As the US grapples with a disinformation crisis, Tom Hanks told graduates of Harvard on Thursday to be superheroes in their defense of truth and American ideals, and to resist those who twist the truth for their own gain.
“For the truth to some is no longer empirical. It’s no longer based on data, nor common sense, nor even common decency,” the two-time Academy Award winner said during his keynote address. He invoked the Latin word for truth, “veritas”, Harvard’s motto.
“Telling the truth is no longer the benchmark for public service,” he said. “It’s no longer the salve to our fears, or the guide to our actions. Truth is now considered malleable, by opinion and by zero-sum endgames.”
That left the more than 9,000 graduates at Harvard’s 372nd commencement with a choice to make, said the Hollywood icon, who has played an astronaut, a soldier, a little boy in a…
