FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, March 12, 2002
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The White House - USA Freedom Corps
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President Promotes Public Service through Freedom Corps |
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Remarks by the President in Conversation on Service
Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10:14 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all very much. Well, Chris, thank you very much. And
thank you all for coming. I've really been looking forward to coming back to
Philadelphia. After all, it was here that Benjamin Franklin set the stage for
what it means to be a good volunteer. He started a university and started a
library. He rallied people to help neighbors in need. So it's a good place to
come and conduct a national dialogue on the importance of people serving
neighbors in need, and the importance of people volunteering in their community.
And I want to thank Chris so very much for agreeing to be a moderator, but
also thank you for your service to the Philadelphia community. (Applause.)
Sometimes when the President shows up, we get a pretty august crowd of
elected officials here. I know the Mayor is here somewhere. I want to thank the
Mayor for coming. Mr. Mayor, thank you for being here. (Applause.) Oh, yes.
Senator Specter, Senator Santorum, Congressman Borski and Greenwood, Congressman
Weldon and Hoeffel—thank you all for coming. I know the Attorney General for the
state of Pennsylvania is here, as well. Welcome, Mike. (Applause.)
It's good to see members of the mighty Pennsylvania congressional
delegation—a fine lot. (Laughter.) I know they understand the proper role of
government. And that is that government can't make people love one another. I
wish it could. I promise you, I'd sign the law—(laughter)—and they would all
sponsor it. But we understand that Pennsylvania, like the other states in our
Union, are full of compassionate people. And the job of government is to serve
as a catalyst to capture that compassion.
And that's incredibly important as we fight this war on terror. You know,
we've got a great military might in the United States, and I can't tell you how
proud I am of or military. (Applause.) But another strength of the country is
our compassion and our love for each other. (Applause.)
You know, I want to thank the Big Brothers and Big Sisters who are
represented here. I want to thank the Points of Light Foundation, the Network
for Good. I want to thank Gloria Guard, who recently—recently, I mean, just like
a couple of minutes ago—(laughter)—led me on the tour of her beautiful place,
where homeless women and their children are loved and cared for and given
training to succeed. What a successful program that's been. You know, if we'd
have had hearings on that in Washington about how to make that program
successful, they'd still be meeting—(laughter)—and will be meeting, and would
have been meeting for a decade.
But there are social entrepreneurs in our society who help define America.
And one of my jobs is to herald those social entrepreneurs and to thank them on
behalf of all Americans. I believe out of this evil will come incredible good.
And one of the good things that will happen is Americans will ask the question
about how I can help fight evil by doing something good. That's how I think we
ought to do it. I think we ought to say that if you're interested in fighting
evil, love a neighbor. If you're interested in doing something for your country,
help somebody in need; write a check, give your time, volunteer.
Societies change one heart, one soul, one conscience at a time. And
government can hand out money, but it cannot put hope in people's hearts. And
we're here to talk about how to put hope in people's hearts, because people love
one another.
One of the things I've asked the country to do is to think about 4,000 hours
of public service for the rest of your life, or two years. That's not hard for
some, I understand that. I bet you've already done that.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: I think so.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, you've got another 4,000 to go. (Laughter.) People that
responded—I mean, the response has been fantastic ever since my State of the
Union, when I said, serve the country. Let me just give you an example: 18,000
people have asked how to—if they can join the Peace Corps. And we're going to
talk about the Peace Corps in a minute. AmeriCorps is up by 50 percent.
(Applause.) The Citizen Corps numbers are up; the Senior Corps number is up by
500 percent. In other words, Americans have been asked to respond, and they are.
And for that, we're a grateful nation.
Let me just talk about the USA Freedom Corps right quick. It is a chance for
people to participate. It's an opportunity for people to join the AmeriCorps,
which is a way to help strengthen community; Senior Corps, which is a way to
help strengthen community; and-or join in the fight against terror by being in a
neighborhood watch program, for example. The Citizens Corps, as well, are to
help reenforce the first responders in local communities. And of course, the
Peace Corps is an opportunity to spread American values throughout the world.
And if people are interested in joining the USA Freedom Corps, you can do so by
calling 1-877-USA-Corps or
www.usafreedomcorps.gov on the Internet.
But serving America doesn't have to go through USA Freedom Corps, it's just
an opportunity. You can serve America all kinds of ways. You can do so through a
faith-based initiative. And one of the things we must do is get our faith-based
initiative passed out of the United States Senate. It already has passed the
House. (Applause.) You can do so through United Way agencies. And by the way,
they're not mutually exclusive. And if you do, one of the things that I have
asked our White House staff to put together is a booklet that would give you an
opportunity to record your service.
And if you're interested in picking up one of these, just dial up the web
site. If you're interested in recording, not only for yourself, but recording
for your family or a child, perhaps, what you've done to make America a better
place, this is a good go-by. This is a good opportunity to bring a little
discipline into your volunteer service.
When I looked at this, I envisioned kind of an interesting diary that can be
passed from one generation to the next. I can't think of anything more
interesting than a mom or a dad volunteering, recording his or her thoughts,
giving it to a child who gives it to a grandchild. So somebody is sitting there
ready about what it was like to live in the 21st century, and how to help a
neighborhood in need, for example, or how to help a person in need.
I also want you to know that you can do the same thing through an on-line
tracking system on the USA Freedom Corps web page. And, as well, I'm going to
instruct the agencies—Cabinets, my government—to figure out ways to reduce
barriers for people to be able to get involved better in their communities. I
mean, sometimes we've got a process-oriented world. We ought to be a
results-oriented world. We ought to care less—(applause)—we ought to care less
about rules and regulations, and more about how we're helping people help
themselves.
And so I'm looking forward to my Cabinet officers reporting back, and when we
find barriers, we'll do everything we can to prevent them from inhibiting the
love that exits in the neighborhoods around our country.
I believe that in order to live in a free society, you need to give something
back. In order to make a society vibrant, all of us owe something to America.
And one way to provide that is either through the military, or through loving
somebody and showing it through actual deeds. And I know that when you do so, I
know that when you help a neighbor in need, it is a part of a complete life.
It's a part of making sure that your life is not empty. It's a part of making
sure that you are able to really understand the joys of a giving existence.
And so thank you for coming by. Thank you for listening to an optimistic
President. I am so optimistic about our future. Not only do I believe that we're
going to have lasting peace when we achieve our objectives in the war against
terror, but I know that afterwards, and during this period of trauma for many
Americans, this country's strength, its goodness and compassion will serve as a
beacon for the rest of the world to see.
God bless you. (Applause.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: You know, AmeriCorps has got 50,000 AmeriCorps-ians.
(Laughter.) And we hope to have 75,000—at least the budget calls for an increase
of 50 percent in AmeriCorps corps. (Applause.) Thank you for your example.
Q Sure. I think that we need to get the word out to more youth.
THE PRESIDENT: You bet.
Q I think that youth is a real strength in our community.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, one way to do so is for people to see what joy you get
in serving your community, and how it's a part of a full life. I think people
are becoming a little less materialistic in America now. One of the things—the
enemies thought we were totally materialistic, obviously. They made a terrible
miscalculation about the will and might of the United States and our drive. But
I think people are beginning to realize that there's more to life than just
materialism. You're a living example. (Applause.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thanks, Ira. Let me ask you—(Applause.) What's the
attitude? Give us a read. How is the—at Pennsylvania, are the kids involved,
interested, asking for ways to help? Kind of complacent? Give us a feel.
MR. HARKAVY: Not complacent at all. In fact, young people come to Penn
desiring to serve. And when they come to the university, they want to put their
ideals into practice. So I think this is an extraordinary generation. We have to
only give them the opportunity and they will seize that opportunity in ways we
could only dream of. So this generation, both pre-college and in college, is a
generation of extraordinary talent, idealism and ability. And they want to
serve. And I'm convinced they'll respond to your call. (Applause.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: I told Stephanie earlier that reading is the new civil right.
And so far you've heard three speakers talk about reading. And we've got to get
it right. We've got to get this right. We've got a pretty good piece of
legislation—a really good piece of legislation, education legislation, a core
component of which is to make sure that children learn how to read, using as Ira
mentioned, a science of reading and what works.
And so thank you very much for focusing on that. You're what I call a soldier
in the armies of compassion. And it's pretty extraordinary that a social
entrepreneur be so young. But I want to thank you for that very much.
I bet one of the things you've learned is that by serving as an example, you
stimulate others to serve, as well.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: I appreciate you, Captain. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
I'm glad the Captain is here, as a citizen soldier, because it serves as a
reminder that we've got people who make the ultimate sacrifice, people who wear
the uniform. We really are fighting for freedom, and fighting for lasting peace.
That's the key for particularly young Americans to understand, that this nation
didn't ask for war, but that we'd be strong when it comes to the defense of
values that we hold dear. And one of them is freedom of religion, or freedom to
vote, or freedom to express your opinion. We're fighting evil people who cannot
stand freedom.
And sacrifice is beginning to become apparent to many who never thought they
would have to sacrifice. There is a new culture evolving in the country—to the
benefit, I might add, of future generations. And that is that there's something
greater than yourself in life, and it's worth serving. Part of service is in the
military, part of service is on the streets, part of service is loving people.
And so I want to thank you for coming, Captain, and thank you for your
service. (Applause.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I appreciate you, Elaine. (Applause.) Elaine's got an
extraordinary spirit. She's like the Energizer Bunny, when it comes to helping
people. (Laughter.) Perpetual motion.
And first of all, let me mention something about the Peace Corps. If there
are any people that are interested in spreading U.S. values around the world,
the Peace Corps is a wonderful place to do so. You may share that—some of that
with us, if you don't mind, just a little bit of your experience. Someone may be
watching that wonders if the Peace Corps is worthwhile.
MS. LANDER: The Peace Corps is worth every minute of it. I first decided I
wanted to become a Peace Corps volunteer in third grade, when the motto was,
Helping People Help Themselves. And when I graduated from college, I was
fortunate, I got accepted to the Peace Corps quickly. And it was the most
amazing two years of my life.
And I tell people that all the time, you're making a call for 4,000 hours of
volunteer or two years. That's just a fraction of one's life span, and it's
worth every minute.
THE PRESIDENT: Our goal is to double the Peace Corps over five years. Our
goal is, as well, to make sure we have the Peace Corps go to nations,
particularly Muslim nations, that don't understand America. They don't
understand our heart; they don't understand our compassion; they don't
understand that we share the same values.
I mean, listen, mom and dad love children in the Muslim world just like we do
in America, and they've got to understand that; that there are some common
beliefs that we share that will make—and the Peace Corps is a good way to spread
that message.
MS. LANDER: Yes, I think some of us would like to say, for a lot of people,
the world is a terribly big place, but for those of us that have served in the
Peace Corps, it's a large planet made up of communities.
THE PRESIDENT: That's right. The other thing is, is that Elaine is involved
in kind of a first responders program here in Philadelphia. We want people to
become involved in the first responders initiative. We have a Citizen Corps set
up just for that, that really will help communities deal with disaster if
disaster were ever to come. And we're doing everything, by the way, to prevent
disaster from ever happening again. But should they hit us again, we need to
have a response plan. And Elaine is very much involved in that, as part of her
duties with the Red Cross.
And I want to thank you for that, as well. Thanks. Thanks for your love, and
your service. (Applause.)
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: First of all, you need to know that here in Southeast
Pennsylvania, because of the United Way, there's what's called a Volunteer
Center. Chris, I want to thank you for running that. It's a place to help people
find a way to volunteer. If you're interested, USA Freedom Corps doesn't suit
your needs, the United Way Volunteer Center is also a good opportunity. They
help train, they show you the way, they give you opportunities to—they show you
where the needs are. And I want to thank you for that.
As well, we've got people from the Corporation for National Community
Service. Steve Goldsmith, who's a former Mayor of Indianapolis, is with us, as
well as Les Lenkowsky. Thank you all for coming. I appreciate you being here.
(Applause.)
I hope what America gets to see as a result of this dialogue is the fact that
there are people in our country who understand that a culture of responsibility
requires responsible behavior. It requires people not only to take care of their
own by loving your children, but also requires people to love a neighbor like
they'd like to be loved themselves.
We have living examples of people on the leading edge of ushering in a
culture of personal responsibility. I want to thank you all for sharing your
message with us. It is—Philadelphia is better off as a result of your daily
concern for your fellow human beings. America is strong. We won't relent. We
won't relent in the face of evil. And we will win. We will win. We'll win hearts
and souls and minds.
This country has got a fabulous future ahead of it, because the strength of
the country is not in the halls of our government, but in the hearts and souls
of our citizens.
Thank you for coming.
END 10:46 A.M. EST
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