Remarks at Westminster College Commencement Ceremony

Dr. Lamkin, thank you for that introduction. It is an honor to be here at Westminster College to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2005 and the beginning of a new chapter of your lives. I know you are eager to continue the festivities with your families and friends.

Robert Orben, a humorist who also wrote for President Ford, once joked that "a graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells [hundreds] of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that ‘individuality’ is the key to success." Indeed, I will appeal to you as individuals, and talk about what each and every one of you can do to make our country and our world a better, safer, and freer place.

Anyone who comes to speak at Westminster ought to be mindful of the famous speech Winston Churchill gave here in 1946. In it, he presciently and eloquently spoke of an Iron Curtain descending over Europe and other emerging characteristics of the Cold War. He described times that were "anxious and baffling." Overcoming those dangers became the calling of that generation.

Today, we face a world with equally daunting risks, and America looks to a new generation to sustain our freedom and prosperity. The dangers we face, while different in nature, are equal to those we stood against in the Cold War. Terrorists and oppressive regimes are no less committed to the destruction of our way of life than our past opponents. The September 11 attacks vividly demonstrated the extent to which terrorist groups can harness the tools of modern technology to inflict horrible levels of mayhem and destruction. And, even before September 11, for almost two decades, anti-American organizations inflicted dozens of attacks on our citizens, our embassies, and our property around the world.

But unlike the day when Churchill spoke, we see great signs of promise juxtaposed against looming terror. First, as many times before in our history, American men and women in uniform have performed valiant service. President Bush told one of the firefighters at ground zero shortly after September 11, that the world indeed would hear us. In a successful campaign, the U.S. military defeated the Taliban and Al Qaeda and liberated Afghanistan; and in 2003, the coalition forces destroyed Saddam Hussein’s regime and liberated Iraq.

Second, we may very well be on the cusp of a historic surge of democracy and freedom, much like that which swept communism from the map of Central Europe in 1989. Freedom made a giant leap then and America was much better off as a result. With every piece of concrete torn from the Berlin Wall by the long-separated residents of that city, our security and that of free nations around the world grew stronger. Speaking in Paris, Secretary Rice observed that "In our time we have an historic opportunity to shape a global balance of power that favors freedom -- and that will therefore deepen and extend the peace."

In recent months, the people of Ukraine and Georgia rose in peaceful protest against rulers not committed to democracy, and changed their governments for the better. We have seen historic free elections in Iraq and Afghanistan. There have been promising developments in Lebanon and Kyrgyzstan, and glimmers of hope in repressive lands around the globe. Freedom continues its historic march. To put this in perspective, since the time when your parents graduated from college, the number of democracies in the world has approximately quadrupled.

Nonetheless, the path ahead is difficult. A large portion of the world’s population still suffers under tyranny. States that have achieved a form of representative government sometimes regress. Recent examples include Nepal and Venezuela.

We champion democracy because it reflects our American values, and is the desire of people everywhere, but also because it serves our national security interest. Democracies are inherently more peaceful than other forms of government. If you look at major, modern conflicts, you will find that none took place between democracies with universal suffrage. In wars between democracies and non-democracies, it is invariably the latter that is the aggressor.

That is why President Bush has equated the promotion of freedom with our security. In his second inaugural address, he said "It is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world."

This quest will not fall solely to those of you who are destined for work in the military or elsewhere in government.  No matter where you end up, each and every one of you has a role to play in a key part of this fight -- namely the battle of ideas -- a global struggle between those who believe in liberty and democracy and those who seek to undermine freedom. 

The world is getting much smaller and every one of you will in some way have an impact on what people elsewhere in the world think and do. This may be through work: almost any company, large or small, has customers or suppliers from abroad. Some of you will work overseas at some point in your careers; more still will travel to other countries. You will be in a position to shape the opinions of others -- to express your views, your values and to make them aware of the true heart of America, which they may not know.

By doing that, you serve the purpose of freedom and make us safer. Modern technology and globalization have dramatically empowered the individual. Where in the past, we might have been content with influencing the elites of other countries -- people at the top of their governments or industries -- it is increasingly critical to reach out to individuals who, like yourselves, are on the way up in their countries. Whether they live in a democracy or a repressive nation, you can do your part to make these people ambassadors of freedom. Your generation can keep us on the offensive in the battle of ideas. And this will determine whether we succeed or fail in the war on tyranny.

I mentioned 1989, when the Berlin Wall fell and freedom came to millions across central Europe. What succeeded then, failed a generation earlier in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, when people there tried to throw off the yoke of communist tyranny. One difference was that by 1989, the dictators had lost confidence in their dysfunctional system and discredited beliefs. In other words, the battle of ideas had been fought and won. Freedom triumphed. That was the prerequisite that enabled people to assume power for themselves. They did this essentially by tipping over the hollowed-out remains of a dictatorship that had become exhausted, and intellectually and morally bankrupt. This is a struggle we must now fight anew, and you and your generation will play a decisive role.

You can also choose to be involved in the foreign policy issues of the day. You can express yourself through the political process, or by working through companies or organizations by which you will be employed and may ultimately lead. Non-governmental organizations have an increasingly important role in influencing world events; and these organizations will often rely on the energy, support and strong participation of young people like you. In a globalizing world, you can be involved no matter where you are or what you do. The years ahead will involve major change, and you can help shape this.

For our challenge is not only acting to promote freedom ourselves, but reexamining the institutions created during the Cold War, and retooling them to be effective in today’s environment.

John Foster Dulles, who served seven years as Secretary of State during the early Cold War, remarked that "The United Nations was not set up to be a reformatory. It was assumed that you would be good before you got in and not that being in would make you good." Less than ten years after its founding, those who hoped the UN would be a powerful force for representative government and human rights -- as called for by its charter -- grew concerned.

More recently, the UN record of mismanagement has greatly tarnished its image. And, unfortunately, it has served as a venue that has given undue prominence to the voices of tyrants -- with the UN Human Rights Commission being particularly notable in this respect.

Despite these problems, the President and Secretary Rice continue to believe that the UN can and should serve many valuable purposes and there are numerous efforts underway to reform the organization. Democratic nations must work to get the UN to achieve its intended purposes and potential. But other institutions must also step into the fold, and others that already exist must necessarily change to be useful. This will require the leadership of your generation.

The path before us is clear. We must commit ourselves to promoting democracy and respect for the individual around the globe. In that sense, our times are not as "baffling" as those confronting Churchill during his visit. We have made substantial progress in recent years, and find ourselves near the cusp of a democratic breakthrough. But like the challenge that confronted a past generation, this too will take time and perseverance. Recent progress should not distract us from this reality. To borrow another famous Churchill quote, "it may not be the beginning of the end, but it may very well be the end of the beginning."

Each one of us has a stake in this struggle. Whether or not we prevail will bear heavily on not just your lives but the lives of your children as well. As with the generation that Churchill addressed here, you too must rise to the call to defend liberty if we are to succeed. I know that you are up to the challenge. Thank you, congratulations and Godspeed to the Class of 2005.

For information, please contact Christian Whiton (202-647-1038).