“Marching out into this beleaguered world of ours – you suckers are gonna need all the laughter you can get. Take solace in humor, people. As much as you can.”

Albeit a couple ten days late (#oops), Vox provides here the text of the speech David Simon, producer of The Wire, gave to graduates of the College on May 18. The Baltimore Sun reminded us a couple days ago when they put up the speech as well.

Simon’s message was bleak but surprisingly encouraging. Although he started by reflecting on the utterly hopeless future that graduation holds, Simon told graduates to “endure and fight on, never vanquishing any of the fundamental threats to society but never capitulating either.”

Simon, an American author, journalist, and producer of T.V. series “The Wire” and “Treme”, was a graduate of University of Maryland, College Park. He started his career as a police reporter for the Baltimore Sun and then began writing about the Baltimore Police Department in his book Homicide: A Year on the Killing Streets. The book catalogues his experience following detectives in the Baltimore Police Department’s homicide squad. Simon later produced an HBO drama series “The Wire”, based off many of the characters in his books.

“My generation probably owes yours an apology,” Simon said. “Because, hey, we definitely shanked it. We choked. We let ourselves get distracted with greed, with gloss, with the taste of the bread and the glitz of the circuses.” He reminds Georgetown students what the true goal is for American society, and what we should all be striving for: “All of us must share the same future – like it or not. For the republic to long endure, there must be a real American collective and all of us must have some stake in that collective.”

Here is the full speech, pulled from David Simon’s website:

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Since most Vox staff were back home during commencement weekend, we didn’t get our usual photographs of Hoyas in their last moments on the Hilltop. However, on graduation day, former Vox editor and graduate of three days Jackson Perry captured Jack Jr. contemplating his last moments with the students he only recently came to know. It’s up to you, now, JJ, to keep their memory alive!

Last week, Georgetown announced the commencement speakers for 2012 graduates. The reaction varied from mostly bored to really angry. The Catholic community continues to boil over Sebelius, but our fellow D.C. schools aren’t as lucky to be handed a controversy.

Last year, Speaker of the House John Boehner spoke at Catholic University, which received criticism from the Catholic community on the grounds that Boehner fails to uphold Catholic teachings. This year, Catholic University gets off the hook by inviting an archbishop, but Georgetown is really in the doghouse. Regardless, the real winners are Howard University’s graduates because they get to stare into John Legend’s dreamy eyes.

More speakers from D.C. Universities after the jump:

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This afternoon, Georgetown announced the speakers for each school’s commencement address. Here is the list:

David Simon, creator of the critically acclaimed television dramas “The Wire” and “Treme” will be speaking to the College.

Dr. Mark Green, senior director of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and former ambassador to Tanzania is the speaker for the School of Nursing & Health.

Ela R. Bhatt, founder of the Self-Employed Women’s Association, the largest union in India, and a consultant for UNICEF, will address the School of Foreign Service.

Tim O’Shaughnessy (B ’04), CEO and co-founder of LivingSocial will be speaking to the McDonough School of Business.

The speaker for the senior convocation is Helen O’Really (F ’03), current judicial clerk on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

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