FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 21, 2003
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The White House
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Commencement Address to the United States Coast Guard Academy |
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Cadet Nitchman Field
New London, Connecticut
11:37 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Admiral
Collins and Admiral Olsen, Secretary Ridge, Lieutenant Governor Rell, Mr.
President, I'm glad you're here, thank you for coming, sir; Congressman Simmons,
the fine professors of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, distinguished guests, proud
family members and the graduates. Thank you for your welcome, and thank you for
the honor of speaking to the newest officers of the United States Coast Guard.
You know, I was born in this state, just down the road. (Laughter and
applause.) I've still got relatives living here. (Laughter.) And it looks like
some of them were up late last night painting Pride Rock. (Laughter and
applause.)
This is a proud day for the Class of 2003, I know you've worked hard to get
here. You've persevered through the rigors of Swab Summer, you've faced
difficult trials -- in the classroom, aboard Eagle. And now, with silver dollars
in your pockets, you're ready to become officers in our nation's oldest,
continuous sea-going service. You have shown each day that you "revere honor"
and that you "honor duty." You have made your families, your professors and your
country proud. On behalf of the American people, thank you for choosing a life
of service, and congratulations on a great achievement. (Applause.)
I bring with me a small graduation present. Pursuant to the longstanding
tradition, I hereby grant amnesty to all cadets on restriction for minor conduct
offenses. (Laughter and applause.) I leave it up to Admiral Olsen to determine
the definition of "minor." (Laughter.)
Coast Guard Academy life is demanding, and it should be -- because you are
entrusted with solemn responsibilities, in peace and in war. America counts on
the Coast Guard to enforce maritime law, to secure our waterways and ports, to
rescue those in distress, and to intercept illegal drugs. In this new century,
we will count on you even more. The men and women of this class are the first
ever to graduate into the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with
protecting the American people against terrorist attacks. You are bringing a
long tradition of duty to this new and urgent task. Terrorists who seek to harm
our country now face your "Shield of Freedom." Every citizen can be grateful
that the Coast Guard stands watch for America.
The Coast Guard is also playing a vital role in America's strategy to
confront terror before it comes to our shores. In the Iraqi theater, Coast Guard
cutters and patrol boats and buoy tenders, and over a thousand of your finest
active duty and reserve members protected key ports and oil platforms, detained
Iraqi prisoners of war, and helped speed the delivery of relief supplies to the
Iraqi people. Many have returned safely to port, and many remain on duty in the
Persian Gulf. All have helped to liberate a great people. And all have brought
great credit to the uniform of the United States Coast Guard. (Applause.)
In Iraq, America's military and our allies carried out every mission, and
exceeded every expectation. Heavy units of armor and infantry moved with a speed
and agility that kept the enemy in a state of constant surprise and deadly
confusion. Air strikes and cruise missiles destroyed the power centers and
meeting places of the regime, while targets were carefully examined to protect
the innocent from harm. Our forces confronted an enemy that rejected every rule
of warfare and morality -- but our men and women in uniform showed their decency
and kept their honor. In a month of battle, American Armed Services set an
example of skill and daring that will stand for all time. (Applause.)
America will not relent in the war against global terror. (Applause.) We will
hunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the earth. And we're making good
progress. Nearly one-half of al Qaeda's senior operatives have been captured or
killed. (Applause.) We will deny the terrorists the sanctuary and bases they
need to plan and strike -- as we have done in the battle of Afghanistan. We will
not permit terror networks or terror states to threaten or blackmail the world
with weapons of mass destruction -- as we have shown in the battle of Iraq.
(Applause.) Our country has been attacked by treachery in our own cities -- and
that treachery continues in places like Riyadh and Casablanca. We have seen the
ruthless intentions of our enemies. And they are seeing our intentions: we will
press on until this danger to our country and to the world is ended. (Applause.)
Yet, the national interest of America involves more than eliminating
aggressive threats to our safety. We also stand for the values that defeat
violence, and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest security in
the advance of human freedom. Free societies look to the possibilities of the
future, instead of feeding old resentments and bitterness. Free countries build
wealth and prosperity for their people in an atmosphere of stability and order,
instead of seeking weapons of mass murder and attacking their neighbors. Because
America loves peace, America will always work and sacrifice for the expansion of
freedom. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom is more than an interest we pursue. It is a calling we
follow. Our country was created in the name and cause of freedom. And if the
self-evident truths of our founding are true for us, they are true for all. As a
people dedicated to civil rights, we are driven to defend the human rights of
others. We are the nation that liberated continents and concentration camps. We
are the nation of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift and the Peace Corps. We
are the nation that ended the oppression of Afghan women, and we are the nation
that closed the torture chambers of Iraq. (Applause.)
America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free trade, and
free societies. These goals are not achieved at the expense of other nations,
they are achieved for the benefit of all nations. America seeks to expand, not
the borders of our country, but the realm of liberty.
Our vision is opposed by terrorists and tyrants who attack a world they can
never inspire. This vision is also threatened by the faceless enemies of human
dignity: plague and starvation and hopeless poverty. And America is at war with
these enemies, as well.
The advance of freedom and hope is challenged by the spread of AIDS. Today,
on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people are afflicted with
HIV/AIDS, including 3 million children under the age of 15. The African
continent has lost 7 million agricultural workers. In some countries, almost a
third of the teachers are HIV positive. A 15-year old boy living in Botswana has
an 80 percent chance of dying of AIDS. It is a desperate struggle for any
person, or any nation, to build a better future in the shadow of death.
Yet, this shadow can be lifted. AIDS can be prevented, and AIDS can be
treated. Lives can be saved, and others extended by many years. In my State of
the Union Address in January, I put forward an Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,
directing $15 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS abroad. And we will
especially focus our efforts on 14 African and Caribbean countries where
HIV/AIDS is heavily concentrated.
I'm pleased that both Houses of Congress have now passed a bill authorizing
these funds; I look forward to signing the bill next week. (Applause.) The
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest, single up front commitment in
history for an international public health initiative involving a specific
disease.
With this dramatic expansion of America's efforts, we will prevent 7 million
new HIV infections; treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs;
and provide humane care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS
orphans.
When I travel to Europe next week, I will challenge our allies to make a
similar commitment which will save even more lives. I will remind them that the
clock is ticking -- that every single day 8,000 more people will die from AIDS
in Africa. There will be 14,000 more infections. I will urge our European
partners, and Japan, and Canada, to join a great mission of rescue, and to match
their good intentions with real resources. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom and hope in the world is also challenged by an ancient
enemy: famine. Our world produces more than enough food to feed its 6 billion
people. Yet tens of millions are at risk of starvation, and millions more lack
water fit for drinking. This crisis also is concentrated in Africa. We have the
ability to confront this suffering. And we accept the duty, a old as the
Scriptures, to comfort the afflicted and to feed the hungry.
America is already the largest provider in the world of food relief -- giving
more than $1.4 billion in global emergency food aid, and one-half of all
contributions to the World Food Program. And we are determined to do more. I've
committed to a nearly $1 billion initiative to provide clean drinking water to
50 million people in the developing world. I've also asked Congress to provide
$200 million for a new Famine Fund, which will give us the flexibility to act
quickly when the first signs of famine appear. I call on other nations to follow
our lead by establishing their own emergency funds. By saving time in responding
to crisis, we will save lives.
We can also greatly reduce the long-term problem of hunger i Africa by
applying the latest developments of science. I have proposed an Initiative to
End Hunger in Africa. By widening the use of new high-yield bio-crops and
unleashing the power of markets, we can dramatically increase agricultural
productivity and feed more people across the continent.
Yet, our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have blocked all
new bio-crops because of unfounded, unscientific fears. This has caused many
African nations to avoid investing in biotechnologies, for fear their products
will be shut out of European markets. European governments should join -- not
hinder -- the great cause of ending hunger in Africa. (Applause.)
We must also give farmers in Africa, Latin America and Asia and elsewhere a
fair chance to compete in world markets. When wealthy nations subsidize their
agricultural exports, it prevents poor countries from developing their own
agricultural sectors. So I propose that all developed nations, including our
partners in Europe, immediately eliminate subsidies on agricultural exports to
developing countries so that they can produce more food to export and more food
to feed their own people. (Applause.)
The advance of freedom is also undermined by persistent poverty and despair.
Half the human population lives on less than $2 a day. Billions of men and women
can scarcely imagine the benefits of modern life because they have never
experienced them.
For decades, many governments around the world have made sincere and generous
efforts to support global development. Far too often, these funds have only
enriched corrupt rulers and made little or no difference in the lives of the
poor. It's time for governments of developed nations to stop asking the
simplistic question: How much money are we transferring from nations that are
rich? The only question that matters is: How much good are we doing to help
people that are poor? (Applause.) The only standard worth setting and meeting is
the standard of results.
The lesson of our time is clear: when nations embrace free markets, the rule
of law and open trade, they prosper, and millions of lives are lifted out of
poverty and despair. So I have proposed the creation of a new Millennium
Challenge Account -- an entirely new approach to development aid. This money
will go to developing nations whose governments are committed to three broad
standards: they must rule justly; they must invest in the health and education
of their people; and they must have policies that encourage economic freedom.
(Applause.)
To fund this account, I have proposed a 50 percent increase in America's core
development assistance over the next three years. Under this proposal, our
annual development assistance eventually will be $5 billion greater than it is
today. I urge the Congress to give its full support to the Millennium Challenge
Account. And when I'm in Europe, I will call on America's partners to join us in
moving beyond the broken development policies of the past, and encourage the
freedom and reform that lead to prosperity. (Applause.)
These goals -- advancing against disease, hunger and poverty -- will bring
greater security to our country. They are also the moral purpose of American
influence. They set an agenda for our government, and they give idealistic
citizens a great cause to serve. President Woodrow Wilson said, "America has a
spiritual energy in her which no other nation can contribute to the liberation
of mankind." In this new century, we must apply that energy to the good of
people everywhere.
For more than four decades, the volunteers of the Peace Corps have carried
the good will of America into many parts of the world. Interest in this program
is greater than ever before. I'm determined to double the size of the Peace
Corps over five years. (Applause.) Today, I would like to announce a new USA
Freedom Corps initiative called Volunteers for Prosperity, which will give
America's highly skilled professionals new opportunities to serve abroad. The
program will enlist American doctors and nurses and teachers and engineers and
economists and computer specialists, and others to work on specific development
initiatives, including those that I have discussed today. These volunteers will
serve in the countries of their choice, for however long their project takes.
Like generations before us, this generation of citizens will show the world the
energy and idealism of the United States of America. (Applause.)
I see that idealism in the faces of our soldiers and sailors and airmen and
Marines. I see that idealism in the faces of this academy class. The men and
women of the Coast Guard are "always ready" to defend the security of this
nation. You are "always ready" to rescue those in trouble. These two commitments
define your mission -- and they define America's role in history. We understand
that strength is necessary to confound the designs of evil men. And we know that
the compassion and generosity of this land can aid the suffering, and inspire
the world. We will use the great power of America to serve the great ideals of
America. And by these efforts we will build a lasting, democratic peace -- for
ourselves, and for all humanity. (Applause.)
Congratulations. May God bless the Class of 2003. May God continue to bless
the United States of America. Semper Paratus. (Applause.)
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