Should ceremonial speeches cause controversy?

Is it OK for a ceremonial speaker to say something controversial? Many people say no, but there is a long, long history of great ceremonial speeches talking about controversial issues. Most recently, filmmaker Ken Burns' commencement speech at Stanford University quoted Lincoln, "A house divided against itself cannot stand." He took time to put down anti-government attitudes and reinforced the United States' greatness. He caused some controversy by condemning Donald Trump's presidential candidacy.

This speech tactic was nothing new. In his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln honored the dead, but Lincoln took time during his very brief speech to advocate fighting the Civil War to ultimate Union victory: "It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced."

William McKinley's Atlanta Peace Jubilee Speech included a plea to annex the Philippine Islands, which had been recently conquered during the Spanish American War. He praised the American flag and then advocated his policy: “That flag has been planted in two hemispheres, and there it remains the symbol of liberty and law, of peace and progress. Who will withdraw from the people over whom it floats its protecting folds? Who will haul it down? Answer me, ye men of the South, who is there in Dixie who will haul it down?" 

President Barack Obama's eulogy to the 2015 Charleston shooting victims took time to advocate gun control. 

All of these speeches caused controversy at the time. Although people often say that a ceremonial speech is not a time for policy or controversy, speakers often think that it is the best time. A good ceremonial speech is never just about feelings; it is also about values. A tragic death, a wedding, or a life's milestone gives people a chance to discuss the future: future decisions, future policies, future actions. Ceremonial speakers who cause controversy are following a long tradition.