, and enjoy the freedom that they risked everything to protect. our men and women in uniform took an oath to defend our country at all costs, and today, as members of the finest military the world has ever known, they uphold that oath with dignity and courage. as president, i have no higher honor than serving as their commander-in-chief. but with that honor comes a solemn responsibility - one that gets driven home every time i sign a condolence letter, or meet a family member whose life has been turned upside down.

no words can ever bring back a loved one who has been lost. no ceremony can do justice to their memory. no honor will ever fill their absence. but on memorial day, we come together as americans to let these families and veterans know that they are not alone. we give thanks for those who sacrificed everything so that we could be free. and we commit ourselves to upholding the ideals for which so many patriots have fought and died. thank you, god bless you, and have a wonderful weekend. >> hello, i am lynn jenkins. i represent the second congressional district of kansas, and the oldest active army post west of our nation's capital. for raleigh, the coyotes, and nearly 12,000 national guard and reserve members. it is an honor to speak with you on memorial day weekend, a time to pause and think the brave men

and women of our armed forces who have died serving our country. as we honor the following, we remember our sons and daughters who have died so that we could live in freedom and security. of course, we owe it to our service members to give everything they can to make sure we can come home to a strong, growing economy. unfortunately, nearly 22 million of our fellow citizens are struggling to find a good paying job in president obama's economy. higher prices on everything from gas to groceries have added to the strain on families. americans are clamoring for optimistic leadership and a positive agenda to help get people back to work, which is what republicans plan for america's job creator provides. the republican plan is built around small businesses, not big government. instead of short-term stimulus, our plan emphasizes long-term

growth. this week as part of our jobs plan, my republican colleagues and i spread out across the country to highlight the economic potential of our domestic energy resources as part of the american energy and jobs tour. i visited an oil well in a small town whose proud energy workers make a big contribution to our region's economy. it would be part of the keystone xl pipeline, a job-creating project a president has repeatedly blocked that an overwhelming majority of the american people and a bipartisan coalition of congress supports. right now, it is stuck in a house-senate conference committee due to opposition from the president and his allies in the democratic leadership. republicans insist that keystone should be included in any transportation legislation congress sends to president obama. while the president demonizes homegrown energy and pursues tax homegrown energy and pursues tax