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Address to Students Re: Drugs 9/12/89 [2]
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Address to Students Re: Drugs 9/12/89 [2]
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Originally Processed With FOIA(s):
FOIA Number:
S
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MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the George Bush Presidential
Library Staff.
Record Group/Collection:
George H.W. Bush Presidential Records
Collection/Office of Origin:
Speechwriting, White House Office of
Series:
Speech File Draft Files
Subseries:
Chron File, 1989-1993
OA/ID Number:
13501
Folder ID Number:
13501-011
Folder Title:
Address to Students Re: Drugs 9/12/89 [2]
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
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G
25
6
4
7
FROM Bobbic KiLbeRG
Thisisa moving spaech my
KIDS L,Kco IT jt.
(Lange/Blessey)
Bobbic
September 7, 1989
89
3:20 p.m.
SEP
7
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
P3:
45
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
[LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW] Somehow the fall always feels like
a time to start over. It's a time full of possibility. Everyone
gets a new chance. Expect ations aND aRehigh. hopes
[TO CAMERA] You know, Presidents don't talk directly to
students very often. But what's been on my mind lately is very
important. You may have heard my address to the nation last
week. But I wanted this message to go straight to you.
[LEANS ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about what I
wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put myself in
your place. To look at it from your perspective. But you know,
the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
good!
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Rock only came on the radio. Hash only came in
cans. And the idea of smoking "ice" would have been a little
confusing.
89 SEP 8 AlO : 24
2
Simpler times? Maybe. And if you think your parents don't
understand -- or your teachers don't understand -- you may be
right.
because They
But it's up to you to care enough to talk to them, and make
to
really UNDERSTOND
NeeD
them understand what it is you're dealing with, every day.
Whether they want to or not. Whether you think they deserve it
or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a. lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you surround yourself with can either give you strength --
or take it away; they Can help you arthey Can hurt you
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. And with each step, with a thousand small
decisions, you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright
with potential. But for some, who are letting drugs make their
decisions for them, you can almost hear the doors slamming. shut.
NOT
clear my Son, as to hat ag=14. Dro casual" use meant.
3
We know that now
Attitudes that once encouraged or excused
drug use have changed.
Cocaine use has dropped by about a third among high school
seniors. Overall drug use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
use We now it's understand aLL the that Same: casual" drug use is a myth. DRUguse isdrug
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives. Because "casual" drug use is responsible
for the casualties of the drug war.
Each of you has a choice to make -- and dozens of chances to
make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. And parents, preachers, politicians -- you know that none
of them make it for you. It's yours! I won't tell you how to
YOUR decision.
make it. But I will tell you what it means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
4
So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have blood on
their hands. And unlike those of you entering school this fall,
those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad -- it doesn't
matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved football -- was a running back at Plain
A lot of hope GND 00 promising future ahearathim.
Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his neighborhood.
But in the early hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a
cruiser, Eddie Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
To me this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing
must and will stop. It's a promise, that Eddie Byrne's life was
not given in vain. That the slavery of drugs must end -- and
will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is.
You know -- all of you know -- who's got a problem. Today
I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking you to find
someone who needs help. And help them. If you're not in
trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
good
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
It will only show
strength. And it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will.
6
I think of Gary -- a very street-tough drug user from
Denver, who was part of a panel answering questions from students
about drugs. In the middle of the session, Gary broke down and
cried, saying that he did drugs because no one who wasn't doing
drugs would like him. When the students in the audience were
asked who would be Gary's friend, there was a sea of hands all
around the room.
You are in control of your life. With knowledge and
education, you will succeed. You can not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. And
I think we all sense that.
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
GREAT!
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
there
"But the beach goes on for miles and their are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
7
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance. And make the days mean
something.
I've got a lot of faith in you. But even more important,
maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- they're looking
up to you. And your future -- well, that's completely up to you.
Make it a good one.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
TeRRific
MaRK,
Somewhere IN here POTUS maywant To
acknowLeoGe that he's preaching at. Thema Little~buT must
for a tur son ~ - because Nefelless suffering
stop LND Their futures must be protected.
Sara Decamp's comments
SD.
PencilareCicconi comments
(Lange/Blessey)
September 7, 1989
3:20 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
[LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW] Somehow the fall always feels like
a time to start over. It's a time full of possibility. Everyone
gets a new chance.
[TO CAMERA] You know, Presidents don't talk directly to
students very often. But what's been on my mind lately is very
important. You may have heard my address to the nation last
week. But I wanted this message to go straight to you.
[LEANS ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about what I
wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put myself in
your place. To look at it from your perspective. But you know,
the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me --- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Rock only came on the radio. Hash only came in
cans. And the idea of smoking "ice" would have been a little
confusing.
Sortob hoky, used
89 SEP 8 A10 : 37
before
2
Simpler times? Maybe. And if you think your parents don't
understand -- or your teachers don't understand -- you may be
right.
But it's up to you to care enough to talk to them, and make
them understand what it is you're dealing with, every day.
Whether they want to or not. Whether you think they deserve it
or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you surround yourself with can either give you strength --
or take it away.
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. And with each step, with a thousand small
decisions, you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright
with potential. But for some, who are letting drugs make their
decisions for them, you can almost hear the doors slamming shut.
3
We know that now. Attitudes that once encouraged or excused
drug use have changed.
Cocaine use has dropped by about a third among high school
casual
seniors. Overall drug use is at the lowest levels in ten
usedin years drug add
We now understand that
'casual drug use is a myth
so contradicts itself
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
therean
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Still
casuae"
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60 users
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives. Because "casual" drug use is responsible
for the casualties of the drug war.
Each of you has a choice to make -- and dozens of chances to
make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. And parents, preachers, politicians -- you know that none
of them make it for you. It's yours. I won't tell you how to
make it. But I will tell you what it means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
gool
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
4
So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have blood on
their hands. And unlike those of you entering school this fall,
those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad -- it doesn't
matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, SO that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved football -- was a running back at Plain
Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his neighborhood.
But in the early hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a
cruiser, Eddie Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
To me this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing
must and will stop. It's a promise, that Eddie Byrne's life was
not given in vain. That the slavery of drugs must end --- and
will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is.
You know -- all of you know -- who's got a problem. Today
I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking you to find
gout
someone who needs help. And help them. If you're not in
trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
It will only show
strength. And it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will.
6
I think of Gary -- a very street-tough drug user from
Denver, who was part of a panel answering questions from students
about drugs. In the middle of the session, Gary broke down and
cried, saying that he did drugs because no one who wasn't doing
2.
drugs would like him. When the students in the audience were
asked who would be Gary's friend, there was a sea of hands all
around the room.
You are in control of your life. With knowledge and
education, you will succeed. You can not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. And
I think we all sense that.
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives.'
"But the beach goes on for miles and their are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
7
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance. And make the days mean
something.
I've got a lot of faith in you. But even more important,
maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- they're looking
up to you. And your future -- well, that's completely up to you.
Make it a good one.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
# # #
FILE
(Lange/Blessey)
September 7, 1989
3:20 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
[LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW] Somehow the fall always feels like
a time to start over. It's a time full of possibility. Everyone
gets a new chance.
[TO CAMERA] You know, Presidents don't talk directly to
students very often. But what's been on my mind lately is very
important. You may have heard my address to the nation last
week. But I wanted this message to go straight to you.
[LEANS ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about what I
wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put myself in
your place. To look at it from your perspective. But you know,
the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Rock only came on the radio. Hash only came in
cans. And the idea of smoking "ice" would have been a little
confusing.
2
Simpler times? Maybe. And if you think your parents don't
understand -- or your teachers don't understand -- you may be
right.
But it's up to you to care enough to talk to them, and make
them understand what it is you're dealing with, every day.
Whether they want to or not. Whether you think they deserve it
or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you surround yourself with can either give you strength --
or take it away.
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. And with each step, with a thousand small
decisions, you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright
with potential. But for some, who are letting drugs make their
decisions for them, you can almost hear the doors slamming shut.
3
We know that now. Attitudes that once encouraged or excused
drug use have changed.
Cocaine use has dropped by about a third among high school
seniors. Overall drug use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
We now understand that "casual" drug use is a myth.
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives. Because "casual" drug use is responsible
for the casualties of the drug war.
Each of you has a choice to make -- and dozens of chances to
make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. And parents, preachers, politicians -- you know that none
of them make it for you. It's yours. I won't tell you how to
make it. But I will tell you what it means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
4
So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have blood on
their hands. And unlike those of you entering school this fall,
those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad -- it doesn't
matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved football -- was a running back at Plain
Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his neighborhood.
But in the early hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a
cruiser, Eddie Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
To me this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing
must and will stop. It's a promise, that Eddie Byrne's life was
not given in vain. That the slavery of drugs must end -- and
will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is.
You know -- all of you know -- who's got a problem. Today
I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking you to find
someone who needs help. And help them. If you're not in
trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
It will only show
strength. And it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will.
6
I think of Gary -- a very street-tough drug user from
Denver, who was part of a panel answering questions from students
about drugs. In the middle of the session, Gary broke down and
cried, saying that he did drugs because no one who wasn't doing
drugs would like him. When the students in the audience were
asked who would be Gary's friend, there was a sea of hands all
around the room.
You are in control of your life. With knowledge and
education, you will succeed. You can not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. And
I think we all sense that.
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and their are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
7
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance. And make the days mean
something.
I've got a lot of faith in you. But even more important,
maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- they're looking
up to you. And your future -- well, that's completely up to you.
Make it a good one.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
FINAL
REMARKS: ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
(9/12)
THE LIBRARY
(9:00 AM)
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
SOMEHOW THE FALL ALWAYS FEELS LIKE A TIME TO START
OVER. IT'S A TIME FULL OF POSSIBILITY. EVERYONE GETS
A NEW CHANCE.
NOW, I KNOW THERE ARE AMERICANS OF EVERY AGE
WATCHING. AND TO THOSE AT HOME OR AT WORK, I ASK YOU
TO TALK WITH YOUR FAMILIES AND CO-WORKERS ABOUT DRUG
ABUSE. BUT PRESIDENT'S DON'T OFTEN GET THE CHANCE TO
TALK DIRECTLY TO STUDENTS. SO TODAY, FOR EACH OF YOU
SITTING IN A CLASSROOM OR ASSEMBLY HALL... THIS MESSAGE
GOES STRAIGHT TO YOU.
WHEN I WAS THINKING ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO
YOU TODAY ABOUT DRUGS, I TRIED TO PUT MYSELF IN YOUR
PLACE. TO LOOK AT IT FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE. BUT YOU
KNOW, THE HARDER I TRIED, THE HARDER IT GOT.
- 2 -
IT MAY SEEM TO YOU THAT YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR
TEACHERS GREW UP IN SIMPLER TIMES. BUT MOST OF THEM
LIVED THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLES. SOME OF YOUR
FATHERS FOUGHT IN VIETNAM. AND FOR MANY OF YOU, YOUR
PARENTS AND TEACHERS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO FACE
DRUGS.
\/\/
IF YOU CARE ENOUGH TO TALK TO THEM, YOU MIGHT BE
SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH THEY DO UNDERSTAND. 11
[PICKS UP BASEBALL] I USED TO PLAY BASEBALL.
KNEW I'D NEVER MAKE THE BIG LEAGUES -- BUT I MADE A LOT
OF FRIENDS. FRIENDS I LEARNED TO COUNT ON -- BOTH ON
AND OFF THE FIELD.
WE TRUSTED EACH OTHER TO COME THROUGH -- NO MATTER
HOW TOUGH IT GOT. AND I LEARNED FROM THAT. I LEARNED
THAT THE KIND OF PEOPLE YOU MAKE YOUR FRIENDS CAN
EITHER GIVE YOU STRENGTH -- OR TAKE IT AWAY.
- 3 -
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT IS, BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST MAKE
YOU FIND THE BEST IN YOURSELF. THEY CAN HELP YOU
BECOME A BETTER PERSON -- HELP YOU DISCOVER MORE OF WHO
YOU ARE.
[PUTS DOWN BASEBALL] THERE ARE OTHERS, WHO MAY
SEEM LIKE FRIENDS, BUT THEY'RE NOT -- AND THEY PROVE IT
-- EVERY TIME THEY OFFER YOU DRUGS. 11
EVERY DAY, WITH A THOUSAND SMALL DECISIONS, YOU'RE
SHAPING YOUR FUTURE. IT'S A FUTURE THAT OUGHT TO BE
BRIGHT WITH POTENTIAL. AND MOST OF YOU ARE DOING THE
RIGHT THING. 11 BUT FOR THOSE WHO LET DRUGS MAKE THEIR
DECISIONS FOR THEM, YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR THE DOORS
SLAMMING SHUT.
IT ISN'T WORTH IT. WE KNOW THAT NOW. ATTITUDES
THAT ONCE ENCOURAGED OR EXCUSED DRUG USE HAVE CHANGED.
AMONG HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS COCAINE USE HAS DROPPED BY
ABOUT A FIFTH, AND OVERALL DRUG USE IS AT THE LOWEST
LEVELS IN TEN YEARS.
- 4 -
BUT EVEN IF YOU DON'T USE DRUGS, YOU OUGHT TO BE
ANGRY ABOUT THEM. BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING CHEATED 11 BY
THOSE WHO DO.
ADD IT ALL UP: DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE COSTS THIS
COUNTRY BILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR 11 AND I DON'T KNOW
HOW TO QUANTIFY THE HUMAN SUFFERING DRUGS CAUSE, BUT I
DO KNOW WE'RE ALL PAYING FOR IT. WE'RE ALL FEELING IT.
EVERY DAY.
EVERY TIME SOMEONE DOES DRUGS; OR SELLS DRUGS; OR
EVEN "JUST LOOKS THE OTHER WAY," THEY'RE SUPPORTING AN
INDUSTRY THAT COSTS MORE THAN MONEY. IT COSTS LIVES.
EACH OF YOU HAS A DECISION TO MAKE -- AND DOZENS
OF CHANCES TO MAKE IT: AT A PARTY, ON THE STREET, IN
THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT. /\/\ AND PARENTS, TEACHERS,
COACHES, POLITICIANS, PRESIDENTS -- NO ONE ELSE MAKES
THAT DECISION FOR YOU. 11 BUT IF YOU TALK TO SOMEONE
YOU TRUST, THEY MAY REMIND YOU OF WHAT'S AT STAKE.
- 5 -
YES, IT'S YOUR DECISION. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW TO
MAKE IT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS. /\/\ YOU
ALL WATCH TV. YOU SEE THE NEWS -- THE CRIME -- THE
DEVASTATION.
EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES TO DRUGS FUELS THE
KILLING. 11 AS LONG AS THERE ARE AMERICANS WILLING TO
BUY DRUGS, THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WILLING TO SELL DRUGS. -
- AND PEOPLE WILLING TO KILL AS A COST OF DOING
BUSINESS. THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SUPPLIERS
AND EVEN "OCCASIONAL" OR "WEEKEND" USERS 11 THAT CAN
NEVER BE FORGOTTEN.
CASUAL DRUG USE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR CASUALTIES OF
THE DRUG WAR. FROM THE CITY STREETS OF AMERICA TO THE
STREET BOMBINGS OF COLOMBIA, EVEN DABBLERS IN DRUGS
BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BLOOD BEING SPILLED. AND
UNLIKE THOSE OF YOU IN SCHOOL THIS FALL, THOSE KILLED
BY THE DRUG TRADE NEVER DO GET A SECOND CHANCE.
- 6 -
DRUGS ARE RIGHTLY CALLED AN "EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
DESTROYER." THEY HAVE NO CONSCIENCE. THEY DON'T CARE
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. THEY JUST MURDER PEOPLE.
YOUNG AND OLD, GOOD AND BAD, INNOCENT AND GUILTY -- IT
DOESN'T MATTER. FOR TOO MANY, DRUGS MEAN DEATH. III
[PICKS UP BADGE] I KEEP THIS BADGE IN A DRAWER IN
MY DESK, TO REMIND ME OF THAT. IT WAS WORN BY A YOUNG
ROOKIE COP NAMED EDDIE BYRNE. TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD --
NOT MUCH OLDER THAN SOME OF YOU. HE WAS OUT TRYING TO
STOP THE DRUG TRADE -- PROTECTING A WITNESS, so THAT A
DEALER COULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
EDDIE BYRNE HAD THREE BROTHERS. A GIRLFRIEND HE'D
KNOWN FOR FOUR YEARS. HE LOVED FISHING AND FOOTBALL --
WAS A RUNNING BACK AT PLAIN EDGE HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW
YORK. HE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND EDDIE BYRNE HAD DREAMS.
BUT IN THE EARLY HOURS OF A COLD FEBRUARY MORNING,
SITTING IN A POLICE CRUISER, EDDIE WAS BLOWN AWAY AT
POINT-BLANK RANGE -- KILLED ON THE ORDERS OF A DRUG
KINGPIN. COLD AND CALCULATED.
- 7 -
I'VE HEARD SOME SAY, "IF YOU DO DRUGS NOW AND
THEN, YOU'RE NOT HURTING ANYBODY. IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
WELL, THE NEXT TIME YOU THINK ABOUT USING DRUGS, I WANT
YOU TO THINK OF EDDIE BYRNE -- AND I WANT YOU TO THINK
ABOUT THE FAMILY THAT LOST HIM.
TO ME THIS BADGE IS A CONSTANT REMINDER -- THAT
EDDIE BYRNE'S LIFE WAS NOT GIVEN IN VAIN. THIS IS A
PROMISE: THE KILLING MUST AND WILL STOP. [PUTS BADGE
DOWN]
WHERE YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW -- IN SCHOOL -- I
KNOW YOU'VE GOT YOUR DREAMS. EVERYONE DOES. BUT OUT
ON THE STREETS, A NIGHTMARE FOR AMERICA IS HAPPENING,
EVERY DAY. EVERY NIGHT.
SOMEWHERE A TEENAGE GIRL WHO OUGHT TO BE IN SCHOOL
IS GIVING BIRTH TO A BABY ALREADY ADDICTED TO COCAINE.
THAT BABY IS COMING INTO THIS WORLD SHAKING AND
TWITCHING FROM WITHDRAWAL -- SO SENSITIVE TO THE TOUCH
THAT IT CAN'T BE HELD OR FED PROPERLY.
- 8 -
HOW CAN DRUGS CAUSE SO MUCH PAIN? HOW CAN THEY
LEAD BROTHERS TO KILL BROTHERS, MOTHERS TO ABANDON
CHILDREN? AND BEHIND ALL OF THE SENSELESS VIOLENCE,
THE NEEDLESS TRAGEDY, WHAT HAUNTS ME IS THE QUESTION --
WHY?
I HAVE ONE ANSWER. DRUGS ARE STILL A PROBLEM,
BECAUSE TOO MANY OF US ARE STILL LOOKING THE OTHER WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY.
I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY. MAYBE
YOU'RE IN TROUBLE -- OR ON THE EDGE OF TROUBLE. MAYBE
YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS. MAYBE YOU'VE GOT YOUNGER
BROTHERS OR SISTERS -- YOU KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING UP TO
YOU. DON'T RISK YOUR LIFE -- OR THEIRS.
AND IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE KIND OF PROBLEM
THAT CAN TRULY BE THE TOUGHEST -- IF YOU HAVE PARENTS
WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL -- FIND SOMEONE
YOU CAN TRUST. TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.
- 9 -
YOU KNOW -- ALL OF YOU IN A CLASSROOM KNOW --
WHO'S GOT A PROBLEM. TODAY I'M NOT JUST ASKING YOU TO
GET HELP. I'M ASKING YOU TO FIND SOMEONE WHO NEEDS
YOU. AND OFFER TO HELP. I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: IF YOU'RE
NOT IN TROUBLE, HELP SOMEONE WHO IS.
WE ALL WANT TO SUCCEED. AND I'LL LET YOU IN ON A
SECRET: WE ALL CAN SUCCEED. IF YOU DON'T USE DRUGS,
YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD
MICHAEL JORDAN SAY "YOU'VE GOT AT LEAST 3/4 OF YOUR
LIFE TO GO. THAT'S THREE MORE LIFETIMES TO YOU. so
DON'T BLOW IT." 11
SAYING "NO" WON'T MAKE YOU A NERD. IT WON'T MAKE
YOU A LOSER. IN FACT, IT WILL MAKE YOU MORE FRIENDS
THAN DRUGS EVER WILL. REAL FRIENDS.
BUT IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH REASON, THERE'S ANOTHER
SIDE: USING ILLEGAL DRUGS IS AGAINST THE LAW. 11 AND
IF YOU BREAK THE LAW, YOU PAY THE PRICE. 11 BECAUSE
THE RULES HAVE CHANGED.
- 10 -
IF YOU DO DRUGS, YOU WILL BE CAUGHT. AND WHEN
YOU'RE CAUGHT, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED. YOU MIGHT LOSE
YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE -- SOME STATES HAVE STARTED
REVOKING USERS' DRIVING PRIVILEGES. OR YOU MIGHT LOSE
THE COLLEGE LOAN YOU WANTED -- BECAUSE WE'RE NOT
HELPING THOSE WHO BREAK THE LAW. THESE ARE PRIVILEGES,
NOT RIGHTS. IF YOU RISK DOING DRUGS, YOU RISK
EVERYTHING -- EVEN YOUR FREEDOM. BECAUSE YOU WILL BE
PUNISHED. 11
NOW, I CAN IMAGINE A FEW WHISPERS OUT THERE --
MAYBE YOU THINK WE'LL NEVER GET DRUGS UNDER CONTROL --
THAT IT'S TOO EASY FOR THE DEALERS TO GET BACK ON THE
STREET. WELL, THOSE DAYS ARE OVER, TOO. THE REVOLVING
DOOR... JUST JAMMED.
SOME THINK THERE WON'T BE ROOM FOR THEM IN JAIL.
WE'LL MAKE ROOM
WE'RE ALMOST DOUBLING PRISON SPACE.
SOME THINK THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PROSECUTORS. WE'LL HIRE
THEM... WITH THE LARGEST INCREASE IN FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS IN HISTORY. THE DAY OF THE DEALER IS
DRAWING TO A CLOSE. [PAUSE]
- 11 -
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE -- OR HOW STRONG YOU ARE --
DRUGS TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. BUT WITHOUT DRUGS,
YOU'RE IN CONTROL. YOU CAN DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE. AND
THAT MEANS STAYING IN SCHOOL.
IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT DROPPING OUT, THINK IT
THROUGH. MAYBE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO WANTS TO QUIT
SCHOOL. TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT. IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS
WHO HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT, TALK TO THEM. FIND A WAY
TO BRING THEM BACK. III
TODAY I'VE ASKED YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE TERRIBLE
COST DRUGS ARE MAKING US ALL PAY, EVERY DAY. BUT EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT, I'M ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU
CAN DO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
LAST WINTER, AFTER I WAS SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT, I
SAID THAT FROM NOW ON IN AMERICA, ANY DEFINITION OF A
SUCCESSFUL LIFE MUST INCLUDE SERVING OTHERS. HELPING
OTHERS. AND I HOPE YOU ALL BELIEVE THAT.
- 12 -
THERE'S A STORY ABOUT A YOUNG BOY AND AN OLD MAN
WHO WERE WALKING ALONG A BEACH. AND AS THEY WALKED,
THE BOY PICKED UP EACH STARFISH HE PASSED, AND THREW IT
INTO THE SEA. THE OLD MAN ASKED HIM WHY.
"IF I LEFT THEM HERE," THE BOY SAID, "THEY WOULD
DRY UP IN THE SUN AND DIE. I'M SAVING THEIR LIVES."
"BUT THE BEACH GOES ON FOR MILES AND THERE ARE
MILLIONS OF STARFISH," THE OLD MAN SAID. "HOW CAN WHAT
YOU'RE DOING MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?"
THE BOY LOOKED AT THE STARFISH IN HIS HAND, THREW
IT INTO THE OCEAN, AND ANSWERED, "IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TO THIS ONE. " [PAUSE]
- 13 - -
\/\/
YOU'RE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE -- FOR YOURSELF,
AND THOSE AROUND YOU. SO LEARN TO COUNT ON EACH OTHER.
TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. GIVE SOMEONE ELSE ANOTHER
CHANCE.
AND MAKE THE DAYS MEAN SOMETHING.
HAVE A GOOD YEAR. AND GOD BLESS YOU.
###
Document No.
070768SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
DATE:
9/9/89
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
--
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH - 12TH)
THE LIBRARY
SUBJECT:
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
(9/8 6:30 p.m draft)
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
ROGERS
BREEDEN
CARD
WINSTON
PINKERTON
CICCONI
DEMAREST
BENNETT
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
The attached has been forwarded to the President.
RESPONSE:
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER 8, 1989
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
CHRISS WINSTON
and
FROM:
MARK LANGE ML
SUBJECT:
DRUG ADDRESS TO STUDENTS
Attached is a draft for your address to students, to be carried
live by the three networks at 12:15 p.m., on Tuesday, September
12, 1989.
Your address -- which should be less than fifteen minutes long --
is an appeal to students: '1) not to do drugs, and 2) to help
their peers who are doing drugs to stop.
While your overall audience will be mixed, your remarks are aimed
primarily at junior- and senior-high school students, from 7th to
12th grade.
(Lange/Blessey)
September 8, 1989
6:30 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
Somehow the fall always feels like a time to start over.
It's a time full of possibility. Everyone gets a new chance.
Presidents don't talk directly to students very often. But
what's been on my mind lately is very important. You may have
heard my address to the nation last week. But I wanted this
message to go straight to students.
[LEANS BACK, ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about
what I wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put
myself in your place. To look at it from your perspective. But
you know, the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Hash only came in cans, and you served it with eggs.
And rocks were for skipping on ponds.
Simpler times? Maybe. So sometimes if it seems your
parents don't understand -- or your teachers don't understand --
try to be patient.
It's up to you to care enough to talk to them -- because
they need to understand -- really understand -- what it is you're
2
dealing with, every day. Whether they want to or not. Whether
you think they deserve it or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you make your friends can either give you strength -- or
take it away.
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. With each step, with a thousand small decisions,
you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright with
potential. And most of you are doing the right thing. But for
those who let drugs make their decisions for them, you can almost
hear the doors slamming shut.
It isn't worth it. We know that now. Attitudes that once
encouraged or excused drug use have changed. Cocaine use has
dropped by about a fifth among high school seniors. Overall drug
use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
3
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives.
Each of you has a decision to make -- and dozens of chances
to make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. Parents, preachers, politicians -- no one can make that
decision for you. It's yours. But I will tell you what it
means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
"Casual drug use" is responsible for the casualties of the
drug war. So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have
blood on their hands. And unlike those of you in school this
fall, those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
4
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad, innocent and
guilty -- it doesn't matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, SO that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved fishing and football -- was a running back
at Plain Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his
neighborhood. And Eddie Byrne had dreams. But in the early
hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a cruiser, Eddie
Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
I've heard some say, "If you decide to do drugs, you're not
hurting anybody. It's no big deal." But the next time you smoke
a joint or do a line, I want you to think of Eddie Byrne -- and I
want you to think about the family that lost him.
You might say I'm preaching. I suppose I am. But to me
this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing must and
will stop. This is a promise: Eddie Byrne's life was not given
in vain. The slavery of drugs will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something SO small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is. Maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- you know
they're looking up to you. Don't risk your life -- or theirs.
You know -- all of you in a classroom know -- who's got a
problem. Today I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking
you to find someone who needs help. And help them. If you're
not in trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. [SMILES] It won't make
you a geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
In fact, it
will make you more friends than drugs ever will.
6
The rules have changed. If you do drugs, you will be
caught. And if you're caught -- and you will be caught -- you
will be punished. You might lose your driver's license. Or you
might lose the college loan you wanted. And some of you might
even lose your freedom. But you will be punished.
Now, you may think we'll never get drugs under control --
that it's too easy for the dealers to get back on the street.
But those days are over, too. The revolving door just jammed.
You think there won't be room for them in jail? We'll make
room. We're almost doubling prison space. You think there
aren't enough prosecutors? We'll hire them. We've just proposed
the largest increase in federal prosecutors in history. The day
of the dealer is drawing to a close.
No matter who you are -- or how strong you are -- drugs take
control of your life. But without drugs, you are in control.
You can determine your future. And that means staying in school.
Because with knowledge and education, you will succeed. You can
not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that from now
on in America, any definition of a successful life must include
serving others. And I hope we all believe that.
7
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance.
And make the days mean something.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
SOMEHOW THE FALL ALWAYS FEELS LIKE A TIME TO START
OVER. IT'S A TIME FULL OF POSSIBILITY. EVERYONE GETS
A NEW CHANCE.
NOW, I KNOW THERE ARE AMERICANS OF EVERY AGE
WATCHING. BUT PRESIDENTS DON'T TALK DIRECTLY TO
STUDENTS VERY OFTEN. AND WHAT'S BEEN ON MY MIND LATELY
IS VERY IMPORTANT. so FOR EACH OF YOU SITTING IN A
CLASSROOM OR ASSEMBLY HALL...
THIS MESSAGE GOES
STRAIGHT TO YOU.
[LEANS BACK, ON EDGE OF DESK] WHEN I WAS THINKING
ABOUT WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO YOU TODAY ABOUT DRUGS, I
TRIED TO PUT MYSELF IN YOUR PLACE. TO LOOK AT IT FROM
YOUR PERSPECTIVE. BUT YOU KNOW, THE HARDER I TRIED,
THE HARDER IT GOT.
YOU LIVE IN COMPLICATED TIMES. YOU DEAL WITH
PRESSURES THAT PEOPLE LIKE ME -- PEOPLE LIKE YOUR MOM
OR DAD -- NEVER HAD TO FACE.
- 2 -
IT MAY SEEM TO YOU THAT YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR
TEACHERS GREW UP IN SIMPLER TIMES. BUT MOST OF THEM
LIVED THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLES. SOME OF YOUR
FATHERS FOUGHT IN VIETNAM. AND FOR MANY OF YOU, YOUR
PARENTS AND TEACHERS WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO FACE
DRUGS.
IF YOU CARE ENOUGH TO TALK TO THEM, YOU MIGHT BE
SURPRISED AT HOW MUCH THEY DO UNDERSTAND.
[PICKS UP BASEBALL] I USED TO PLAY BALL. KNEW
I'D NEVER MAKE THE BIG LEAGUES -- BUT I MADE A LOT OF
FRIENDS. FRIENDS I LEARNED TO COUNT ON -- BOTH ON AND
OFF THE FIELD.
WE TRUSTED EACH OTHER TO COME THROUGH -- NO MATTER
HOW TOUGH IT GOT. AND I LEARNED FROM THAT. I LEARNED
THAT THE KIND OF PEOPLE YOU MAKE YOUR FRIENDS CAN
EITHER GIVE YOU STRENGTH -- OR TAKE IT AWAY.
- 3 -
I'M NOT SURE WHY IT IS, BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST MAKE
YOU FIND THE BEST IN YOURSELF. THEY CAN HELP MAKE YOU
A BETTER PERSON -- HELP YOU DISCOVER MORE OF WHO YOU
ARE.
[PUTS DOWN BASEBALL] THERE ARE OTHERS, WHO MAY
SEEM LIKE FRIENDS, BUT THEY'RE NOT -- AND THEY PROVE IT
-- EVERY TIME THEY OFFER YOU DRUGS.
WITH A THOUSAND SMALL DECISIONS YOU MAKE, EVERY
DAY, YOU'RE SHAPING YOUR FUTURE. IT'S A FUTURE THAT
OUGHT TO BE BRIGHT WITH POTENTIAL. AND MOST OF YOU ARE
DOING THE RIGHT THING. BUT FOR THOSE WHO LET DRUGS
MAKE THEIR DECISIONS FOR THEM, YOU CAN ALMOST HEAR THE
DOORS SLAMMING SHUT.
IT ISN'T WORTH IT. WE KNOW THAT NOW. ATTITUDES
THAT ONCE ENCOURAGED OR EXCUSED DRUG USE HAVE CHANGED.
COCAINE USE HAS DROPPED BY ABOUT A FIFTH AMONG HIGH
SCHOOL SENIORS. OVERALL DRUG USE IS AT THE LOWEST
LEVELS IN TEN YEARS.
- 4 -
BUT EVEN IF YOU DON'T USE DRUGS, YOU OUGHT TO BE
ANGRY ABOUT THEM. BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING CHEATED BY
THOSE WHO DO.
ADD IT ALL UP, AND DRUG USE COSTS THIS COUNTRY
WELL OVER $60 BILLION A YEAR -- IN CASH -- AND I DON'T
KNOW HOW TO QUANTIFY THE HUMAN SUFFERING DRUGS CAUSE,
BUT I DO KNOW WE'RE ALL PAYING FOR IT. WE'RE ALL
FEELING IT. EVERY DAY.
EVERY TIME SOMEONE DOES DRUGS; OR SELLS DRUGS; OR
EVEN "JUST LOOKS THE OTHER WAY," THEY'RE SUPPORTING AN
INDUSTRY THAT COSTS MORE THAN MONEY. IT COSTS LIVES.
EACH OF YOU HAS A DECISION TO MAKE -- AND DOZENS
OF CHANCES TO MAKE IT: AT A PARTY, ON THE STREET, IN
THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT -- TOO OFTEN WHEN ALCOHOL IS
PART OF THE PROBLEM. AND PARENTS, TEACHERS, COACHES,
POLITICIANS, PRESIDENTS -- NO ONE ELSE MAKES THAT
DECISION FOR YOU. BUT IF YOU TALK TO SOMEONE YOU
TRUST, THEY MAY REMIND YOU OF WHAT'S AT STAKE.
- 5 -
YES, IT'S YOUR DECISION. I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW TO
MAKE IT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IT MEANS. YOU ALL
WATCH TV. YOU SEE THE NEWS -- THE CRIME -- THE
DEVASTATION.
EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES TO DRUGS FUELS THE KILLING.
AS LONG AS THERE ARE AMERICANS WILLING TO BUY DRUGS,
THERE WILL BE PEOPLE WILLING TO SELL DRUGS -- AND
PEOPLE WILLING TO KILL AS A COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
THERE IS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SUPPLIERS AND EVEN
"OCCASIONAL" OR "WEEKEND" USERS THAT CAN NEVER BE
FORGOTTEN.
CASUAL DRUG USE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CASUALTIES
OF THE DRUG WAR. FROM THE CITY STREETS OF AMERICA TO
THE STREET BOMBINGS OF COLUMBIA, EVEN DABBLERS IN DRUGS
BEAR RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE BLOOD BEING SPILLED. AND
UNLIKE THOSE OF YOU IN SCHOOL THIS FALL, THOSE KILLED
BY THE DRUG TRADE NEVER DO GET A SECOND CHANCE.
- 6 -
DRUGS ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DESTROYER. THEY
HAVE NO CONSCIENCE. THEY DON'T CARE WHERE THE MONEY
COMES FROM. THEY JUST MURDER PEOPLE. YOUNG AND OLD,
GOOD AND BAD, INNOCENT AND GUILTY -- IT DOESN'T MATTER.
FOR TOO MANY, DRUGS MEAN DEATH.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I KEEP THIS BADGE IN A DRAWER IN
MY DESK, TO REMIND ME OF THAT. IT WAS WORN BY A YOUNG
ROOKIE COP NAMED EDDIE BYRNE. TWENTY-TWO YEARS OLD --
NOT MUCH OLDER THAN SOME OF YOU. HE WAS OUT TRYING TO
STOP THE DRUG TRADE -- PROTECTING A WITNESS, so THAT A
DEALER COULD BE BROUGHT TO JUSTICE.
EDDIE BYRNE HAD THREE BROTHERS. A GIRLFRIEND HE'D
KNOWN FOR FOUR YEARS. HE LOVED FISHING AND FOOTBALL --
WAS A RUNNING BACK AT PLAIN EDGE HIGH SCHOOL IN NEW
YORK. HE HAD A LOT OF FRIENDS IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND EDDIE BYRNE HAD DREAMS.
BUT IN THE EARLY HOURS OF A COLD FEBRUARY MORNING,
SITTING IN A POLICE CRUISER, EDDIE BYRNE WAS BLOWN AWAY
AT POINT-BLANK RANGE. BY FOUR YOUNG DEALERS, ON THE
ORDERS OF A DRUG KINGPIN. COLD AND CALCULATED.
- 7 -
I'VE HEARD SOME SAY, "IF YOU DO DRUGS NOW AND
THEN, YOU'RE NOT HURTING ANYBODY. IT'S NO BIG DEAL."
WELL, THE NEXT TIME YOU THINK ABOUT USING DRUGS, I WANT
YOU TO THINK OF EDDIE BYRNE -- AND I WANT YOU TO THINK
ABOUT THE FAMILY THAT LOST HIM.
TO ME THIS BADGE IS A CONSTANT REMINDER -- THAT
THE KILLING MUST AND WILL STOP. THIS IS A PROMISE:
EDDIE BYRNE'S LIFE WAS NOT GIVEN IN VAIN. [PUTS BADGE
DOWN.]
WHERE YOU'RE SITTING RIGHT NOW -- IN SCHOOL -- I
KNOW YOU'VE GOT YOUR DREAMS. EVERYONE DOES. BUT OUT
ON THE STREETS, A NIGHTMARE FOR AMERICA IS HAPPENING,
EVERY DAY. EVERY NIGHT.
SOMEWHERE A TEENAGE GIRL WHO OUGHT TO BE IN SCHOOL
IS GIVING BIRTH TO A BABY ALREADY ADDICTED TO COCAINE.
THAT BABY IS COMING INTO THIS WORLD SHAKING AND
TWITCHING FROM WITHDRAWAL -- SO SENSITIVE TO THE TOUCH
THAT IT CAN'T BE HELD OR FED PROPERLY.
- 8 -
[PICKS UP VIAL] HOW CAN SOMETHING SO SMALL CAUSE
SO MUCH PAIN? HOW CAN IT FORCE BROTHERS TO KILL
BROTHERS, MOTHERS TO ABANDON CHILDREN? AND BEHIND ALL
OF THE SENSELESS VIOLENCE, THE NEEDLESS TRAGEDY, WHAT
HAUNTS ME IS THE QUESTION -- WHY?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I HAVE ONE ANSWER. DRUGS ARE
STILL A PROBLEM, BECAUSE TOO MANY OF US ARE STILL
LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO TALK
TO YOU TODAY.
I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY. MAYBE
YOU'RE IN TROUBLE -- OR ON THE EDGE OF TROUBLE. MAYBE
YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO IS. MAYBE YOU'VE GOT YOUNGER
BROTHERS OR SISTERS -- YOU KNOW THEY'RE LOOKING UP TO
YOU. DON'T RISK YOUR LIFE -- OR THEIRS.
AND IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH THE KIND OF PROBLEM
THAT CAN TRULY BE THE TOUGHEST -- IF YOU HAVE PARENTS
WHO HAVE PROBLEMS WITH DRUGS OR ALCOHOL -- FIND SOMEONE
YOU CAN TRUST. TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT.
- 9 -
YOU KNOW -- ALL OF YOU IN A CLASSROOM KNOW --
WHO'S GOT A PROBLEM. TODAY I'M NOT JUST ASKING YOU TO
GET HELP. I'M ASKING YOU TO FIND SOMEONE WHO NEEDS
YOU. AND HELP THEM. I'LL SAY IT AGAIN: IF YOU'RE NOT
IN TROUBLE, SEEK OUT SOMEONE WHO IS.
WE ALL WANT TO SUCCEED. AND I'LL LET YOU IN ON A
SECRET: WE ALL CAN SUCCEED. MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD
MICHAEL JORDAN SAY "IF YOU DON'T USE DRUGS, YOU CAN
JUST ABOUT BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. YOU'VE GOT AT
LEAST 3/4 OF YOUR LIFE TO GO. THAT'S THREE MORE
LIFETIMES TO YOU. so DON'T BLOW IT."
SAYING "NO" WON'T MAKE YOU A NERD. IT WON'T MAKE
YOU A LOSER. IN FACT, IT WILL MAKE YOU MORE FRIENDS
THAN DRUGS EVER WILL. REAL FRIENDS.
BUT IF THAT'S NOT ENOUGH REASON, THERE'S ANOTHER
SIDE: USING ILLEGAL DRUGS IS AGAINST THE LAW. AND IF
YOU BREAK THE LAW, YOU PAY THE PRICE. BECAUSE THE
RULES HAVE CHANGED.
- 10 -
IF YOU DO DRUGS, YOU WILL BE CAUGHT. AND WHEN
YOU'RE CAUGHT, YOU WILL BE PUNISHED. YOU MIGHT LOSE
YOUR DRIVER'S LICENSE -- SOME STATES HAVE STARTED
REVOKING USERS' DRIVING PRIVILEGES. OR YOU MIGHT LOSE
THE COLLEGE LOAN YOU WANTED -- BECAUSE WE'RE NOT
HELPING THOSE WHO BREAK THE LAW. THESE ARE PRIVILEGES,
NOT RIGHTS. IF YOU RISK DOING DRUGS, YOU RISK
EVERYTHING -- EVEN YOUR FREEDOM. BECAUSE YOU WILL BE
PUNISHED.
NOW, I CAN IMAGINE A FEW WHISPERS OUT THERE --
MAYBE YOU THINK WE'LL NEVER GET DRUGS UNDER CONTROL --
THAT IT'S TOO EASY FOR THE DEALERS TO GET BACK ON THE
STREET. THOSE DAYS ARE OVER, TOO. THE REVOLVING
DOOR... JUST JAMMED.
YOU THINK THERE WON'T BE ROOM FOR THEM IN JAIL?
WE'LL MAKE ROOM.
WE'RE ALMOST DOUBLING PRISON SPACE.
YOU THINK THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PROSECUTORS? WE'LL HIRE
THEM... WITH THE LARGEST INCREASE IN FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS IN HISTORY. THE DAY OF THE DEALER IS
DRAWING TO A CLOSE. [PAUSE]
- 11 -
NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE -- OR HOW STRONG YOU ARE --
DRUGS TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE. BUT WITHOUT DRUGS,
YOU ARE IN CONTROL. YOU CAN DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE.
AND THAT MEANS STAYING IN SCHOOL.
IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT DROPPING OUT, THINK
AGAIN. IF YOU KNOW SOMEBODY WHO'S THINKING ABOUT
DROPPING OUT, TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT. IF YOU HAVE
FRIENDS WHO HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT, FIND THEM. TALK
TO THEM. FIND A WAY TO BRING THEM BACK.
TODAY I'VE ASKED YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE TERRIBLE
COST DRUGS ARE MAKING US ALL PAY, EVERY DAY. BUT EVEN
MORE IMPORTANT, I'M ASKING YOU TO THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU
CAN DO, TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR SOMEONE ELSE.
LAST WINTER, AFTER I WAS SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT, I
SAID THAT FROM NOW ON IN AMERICA, ANY DEFINITION OF A
SUCCESSFUL LIFE MUST INCLUDE SERVING OTHERS. HELPING
OTHERS. AND I HOPE WE ALL BELIEVE THAT.
- 12 -
THERE'S A STORY ABOUT A YOUNG BOY AND AN OLD MAN
WHO WERE WALKING ALONG A BEACH. AS THE BOY WALKED
ALONG THE BEACH HE PICKED UP EACH STARFISH HE PASSED,
AND THREW IT INTO THE SEA. THE OLD MAN ASKED HIM WHY.
"IF I LEFT THEM HERE," THE BOY SAID, "THEY WOULD
DRY UP IN THE SUN AND DIE. I'M SAVING THEIR LIVES."
"BUT THE BEACH GOES ON FOR MILES AND THERE ARE
MILLIONS OF STARFISH," THE OLD MAN SAID. "HOW CAN WHAT
YOU'RE DOING MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE?"
THE BOY LOOKED AT THE STARFISH IN HIS HAND, THREW
IT INTO THE OCEAN, AND ANSWERED, "IT MAKES A DIFFERENCE
TO THIS ONE."
- 13 -
YOU'RE HERE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE -- FOR YOURSELF,
AND THOSE AROUND YOU. SO LEARN TO COUNT ON EACH OTHER.
TAKE CARE OF EACH OTHER. GIVE SOMEONE ELSE ANOTHER
CHANCE.
AND MAKE THE DAYS MEAN SOMETHING.
HAVE A GOOD YEAR. AND GOD BLESS YOU.
###
alcohol abuse - Carozos
alcohol
-
(Lange/Blessey)
September 9, 1989
and
1:15 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
Somehow the fall always feels like a time to start over.
It's a time full of possibility. Everyone gets a new chance.
Now
Presidents don't talk directly to students very often -- and
I know there are Americans of every age watching today.
teachers at scho
what's been on my mind lately is very important.
particularly But even for the kids
Maybe you heard
The print is
some of
my talk to the nation last week. But I wanted this message to goes
straight to students.
[LEANS BACK, ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about
s
what I wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put
myself in your place. To look at it from your perspective. But
you know, the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
It may seem to you that your parents and your teachers grew
up in simpler times. But most of them lived through the civil
rights struggles. Some of your fathers fought in Vietnam. And
for many of you, your parents and teachers were among the first
to face drugs.
If you care enough to talk to them, you might be surprised
do
at how much they understand.
^
2
[PICKS UP BASEBALL] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never
make the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on both on and off the field. riends who showed
A
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you make your friends can either give you strength -- or
take it away.
I'm not sure why itis, but
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN BASEBALL] But there are others, who may seem
but they're not and they prove it
like friends, who will offer you a one way ticket to nowhere
every time they offer you drugs.
You re at a point in your life when the doors should all be
?
Right now, this instant, you're shoup your future. you're decding whether to take me
opening making to to today you. that With shage each step, with a thousand small decisions, serious or no
And it's
like the one prive you're shaping your you future. It's ought to be bright with
future that
potential. And most of you are doing the right thing. But for
those who let drugs make their decisions for them, you can almost
hear the doors slamming shut.
It isn't worth it. We know that now. Attitudes that once
encouraged or excused drug use have changed. Cocaine use has
dropped by about a fifth among high school seniors. Overall drug
use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
3
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
-incash - and I don't know how to quant fy
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
the human suffering drugs cause - but I do know
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
,we're all feeling it.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even "just looks the
other way," they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives.
Each of you has a decision to make -- and dozens of chances
weekend on The street
to make it. At a A party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. Parents, teachers, coaches, politicians me Pressident no one can make
that decision for you. But if you talk to someone you trust,
what's at stake.
they may remind you of how much else there is to live for.
yes
It's your decision. But I will tell you what it means.
your watch TV - you see the news - the crime- - the death.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business. There is a connection between the suppliers and
or weekend
even "occasional" users that can never be forgotten.
1
"Casual Drug use is responsible for the casualties of the
drug war. From the city streets of America to the street
bombings of Columbia, even dabblers in drugs bear responsibility
for the blood being spilled. And unlike those of you in school
do
this fall, those killed by the drug trade never get a second
chance.
Drugs have a way of cathing up with
your
4
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad, innocent and
guilty -- it doesn't matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
ins
protect a witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved fishing and football -- was a running back
in N.Y.
at Plain Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his
neighborhood. And Eddie Byrne had dreams. But in the early
who?
hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a police cruiser, Eddie
Byrne was blown away at point-blank range. Cold and Calculated
I've heard some say, "If you decide to do drugs, you're not
well,
hurting anybody. It's no big deal." But the next time you think
about using drugs, I want you to think of Eddie Byrne -- and I
want you to think about the family that lost him.
You might say I'm preaching. I suppose I am. But to me
this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing must and
will stop. This is a promise: Eddie Byrne's life was not given
in vain. The slavery of drugs will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN. ]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you re
I know
you've got your dreams - everyone does
in a position to begin to make your dreams como true But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now. night.
every day -every
5
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something SO small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is. Maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- you know
they're looking up to you. Don't risk your life -- or theirs.
You know -- all of you in a classroom know -- who's got a
problem. Today I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking
I'll say, tagain-
you to find someone who needs help. And help them. If you're
not in trouble, seek out someone who is. And help A them.
want to
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
6
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
loser. In fact, it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will. Real friends.
Theres another side:
But if that's not enough reason, how about this: Using
illegal drugs is against the law. And if you break the law, you
pay the price. Because the rules have changed.
If you do drugs, you will be caught. And when you're
caught, you will be punished. You might lose your driver's
license -- we're now encouraging the states are to revoke users'
more and more
driving priviledges. Or you might lose the college loan you
were not helping
wanted -- because Federal dollars are not going to go to those
who break the law. These are priviledges, not rights. And if
a lot there privileges -
you risk doing drugs, you risk losing them or even your
Because
freedom. But you will be punished.
I can just picture a few whispers out they-
Now, you may think we'll never get drugs under control --
that it's too easy for the dealers to get back on the street.
But those days are over, too. The revolving door, just jammed.
You think there won't be room for them in jail? We'll make
room. We're almost doubling prison space. You think there
aren't enough prosecutors? We'll hire them. We ve just proposed
the -largest increase in federal prosecutors in history. The day
of the dealer is drawing to a close. PAUSE
No matter who you are -- or how strong you are -- drugs take
control of your life. But without drugs, you are in control.
You can determine your future. And that means staying in school.
7
Because with knowledge and education, you will succeed. You can
not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
And if you're struggling with the kind of problem that truly
cantruly
be the toughest
saddens us all -- if you have parents who have problems with
drugs or alcohol -- find someone you can trust, and get them to
help.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that from now
on in America, any definition of a successful life must include
helping others.
serving others
And I hope we all believe that.
There's
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
8
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance.
And make the days mean something. you H feel food night
Have a good year. And God bless you.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER 8, 1989
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
CHRISS WINSTON as
FROM:
MARK LANGE ML
SUBJECT:
DRUG ADDRESS TO STUDENTS
Attached is a draft for your address to students, to be carried
live by the three networks at 12:15 p.m., on Tuesday, September
12, 1989.
Your address -- which should be less than fifteen minutes long --
is an appeal to students: 1) not to do drugs, and 2) to help
their peers who are doing drugs to stop.
While your overall audience will be mixed, your remarks are aimed
primarily at junior- and senior-high school students, from 7th to
12th grade.
(Lange/Blessey)
September 8, 1989
6:30 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
Somehow the fall always feels like a time to start over.
It's a time full of possibility. Everyone gets a new chance.
Presidents don't talk directly to students very often. But
what's been on my mind lately is very important. You may have
heard my address to the nation last week. But I wanted this
message to go straight to students.
[LEANS BACK, ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about
what I wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put
myself in your place. To look at it from your perspective. But
you know, the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Hash only came in cans, and you served it with eggs.
And rocks were for skipping on ponds.
Simpler times? Maybe. So sometimes if it seems your
parents don't understand -- or your teachers don't understand --
try to be patient.
It's up to you to care enough to talk to them -- because
they need to understand -- really understand -- what it is you're
2
dealing with, every day. Whether they want to or not. Whether
you think they deserve it or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you make your friends can either give you strength -- or
take it away.
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. With each step, with a thousand small decisions,
you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright with
potential. And most of you are doing the right thing. But for
those who let drugs make their decisions for them, you can almost
hear the doors slamming shut.
It isn't worth it. We know that now. Attitudes that once
encouraged or excused drug use have changed. Cocaine use has
dropped by about a fifth among high school seniors. Overall drug
use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
3
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives.
Each of you has a decision to make -- and dozens of chances
to make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. Parents, preachers, politicians -- no one can make that
decision for you. It's yours. But I will tell you what it
means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
"Casual drug use" is responsible for the casualties of the
drug war. So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have
blood on their hands. And unlike those of you in school this
fall, those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
4
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad, innocent and
guilty -- it doesn't matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved fishing and football -- was a running back
at Plain Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his
neighborhood. And Eddie Byrne had dreams. But in the early
hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a cruiser, Eddie
Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
I've heard some say, "If you decide to do drugs, you're not
hurting anybody. It's no big deal." But the next time you smoke
a joint or do a line, I want you to think of Eddie Byrne -- and I
want you to think about the family that lost him.
You might say I'm preaching. I suppose I am. But to me
this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing must and
will stop. This is a promise: Eddie Byrne's life was not given
in vain. The slavery of drugs will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is. Maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- you know
they're looking up to you. Don't risk your life -- or theirs.
You know -- all of you in a classroom know -- who's got a
problem. Today I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking
you to find someone who needs help. And help them. If you're
not in trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. [SMILES] It won't make
you a geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
In fact, it
will make you more friends than drugs ever will.
6
The rules have changed. If you do drugs, you will be
caught. And if you're caught -- and you will be caught -- you
will be punished. You might lose your driver's license. Or you
might lose the college loan you wanted. And some of you might
even lose your freedom. But you will be punished.
Now, you may think we'll never get drugs under control --
that it's too easy for the dealers to get back on the street.
But those days are over, too. The revolving door just jammed.
You think there won't be room for them in jail? We'll make
room. We're almost doubling prison space. You think there
aren't enough prosecutors? We'll hire them. We've just proposed
the largest increase in federal prosecutors in history. The day
of the dealer is drawing to a close.
No matter who you are -- or how strong you are -- drugs take
control of your life. But without drugs, you are in control.
You can determine your future. And that means staying in school.
Because with knowledge and education, you will succeed. You can
not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that from now
on in America, any definition of a successful life must include
serving others. And I hope we all believe that.
7
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance.
And make the days mean something.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
(Lange/Blessey)
September 11, 1989
10:30 p.m.
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
Somehow the fall always feels like a time to start over.
It's a time full of possibility. Everyone gets a new chance.
Now, Presidents don't talk directly to students very often
-- and I know there are Americans of every age watching. But
what's been on my mind lately is very important --- particularly
for the kids. Maybe some of you heard my talk to the nation last
week. The point is
this message goes straight to students.
[LEANS BACK, ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about
what I wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put
myself in your place. To look at it from your perspective. But
you know, the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
It may seem to you that your parents and your teachers grew
up in simpler times. But most of them lived through the civil
rights struggles. Some of your fathers fought in Vietnam. And
for many of you, your parents and teachers were among the first
to face drugs.
If you care enough to talk to them, you might be surprised
at how much they do understand.
2
[PICKS UP BASEBALL] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never
make the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- both on and off the field.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you make your friends can either give you strength -- or
take it away.
I'm not sure why it is, but some people just make you find
the best in yourself. They can help make you a better person --
help you discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN BASEBALL] There are others, who may seem like
friends, but they're not -- and they prove it -- every time they
offer you drugs.
With a thousand small decisions you make, every day, you're
shaping your future. It's a future that ought to be bright with
potential. And most of you are doing the right thing. But for
those who let drugs make their decisions for them, you can almost
hear the doors slamming shut.
It isn't worth it. We know that now. Attitudes that once
encouraged or excused drug use have changed. Cocaine use has
dropped by about a fifth among high school seniors. Overall drug
use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year -- in cash -- and I don't know how to quantify the
3
human suffering drugs cause, but I do know we're all paying for
it. We're all feeling it. Every day.
Every time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even "just
looks the other way," they're supporting an industry that costs
more than money. It costs lives.
Each of you has a decision to make -- and dozens of chances
to make it: at a party, on the street, in the school parking
lot. And parents, teachers, coaches, politicians, Presidents --
no one else makes that decision for you. But if you talk to
someone you trust, they may remind you of what's at stake.
Yes, it's your decision. But I will tell you what it means.
You all watch TV. You see the news -- the crime -- the
devastation.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business. There is a connection between the suppliers and
even "occasional" or "weekend" users that can never be forgotten.
Casual drug use is responsible for the casualties of the
drug war. From the city streets of America to the street
bombings of Columbia, even dabblers in drugs bear responsibility
for the blood being spilled. And unlike those of you in school
this fall, those killed by the drug trade never do get a second
chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
4
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad, innocent and
guilty -- it doesn't matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- protecting a
witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved fishing and football -- was a running back
at Plain Edge High School in New York. He had a lot of friends
in his neighborhood. And Eddie Byrne had dreams.
But in the early hours of a cold February morning, sitting
in a police cruiser, Eddie Byrne was blown away at point-blank
range. By four young dealers, on the orders of a drug kingpin.
Cold and calculated.
I've heard some say, "If you do drugs, you're not hurting
anybody. It's no big deal." Well, the next time you think about
using drugs, I want you to think of Eddie Byrne -- and I want you
to think about the family that lost him.
To me this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing
must and will stop. This is a promise: Eddie Byrne's life was
not given in vain. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
Where you're sitting right now -- in school -- I know you've
got your dreams. Everyone does. But out on the streets, a
nightmare for America is happening, every day. Every night.
5
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is. Maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- you know
they're looking up to you. Don't risk your life -- or theirs.
And if you're struggling with the kind of problem that can
truly be the toughest -- if you have parents who have problems
with drugs or alcohol -- find someone you can trust. Talk to
them about it.
You know -- all of you in a classroom know -- who's got a
problem. Today I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking
you to find someone who needs you. And help them. I'll say it
again: If you're not in trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all want to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
6
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
loser. In fact, it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will. Real friends.
But if that's not enough reason, there's another side:
Using illegal drugs is against the law. And if you break the
law, you pay the price. Because the rules have changed.
If you do drugs, you will be caught. And when you're
caught, you will be punished. You might lose your driver's
license -- some states have started revoking users' driving
privileges. Or you might lose the college loan you wanted --
because we're not helping those who break the law. These are
privileges, not rights. If you risk doing drugs, you risk
everything -- even your freedom. Because you will be punished.
Now, I can imagine a few whispers out there -- maybe you
think we'll never get drugs under control -- that it's too easy
for the dealers to get back on the street. Those days are over,
too. The revolving door just jammed.
You think there won't be room for them in jail? We'll make
room
we're almost doubling prison space. You think there
aren't enough prosecutors? We'll hire them
with the largest
increase in federal prosecutors in history. The day of the
dealer is drawing to a close. [PAUSE]
No matter who you are -- or how strong you are --- drugs take
control of your life. But without drugs, you are in control.
7
You can determine your future. And that means staying in school.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
Today I've asked you to think about the terrible cost drugs
are making us all pay, every day. But even more important, I'm
asking you to think about what you can do, to make a difference
for someone else.
Last winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that
from now on in America, any definition of a successful life must
include serving others. Helping others. And I hope we all
believe that.
There's a story about a young boy and an old man who were
walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the beach he
picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the sea.
The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
8
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance.
And make the days mean something.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
Document No.
utu+68 SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/7/89
DATE:
9/8/89 10:00 AM
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
89 SEP 0 A10:13 13
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS: ADDRESS TO STUDENTS
SUBJECT:
ACTION FYI
ACTION FYI
VICE PRESIDENT
MCCLURE
SUNUNU
NEWMAN
SCOWCROFT
PORTER
DARMAN
STUDDERT
BATES
UNTERMEYER
BREEDEN
ROGERS
CARD
WINSTON
CICCONI
PINKERTON
DEMAREST
BENNETT
FITZWATER
PETERSMEYER
GRAY
HAGIN
REMARKS:
Please forward any comments to Chriss Winston, Rm. 122,
x2930, no later than 10:00 AM Friday, September 8, with
a copy to my office. Thank you.
RESPONSE:
See 9/8/89
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Blessey)
September 7, 1989
3:20 p.m.
39 SEP 7 P3: 45
[SCHOOLS.DOC]
PRESIDENTIAL REMARKS:
ADDRESS TO STUDENTS (7TH-12TH)
THE LIBRARY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1989
12:15 P.M.
[LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW] Somehow the fall always feels like
a time to start over. It's a time full of possibility. Everyone
gets a new chance.
[TO CAMERA] You know, Presidents don't talk directly to
students very often. But what's been on my mind lately is very
important. You may have heard my address to the nation last
week. But I wanted this message to go straight to you.
[LEANS ON EDGE OF DESK] When I was thinking about what I
wanted to say to you today about drugs, I tried to put myself in
your place. To look at it from your perspective. But you know,
the harder I tried, the harder it got.
You live in complicated times. You deal with pressures that
people like me -- people like your mom or dad -- never had to
face.
Some say my generation came of age in a simpler time. A
time when doing lines meant reciting poems. When Coke only came
in bottles. Rock only came on the radio. Hash only came in
cans. And the idea of smoking "ice" would have been a little
confusing.
2
Simpler times? Maybe. And if you think your parents don't
understand -- or your teachers don't understand -- you may be
right.
But it's up to you to care enough to talk to them, and make
them understand what it is you're dealing with, every day.
Whether they want to or not. Whether you think they deserve it
or not.
[PICKS UP GLOVE] I used to play ball. Knew I'd never make
the big leagues -- but I made a lot of friends. Friends I
learned to count on -- on and off the field. Friends who showed
me what it's like to be counted on.
We trusted each other to come through -- no matter how tough
it got. And I learned from that. I learned that the kind of
people you surround yourself with can either give you strength --
or take it away.
Somehow, some people just make you find the best in
yourself. They can help make you a better person -- help you
discover more of who you are.
[PUTS DOWN GLOVE] But there are others, who may seem like
friends, who will offer you a one-way ticket to nowhere -- every
time they offer you drugs.
You're at a point in your life when the doors should all be
opening to you. And with each step, with a thousand small
decisions, you're shaping your future. It ought to be bright
with potential. But for some, who are letting drugs make their
decisions for them, you can almost hear the doors slamming shut.
)
3
We know that now. Attitudes that once encouraged or excused
drug use have changed.
Cocaine use has dropped by about a third among high school
seniors. Overall drug use is at the lowest levels in ten years.
We now understand that "casual" drug use is a myth.
But even if you don't use drugs, you ought to be angry about
them. Because you're being cheated by those who do.
Add it all up, and drug use costs this country well over $60
billion a year. If every student entering junior and senior high
school this fall had to pay that bill, it would cost each of you
more than $3000. Every year.
But of course, we're all paying for it. Every day. Every
time someone does drugs; or sells drugs; or even just looks the
other way, they're supporting an industry that costs more than
money. It costs lives. Because "casual" drug use is responsible
for the casualties of the drug war.
Each of you has a choice to make -- and dozens of chances to
make it. At a party, in a locker room, in the school parking
lot. And parents, preachers, politicians -- you know that none
of them make it for you. It's yours. I won't tell you how to
make it. But I will tell you what it means.
Every dollar that goes to drugs fuels the killing. As long
as there are Americans willing to buy drugs, there will be people
willing to sell drugs -- and people willing to kill as a cost of
doing business.
4
So even casual users -- dabblers in drugs -- have blood on
their hands. And unlike those of you entering school this fall,
those killed by the drug trade never get a second chance.
Drugs are an equal opportunity destroyer. They have no
conscience. They don't care where the money comes from. They
just murder people. Young and old, good and bad -- it doesn't
matter. For too many, drugs mean death.
[PICKS UP BADGE] I keep this badge in a drawer in my desk,
to remind me of that. It was worn by a young rookie cop named
Eddie Byrne. Twenty-two years old -- not much older than some of
you. He was out trying to stop the drug trade -- trying to
protect a witness, so that a dealer could be brought to justice.
Eddie Byrne had three brothers. A girlfriend he'd known for
four years. He loved football -- was a running back at Plain
Edge High School. He had a lot of friends in his neighborhood.
But in the early hours of a cold February morning, sitting in a
cruiser, Eddie Byrne was blown away at point-blank range.
To me this badge is a constant reminder -- that the killing
must and will stop. It's a promise, that Eddie Byrne's life was
not given in vain. That the slavery of drugs must end -- and
will end. [PUTS BADGE DOWN.]
From where you're sitting right now -- in school -- you're
in a position to begin to make your dreams come true. But out on
the streets, a nightmare for America is happening, right now.
Somewhere a teenage girl who ought to be in school is giving
birth to a baby already addicted to cocaine. That baby is coming
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- so
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fed properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause so much
pain? How can it force brothers to kill brothers, mothers to
abandon children? And behind all of the senseless violence, the
needless tragedy, what haunts me is the question -- why?
[PUTS DOWN VIAL] I have one answer. Drugs are still a
problem, because too many of us are still looking the other way.
And that's why I wanted to talk to you today.
I'm asking you not to look the other way. Maybe you're in
trouble -- or on the edge of trouble. Maybe you know someone who
is.
You know -- all of you know -- who's got a problem. Today
I'm not just asking you to get help. I'm asking you to find
someone who needs help. And help them. If you're not in
trouble, seek out someone who is.
We all need to succeed. And I'll let you in on a secret:
we all can succeed. Maybe you've heard Michael Jordan say "If
you don't use drugs, you can just about be anything you want to
be. You've got at least 3/4 of your life to go. That's three
more lifetimes to you. So don't blow it."
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. It won't make you a
geek. It won't make you a loser, or a dweeb
It will only show
strength. And it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will.
6
I think of Gary -- a very street-tough drug user from
Denver, who was part of a panel answering questions from students
about drugs. In the middle of the session, Gary broke down and
cried, saying that he did drugs because no one who wasn't doing
drugs would like him. When the students in the audience were
asked who would be Gary's friend, there was a sea of hands all
around the room.
You are in control of your life. With knowledge and
education, you will succeed. You can not be denied.
If you're thinking about dropping out, think again. If you
know somebody who's thinking about dropping out, talk to them
about it. If you have friends who have already dropped out, find
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
How can such a small step make any difference? Well, last
winter, after I was sworn in as President, I said that any
definition of a successful life must include serving others. And
I think we all sense that.
A friend of mine tells a story about a young boy and an old
man who were walking along a beach. As the boy walked along the
beach he picked up each starfish he passed, and threw it into the
sea. The old man asked him why.
"If I left them here," the boy said, "they would dry up in
the sun and die. I'm saving their lives."
"But the beach goes on for miles and their are millions of
starfish," the old man said. "How can what you're doing make any
difference?"
7
The boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it into
the ocean, and answered, "It makes a difference to this one."
You're here to make a difference -- for yourself, and those
around you. So learn to count on each other. Take care of each
other. Give someone else another chance. And make the days mean
something.
I've got a lot of faith in you. But even more important,
maybe you've got younger brothers or sisters -- they're looking
up to you. And your future -- well, that's completely up to you.
Make it a good one.
Have a good year. And God bless you.
###
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
STATES
of
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
September 8, 1989
MEMORANDUM
To:
Denise Schwartz
Office of Cabinet Affairs
From: Chino Chapa C.C.
Acting Chief of Staff
Re:
Presidential Remarks: Address to Students
A few suggestions on the Presidential remarks:
- The President should consider at least mentioning
alcohol. It is an illegal substance for those under 18 and
the "drug of choice" for most of our teenagers. Secretary
Cavazos has been very outspoken about this in his speeches
at schools.
PAGE 3
- Suggestion for 2nd paragraph: "We now understand that
there are serious consequences to 'casual use. [Something
stronger than myth.]
- Suggestion for 3rd paragraph: Start with "Most of you do
not use drugs. [Most kids do not, thus we shouldn't
start with "even if."]
- Suggestion for 6th paragraph: In the third sentence, the
last half should read, # -- none of them makes that
choice for you."
400 MARYLAND AVE., S.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20202-
PO1 and NA 21:60 69 '90 '60
To Stephanie
Date 9/7
Time 11:05
WHILE YOU WERE OUT
M Mr Fields club adrisors
He thought this would x good for Bush's speech
of Brian Mcmahon H.S.
Phone Norwalk, CT
Area Code
Number
Extension
TELEPHONED
PLEASE CALL
CALLED TO SEE YOU
WILL CALL AGAIN
WANTS TO SEE YOU
URGENT
RETURNED YOUR CALL
Message
203-852-9488
to Am. kids 9/12.
before 2/2:15
students have onn
SADA Drug Support Group
Students Aqainst Operator DrugsAlcohol
AMPAD
totally initiated by
EFFICIENCY® kids !!
23-020
Dr. Forsalina principal if Mr. available Fields not