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Address to Students Re: Drugs 9/12/89 [3]
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25
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7
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 8, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
FROM:
ROGER B. PORTER
RBP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks: Address to Students
I took the liberty of sharing the draft of the President's
address to students in junior high school and high school with
my staff to get their reaction and what they thought would be
the reaction of their children in this age group. It is a very
strong speech in many respects, particularly the concluding
story about the young boy walking along the beach, returning
starfish to the sea.
My suggestions are in two categories. First, some general
suggestions about areas that might be strengthened in the
speech, and second, some specific language suggestions. The
general suggestions that I have are three:
1. There is a need to say something positive in the
speech about the majority of students who do not use drugs.
Some further commendation for them, in addition to admonishing
them to go out and try to help those who are involved in drugs,
would be appreciated. This is an opportunity for the President
to give them a pat on the back and to let them know that he is
convinced the majority of America's youth in junior high school
and high school are doing an excellent job with their lives and
are not involved in drugs.
2. The second general suggestion is that there is nothing
in the speech that refers to alcohol abuse, which the Depart-
ment of Education's recent publication, Schools Without Drugs
identifies as the gateway drug. In that publication, the
Department of Education indicates that alcohol is the most
widely used drug, and that by their senior year 92% of students
in the class of 1988 had used alcohol, and that almost 2/3 of
them had used it in the month prior to the survey. Moreover,
this appears to be a growing problem, with the percentage of
students who use such initial drugs as alcohol by the sixth
grade tripling since 1975. According to this Department of
Education publication, 26 percent of fourth-graders and 42% of
sixth-graders had already used alcohol and that it was
generally acknowledged to be the gateway drug into the use of
illegal substances.
-2-
3. My third general suggestion is that the President
indicate to these students that they are serving as role models
for those who are following them, and that they can make an
extraordinarily positive contribution in people's lives by
being the kind of role model that others will want to and can
profitably emulate.
The specific suggestions I have are as follows:
1. "Hash only came in cans" on page one might usefully be
changed to "Hash only came in cans and was usually made with
corned beef". I would also recommend deleting the first
sentence in the first paragraph, dealing with "ice". This is
apparently a relatively recent phenomenon and we do not want to
encourage it.
2. I would also recommend reworking the first two
paragraphs on page two, which are a little confusing when
reading it for the first time and may be confusing to the
listeners.
3. In the sixth paragraph on page three, I recommend this
change: "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. And parents, preachers, politicians --
you know that none of them make it for you. It's yours. I
can't make that decision for you. But, I will tell you what it
means. "
4. On page 4 in the next-to-last paragraph, I recommend
ending the final sentence by simply stating, "That the slavery
of drugs must end."
5. In the first paragraph on the top of page six, the
illustration of Gary is a little difficult to understand, and
if you are looking for ways of shortening the current draft so
that you can include something about alcohol and role models,
this might be a useful story to delete.
If you have any questions, or I can help in any way, please
let me know.
Document No.
0 +0768 SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/7/89
9/8/89 10:00 AM
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
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:
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.
89 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
AND WAS USUAUM MADE WITH CORN BEEF.
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.
RENDER
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.
SAY SOMETHING POSITIVE ABOUT MAJORITY.
ALCOHOL - THE GATENAY DRUG. SCHOOLS WITHOUT Dears.
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.
DECISION
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
CAN'T MAKE THAT DECISION FOR you.
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.
BEAR PART OF THE RESPONSIBILITY
REMOTENESS of GUILT.
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
Too TO UNDERSTAND
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.
###
BE A ROLE MODEL.
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
September 8, 1989
89 SEP PR:
Memorandum to Chriss Winston
From:
Jim Pinkerton
Subject:
Draft Address to Students
pg. 1, para. 5, line 4 The reference to 'smoking "ice" may
give this new drug unintentional advertising. If knowledge of
"ice" is still fairly low among students, then we are better off
not giving it any nationwide exposure.
2,1,1
"And if you think your parents don't understand -- or
your teachers don't understand -- you may be right."
In isolation, as a soundbite, this sentence comes across as
a bit harsh -- a bit despairing of the possibility of older
people understanding young people. The essence of meaning in
this and the preceding paragraph -- that if your parents don't
understand you, it's because things were different when they were
young -- is undeniable. But it could be misunderstood by
teenagers, who will not wait for the next sentence's "make them
understand," as justifying their all too common tendency to
believe that 'No one understands me.'
A little rephrasing may remedy this, e.g., "So, if it
sometimes seems as if your parents don't understand -- or your
teachers don't understand -- just be patient. It's up to you to
care enough to talk to them, and make sure that they do
understand
"
3,6,1
Instead of "Each of you has a choice to make " we
suggest "Each of you has a decision to make. " The word "choice"
implies that the alternatives are equally worthwhile.
3,6,4
Instead of "I won't tell you how to make it," we
suggest "I can't make it for you. "
7,1-5
We particularly like the starfish parable and the
concluding note about the importance of being a role model. The
argument about "younger brothers and sisters looking up to you"
is a very powerful one. (Bill Bennett's speech to schoolchildren
made effective use of this point. If it hasn't already been
obtained, we recommend that speech as a model.) Perhaps more
emphasis on this point would make it more apt to be remembered by
the audience.
###
SENT BY:Xerox Telecopier 7021 ; 9- 8-89 :11:47AM :
4566218,# I
OFFICE OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROL POLICY
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
Washington, D.C. 20500
September 8, 1989
FAX TRANSMISSSION TO:
Chriss Winston
Office of Cemmunications
FROM:
David Tell
of
ONDCP
SUBJECT:
Presidential Address
to
Students
PAGES:
One (1)
This is a fine speech overall. It does seem a bit long,
considering the audience -- I'd say about 15 minutes, right? If
you could cut two pages you'd be better off.
You should check the high school senior cocaine use number
at the top of page three with Mark Barnes at HHS. I don't have
it at my fingertips, but it seems a bit too good to be true.
Declines in drug use are slowest among young people.
I also think you have a few too many anecdotal stories in
here. The Eddie Byrne story is always a winner. The "Gary"
story on the other hand -- and especially the starfish business
at the end -- seem kinda hokey. These are high school kids,
remember. And anyhow, saving one starfish at a time when there
are millions of them on the beach kind of plays into Democratic
criticism that we're aren't spending nearly enough money to deal
with the enormous problem, right?
These are small nitpicks. I think the speech is basically
okay.
11 8 d3S 68
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
89 SEP 8 A10: 28
September 8, 1989
MEMORANDUM FOR CHRISS WINSTON
DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO THE PRESIDENT FOR
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM:
NELSON LUND nj
ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT
SUBJECT:
Presidential Remarks -- Address to Students
Counsel's office has reviewed the captioned draft remarks. We
have no legal objections.
We appreciate having had the opportunity to review this matter.
CC: James W. Cicconi
Document No.
040+0805 us
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/7/89
9/8/89 10:00 AM
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
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:
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.
89 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.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
Date: 9/8/81
Chriss Winston
TO:
FROM:
x6266 CLARK Office of KENT National ERVIN Service C
Action
Your Comment
Let's Talk
FYI
Attached are am connects
M the Priduct! Sept. 12
4 these to Students.
Document No.
utu+68 SS
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/7/89
DATE:
9/8/89 10:00 AM
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
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:
LO : Olv 8 d3S 68
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
Ext. 2702
(Lange/Blessey)
September 7, 1989
89
3:20 p.m.
SEP
7
[SCHOOLS
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.
[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 you
was what made out
of
cans. And the idea of smoking "ice" would have been a little
confusing.
corned keef
(In the wasn't Prevident's even four day, on "rock" the
radio )
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 dependable 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
contradictions
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
make
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
who pays the cost
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 BO 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
an
them. Talk to them. Find a way to bring them back.
from in now America
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
belowe
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.
###
is
& And resuring when you became you spher a do friend no so this, of often. the prints or light you neighbor of when with I light you from challage those "Fo claim the each who of plague responsibility which now if you know of I to drugs, only have
share
your
derbress
Document No.
WHITE HOUSE STAFFING MEMORANDUM
9/7/89
9/8/89 10:00 AM
DATE:
ACTION/CONCURRENCE/COMMENT DUE BY:
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:
No comments, except the suggestion below.
89 SEP 8 AlO
- Rob Partman 9/8/09
James W. Cicconi
Assistant to the President
- Has a decision been made not to
and Deputy to the Chief of Staff
mention the President's program or
Ext. 2702
Conguess in there remanks? I believe a low hey refunce to
the proposals and POTVS hope for quick action in Congness
be useful.
(Lange/Blessey)
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.
[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.]
another point ?
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.
not cool ?
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.
###
(Lange/Blessey)
September 9, 1989
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.
Presidents don't talk directly to students very often -- and
I know there are Americans of every age watching today. But
what's been on my mind lately is very important. Maybe you heard
my talk 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.
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 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 -- 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 BASEBALL] 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.
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
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, teachers, coaches, politicians -- no one can make
that decision for you. But if you talk to someone you trust,
they may remind you of how much else there is to live for.
It's your decision. 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. There is a connection between the suppliers and
even "occasional" 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 jungles 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 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 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
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. It won't make you a
loser. In fact, it will make you more friends than drugs ever
will.
6
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 to revoke users'
driving priviledges. Or you might lose the college loan you
wanted -- because Federal dollars are not going to go to those
who break the law. These are priviledges, not rights. And if
you risk doing drugs, you risk losing them -- or even 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
7
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
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
serving others. And I hope we all believe 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 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.
000 W MAILFAX 35011
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1
CAMP DAVID
too 'hip'
LBJ talked about "FAT
City" trying to sound under-
standing about Viet Nam protests.
Laugh laugh laugh.
A little too hip in places
Geek???
ALso the apologizing for
past generations must come out.
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FAGE 03
1
THE WHITE HOUSE
WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER 8, 1989
INFORMATION
MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT
THROUGH:
CHRISS WINSTON
3
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.
VALUTEC
418
90 9-10 10:18
PAGE 04
3
(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.
have
heard my 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.
ww
Do Rids.
time in bottles. when Some doing say Hash my lines generation only meant came came reciting in cans, of age poems. and in you a simpler When different served Coke it time. with only A came eggs. mp slar
this
And rocks were for skipping on ponds.
it may seem to you that your pasents grow of
Simpler times? Maybe. So sometimes if it seems your
No
They may bye bid then Deprespoi. They way have gove to was
parents don't understand or your teachers don't understand --
try to be patient. you might be surprised.
It's up to you to care enough to talk to them -- because
they need to understand -- really understand -- what it is you're
301/47
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zone on what we
$11/242
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want then to do
DO 9-10 10:18
PAGE 05
Bring Psats into - A.
dealing with, every day. Whether they want to or not Whether
you think they Brischald 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] Baseball But there are others, who may seen 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 oxcused 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.
m
TTACC
VALUTEU
418
90 9-10 10:19
PAGE 06
Johnson casual use fine county bake to Billing elsewhere (Columbia)
the c's
you-expr ] you
there is a link.
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
teacher coacher,
lot. Parents, preachers, politicians -- no one can make that
frig psts it.
decision for you. It's yours. But I will tell you what it
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
000 W MAILFAX 3501T
VALUTEC
418
'90 9-10 10:20
PAGE 07
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 30 gm 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
000 W MAILFAX 3501T VALUTEC 418 '90 9-10 10:20
PAGE 08
5
into this world shaking and twitching from withdrawal -- 50
sensitive to the touch that it can't be held or fod properly.
[PICKS UP VIAL] How can something so small cause 80 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."
workell
Saying "no" won't make you a nerd. [SMILES] IL won't won make
Over
you # geek. It won't make you a loser, dweeb. In fact, it
will make you more friends than drugs ever will.
000 W MAILFAX 3501T
VALUTEC
418
90
9-10 10:21
PAGE 09
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even lose your freedom. But you will be punished.
was
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
In People see
cang an problem.
room. We're almost doubling prison space. You think there
aren't enough prosecutors? We'll hire them. We've just proposed
the largost 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 aro in control.
You can determine your future. And that means staying in school.
Bacause 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
of
saddum have parida who
all
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
&mp
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get
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1+2
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.
# # #
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
September 12, 1989
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO STUDENTS
The Library
The White House
12:15 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Somehow the fall always feels like a time
to start over. A time full of possibiity and 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 presidents don't often get the
chance to talk directly to students. And 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.
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.
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. And 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 you become a better person
-- help you discover more of who you are. There are others who may
seem like friends, but they're not ---- and they prove it -- every time
they offer you drugs.
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. 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 10 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: Drug and alcohol abuse costs this country
billions of dollars a year 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.
MORE.
- 2 -
Every time someone does drugs, or sells drugs, or even
"just looks the other day," 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 can make 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. 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's 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
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.
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.
I keep this badge -- I keep this badge in my drawer --
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. And 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.
I've heard some say, if you do drugs now and then, why,
you're not hurting anybody. It's no big deal. Well, the next time
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. Where you're sitting right now -- where you're
sitting there 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. And 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.
How can drugs cause so much pain? How can they lead
brothers to kill brothers and 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.
MORE
- 3 5
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
in. 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 new 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 three-quarters 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 agains 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.
And 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. But 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.
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. And if you have friends who have already dropped out, talk to
them, too, 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 you all believe
that.
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.
MORE
- 4 -
"If I left them here, II the boy said, "they would dry up
in the sun and die. I'm saving their lives. If
"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 at all?"
And the boy looked at the starfish in his hand, threw it
out 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.
END
12:30 P.M. EDT