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{
    "localId": "1133473",
    "label": "6/13/76 - Stanford University Commencement",
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{
    "id": "1133473",
    "sourceUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133473",
    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "6/13/76 - Stanford University Commencement",
    "description": "This file contains material relating to Conspicuous Consumption, Waste, Suburban Sprawl.",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/1133473",
    "collections": [
        "Carla A. Hills Speeches",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Conservation",
        "Democracy",
        "Local government",
        "Natural resources",
        "Urban policy"
    ],
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    "coverageEndDate": {
        "day": 13,
        "logicalDate": "1976-06-13",
        "month": 6,
        "year": 1976
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        "logicalDate": "1976-06-13",
        "month": 6,
        "year": 1976
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{
    "seq": 1,
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    "type": "document",
    "url": "https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/presidential-libraries/ford/grf-0305/656148/1133473.pdf",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box 2, folder \"6/13/76 - Stanford University\nCommencement\" of the Carla A. Hills Speeches at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential\nLibrary.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box 63 of the Philip Buchen Files at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\nQUALITY OF LIFE\nSTANFORD UNIVERSITY COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS\nJUNE 13, 1976\nTo RETURN TO THE LAWRENCE FROST AMPHITHEATER JUST 21 YEARS\nAFTER MY OWN COMMENCEMENT BRINGS SUCH A FLOOD OF THOUGHTS TO\nMIND. So MUCH HAS HAPPENED TO THE UNIVERSITY, THE COUNTRY, THE\nWORLD AND TO ME,\nTHAT A NUMBER OF YOU HAVE BEEN BORN SINCE I WAS LAST HERE\nIS SOBERING ENOUGH.\nBUT WHAT ABOUT OUR SOCIETY? Now THAT A GENERATION HAS\nPASSED SINCE MY GRADUATION, WHAT CAN I SAY ABOUT THE QUALITY\nOF LIFE IN OUR COUNTRY TODAY AS COMPARED TO THEN?\nIT MAKES LITTLE DIFFERENCE, I SUPPOSE, AS TO WHETHER THEN\nOR NOW WAS THE BEST TIME TO BEGIN CAREERS, YET I WOULD LIKE\nTO THINK THAT OUR HOPES -- YOURS AND MINE -- CAN BE HIGHER TODAY\nFOR THE FUTURE THAN THEY WERE IN 1955,\n1955 -- OVERSAW THE WINDING DOWN OF THE KOREAN WAR, JUST\nAS WE NOW WATCH THE BITTERNESS OF VIETNAM RECEDING. WHAT HAVE\nWE LEARNED OF WAR? MAYBE NOT ENOUGH TO AVOID ANOTHER ONE, BUT\nPERHAPS AT LEAST ENOUGH NOT TO ACCEPT BLINDLY THE NARROW VIEWS\nOF OTHERS REGARDING WHAT IS AND WHAT IS NOT WORTH FIGHTING FOR.\nGERALD FL. FORD CIBRANT\n-2-\n1955 -- WAS ALSO THE YEAR AFTER BROWN VS, THE BOARD OF\nEDUCATION. SEPARATE BUT EQUAL FACILITIES FOR BLACKS, SAID THE\nSUPREME COURT, IS A CONTRADICTION OF TERMS, THAT DECISION\nLAUNCHED A SOCIAL REVOLUTION UNSURPASSED IN THIS CENTURY, AND\nANY FAIR-MINDED EVALUATION SHOWS GREAT PROGRESS --- REGARDLESS\nOF HOW MUCH WE SEE THERE IS YET TO DO.\nTHE OTHER SOCIAL REVOLUTION OF THIS CENTURY BEGAN ONLY ONE\nGENERATION EARLIER IN THE 1930's. OUR MOST GENEROUS EFFORTS TO\nIMPROVE OUR SOCIETY STEM FROM THE PERIOD OF THE NEW DEAL. THAT\nTHOSE AND SUBSEQUENT EFFORTS HAVE FALLEN SHORT OF THEIR GOAL\nAND HAVE LEFT IN THEIR WAKE INEFFICIENT GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACIES\nARE NOT THE MOST MATERIAL POINTS. THE SIGNIFICANCE IS THAT IN\nTHE 30's AND AGAIN IN THE 50's WE BEGAN MAJOR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE\nTHE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR A GREATER PROPORTION OF AMERICANS.\nNow IN 1976 AFTER ALL THAT HAS OCCURRED IN THESE LAST TWO\nYEARS, WE ASK AGAIN -- JUST AS WE DID IN THE 50's AND IN THE\n30's -- DO WE AS A NATION HAVE THE STAMINA TO TRY AGAIN TO FIND\nA BETTER WAY? CAN YOU FIND FOR YOURSELVES AND CAN WE FIND AS A\nSOCIETY A MEASURE OF REAL IMPROVEMENT IN THE GENERATION AHEAD?\nPUT SIMPLY: Is OURS A RISING OR A DECLINING CIVILIZATION?\n-3-\nTHERE ARE OBVIOUS MARKS OF IMPROVEMENT. BLACKS, WOMEN,\nJEWS, CATHOLICS -- ALL MINORITIES -- CAN ASPIRE TO BROADER\nSUCCESS IN BUSINESS, THE PROFESSIONS, POLITICS, AND SOCIETY,\nWHETHER THROUGH THE FORCE OF LAW OR THE CHANGE OF TRADITION,\nTHE OBSTACLES OF THE FIRST THREE-QUARTERS OF THIS CENTURY SEEM\nTO BE IN SOME MEASURE THE OPPORTUNITIES OF THE LAST QUARTER.\nWHEN YOU LEFT SCHOOL FOR YOUR SUMMER RECESS JUST TWO YEARS\nAGO, THE COUNTRY WAS ENTERING BOTH ITS GREATEST CONSTITUTIONAL\nCRISIS AND AN ECONOMIC DECLINE THAT THREATENED TO RIVAL THE\nGREAT DEPRESSION OF THE 1930's.\nREASONABLE PEOPLE LOOKED THEN WITH DESPAIR AT A POLITICAL\nSYSTEM WHOSE LEADERS WERE BEING CONVICTED AND DISCREDITED ON A\nSCALE UNPARALLELED IN THE FREE WORLD AND AT AN ECONOMIC SYSTEM\nTHAT SEEMED UNABLE TO MAINTAIN ITSELF.\nBUT TODAY IN OUR BICENTENNIAL YEAR, WE ARE APPROACHING THE\nELECTION OF 1976 WITH A DEDICATION TO MORALITY AND FAIRNESS\nUNEQUALLED IN OUR 200 YEARS AND PERHAPS UNEQUALLED ANYWHERE IN\nTHE WORLD. WE HAVE LEARNED AGAIN THAT OURS IS STILL A CREATIVE\nSOCIETY, A COUNTRY OF UNRIVALED VITALITY. MORE THAN ANY OTHER\nNATION, IT IS STILL AMERICA THAT IS DISPLAYING THE STRENGTH TO\nLEAD THE FREE WORLD OUT OF ITS ECONOMIC AND MORAL RECESSION,\n-4-\n\"So WHAT?\" -- YOU MAY SAY. HERE WE ARE AGAIN -- BACK WHERE\nWE STARTED. THE POORLY EDUCATED, POORLY FED, POORLY HOUSED,\nAND JOBLESS ARE STILL WITH US IN NUMBERS FAR TOO LARGE TO BE\nACCEPTED. WHERE ARE THE CONCEPTS, THE STRATEGIES, AND THE LEADERS\nTHAT WILL SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS? Is IT ENOUGH TO RECOVER OUR\nBALANCE? WILL WE NEVER ADVANCE?\nOUR NATIONAL CONFIDENCE IN OUR INSTITUTIONS HAS BEEN ON AN\nEMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER, As SOON AS POLITICAL LEADERS WERE\nPURGED, HEADLINES FEATURING THEM WERE REPLACED WITH NEW ONES ABOUT\nBUSINESS LEADERS WHOSE INTEREST IN COMPETITIVE BRIBERY SEEMS TO\nHAVE SURPASSED THEIR COMMITMENT TO COMPETITIVE PRICING. TODAY,\nBOTH HAVE GIVEN WAY TO NEW WAVES OF HEADLINES THAT REFLECT POORLY\nON SOME LEGISLATORS IN WASHINGTON.\nBUT, THE SURVIVING TRUTH IS THAT WE STILL HAVE OUR SENSE\nOF INDIGNATION -- THE PLIGHT OF OUR UNDERPRIVILEGED AND THE\nTRANSGRESSIONS OF OUR LEADERS STILL INVOKES OUR OUTRAGE.\nTHE THRUST OF MY FEW REMARKS THIS MORNING WILL BE AN ASSESSMENT\nOF OUR WILL AND OUR CAPACITY FOR MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT, AS WE\nBEGIN OUR THIRD CENTURY AND AS WE AGAIN ATTEMPT TO DEAL WITH THE\nSAME SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THAT HAVE FRUSTRATED DEDICATED\nAND EXPENSIVE GOVERNMENTAL EFFORTS IN THE PAST. THAT WE CAN CAUSE\nCHANGE IF WE PUT OUR MINDS AND MONEY TO THE TASK CAN SCARCELY BE\nDOUBTED, FOR OUR HISTORY IS REPLETE WITH HEROIC ACHIEVEMENT.\n-5-\nTWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO, FOR EXAMPLE, THE IDEA OF FLIGHT BEYOND\nTHE EARTH'S PULL OF GRAVITY WAS A DREAM OF A FEW FAR-SEEING\nSCIENTISTS AND FICTION WRITERS. TODAY THE ADVENTURES OF THE\nENTERPRISE CREW IN STAR TREK SEEM COMMON PLACE TO OUR YOUNGEST\nCHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF MAN IN SPACE IS LITERALLY TAKEN FOR\nGRANTED.\nTHE MORE DIFFICULT QUESTION IS WHETHER WE HAVE THE WISDOM\nAND THE STAYING POWER TO SECURE CHANGES THAT WILL GIVE A GREATER\nPROPORTION OF AMERICANS BOTH THE DESIRE AND THE CHANCE FOR A\nBETTER QUALITY OF LIFE.\nONE INDICATION OF OUR CAPACITY TO CHANGE IS OUR GROWING\nREALIZATION THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE LIMITED AND THAT WE HAVE BEEN\nA WASTEFUL PEOPLE,\nTHE GASOLINE CRISIS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE ENERGY.\nTHE ENVIRONMENTALISTS TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE THE AIR AND\nWATER RESOURCES UPON WHICH WE DEPEND FOR SURVIVAL,\nTHE CIVIL DISTURBANCES OF 1968 TAUGHT US THAT WE WASTE OUR\nHUMAN RESOURCES BY CONSIGNING LARGE SEGMENTS OF OUR POPULATION\nTO A CONTINUING CYCLE OF POVERTY FROM WHICH FAR TOO FEW BREAK\nFREE.\n-6-\nWE KNOW WE HAVE WASTED THE CAPACITY OF WOMEN TO CONTRIBUTE.\nOUR COLLECTIVE EXISTENCE HAS BEEN ONE OF CONSUMPTION,\nWE CONSUMED A FRONTIER AND TURNED IT INTO A SERIES OF SPRAWLING\nCITIES. AND WE CONSUME OUR RESOURCES AT A FRIGHTENING RATE\nTO KEEP THOSE CITIES ALIVE. Yet ONE LOOK AT OUR CITIES MAKES\nIT APPARENT THAT WE ARE WASTING THEIR POTENTIAL AS A QUALITY\nHABITAT FOR MAN,\nIT IS TRUE THAT OUR STANDARD OF LIVING HAS INCREASED OVER\nTHE PAST THREE DECADES. BUT IT IS ALSO TRUE THAT SINCE WORLD\nWAR II THE LEVEL OF OUR DESIRES HAS ESCALATED EVEN MORE.\nTHE LEVEL OF GOODS THAT PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THINK THEY\nARE ENTITLED TO OWN IS MUCH HIGHER TODAY THAN IT WAS 30 YEARS\nAGO. WE LIVE IN BIGGER -- NOT NECESSARILY BETTER -- HOUSES,\nWE HAVE BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO DRIVING BIGGER -- NOT NECESSARILY\nBETTER -- CARS, OUR APPETITES HAVE INCREASED FASTER THAN OUR\nRESOURCES,\n-7-\nSEVENTY YEARS AGO RIGHT HERE ON THE STANFORD CAMPUS,\nTHORSTEIN VEBLEN TOLD US WHAT WAS COMING: HE SAID WE WERE\nMOTIVATED AS MUCH BY OUR DESIRE TO CONSUME CONSPICUOUSLY AS\nBY OUR DESIRE FOR ECONOMIC SUFFICIENCY, AND ONLY LAST YEAR\nPROFESSOR DANIEL BELL NOTED THAT WITH OUR PRESENT ATTITUDE\nNO GIVEN LEVEL OF ECONOMIC WELL-BEING WILL EVER SUFFICE.\nPROFESSOR BELL CALLS THE YEARS SINCE WORLD WAR II A REVOLUTION\nOF \"RISING ENTITLEMENTS\".\nNOWHERE HAS OUR WILLINGNESS TO THROW AWAY THE SLIGHTLY\nTARNISHED FOR THE SHINY NEW BEEN MORE EVIDENT THAN IN OUR\nCITIES, A SUBJECT OF PARTICULAR CONCERN TO THE SECRETARY OF\nHOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.\nTHE STARK FACT IS THAT LARGE PARTS OF OUR GREATEST CITIES\nHAVE BEEN SACRIFICED TO OBSOLESCENCE AND DECAY. IN NEW YORK\nCITY ALONE 50,000 UNITS OF HOUSING ARE ABANDONED EACH YEAR,\nABANDONED NEIGHBORHOODS AND NEARBY SLUMS HOUSE A\nCONCENTRATION OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS OF A MAGNITUDE WHICH SEEM\nNEAR INSOLUABLE: CRIME, RACIAL ANIMOSITY, FAMILY DISINTEGRATION.\n-8-\nOUR YEARS OF ABUNDANCE SOMEHOW FOSTERED THE NOTION THAT\nOUR URBAN ASSETS COULD BE DISCARDED, As OUR CENTER CITIES GREW\nOLD, THOSE WHO COULD, FLED THE URBAN CORE WITH ITS PROBLEMS FOR\nTHE NEWLY-BUILT SUBURBS, UNTIL RECENTLY, GOVERNMENT POLICIES\nACTUALLY ENCOURAGED THIS SUBURBAN SPRAWL, A SPRAWL THAT HAS\nCONSUMED THOUSANDS OF SQUARE MILES OF OUR REMAINING OPEN SPACE,\nYET OUR CITIES HOLD IRREPLACEABLE RESOURCES, GREAT MASSES\nOF INVESTED WEALTH AND PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY AS WELL AS HISTORY\nAND BEAUTY CAN BE FOUND THERE, A LARGE PORTION OF OUR HOUSING\nSTOCK IS SITUATED THERE, ALONG WITH NEEDED WATER AND SEWER LINES,\nFACTORIES, ROADS, SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, AND UTILITIES,\nWE FORGET TOO EASILY THAT WHEN WE ABANDON A HOUSING UNIT IN A\nCITY, WE ARE ABANDONING A PART OF ALL THESE RELATED ASSETS,\nI STATE THE OBVIOUS WHEN I SAY THAT RECYCLING CITIES IS\nHALF AS COSTLY AS SUBURBAN DEVELOPMENT ON ALL COUNTS -- CAPITAL,\nLAND, ENERGY, AND ECOLOGICAL DISRUPTION.\nFAIR-MINDED PEOPLE CAN LOOK AT THE AGONY OF OUR CITIES\nOVER HOUSING, JOBS, AND BUSSING, AND AGREE THAT THE BLAME DOES\nNOT TOTALLY LIE WITH RACISTS OR WITH MEDDLESOME OFFICIALS,\nRATHER IT IS APPARENT THAT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS HAVE\nGROWN FAR FASTER THAN OUR DETERMINATION TO FORGE ACCEPTABLE\nSOLUTIONS.\n-9-\nWHAT WE NEED AND WHAT WE ARE NOW BEGINNING IS A WAR, A\nWAR THAT CANNOT BE WON WITH MONEY ALONE, A WAR THAT MUST BE\nSKILLFULLY DIRECTED AND SUPPORTED ON A LOCAL LEVEL, WE COULD\nNOT WIN THE WAR OF THE SOUTH VIETNAMESE VILLAGES WITH BILLIONS\nOF DOLLARS OF AID, AND WE LOST THE FIRST ROUND OF OUR FIGHT\nTO SAVE OUR CITIES EVEN THOUGH WE SPENT BILLIONS OF DOLLARS\nON PUBLIC HOUSING.\nCITIES, WHICH HAVE HAD THEIR TAX BASE DANGEROUSLY ERODED,\nWHOSE SCHOOLS HAVE PRIMARILY THE DISADVANTAGED, AND WHOSE\nINDUSTRY IS LEAVING, ARE IN A DOWNWARD SPIRAL. To REVERSE\nTHAT SPIRAL REQUIRES NEW INCENTIVES TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND\nTO ATTRACT A HETEROGENOUS MIX OF PEOPLE.\nNEW YORK'S PLIGHT HAS BEEN THE SYMBOL OF A BATTLE SEEMINGLY\nLOST. WILMINGTON, HARTFORD, PORTLAND, PHILADELPHIA, BOSTON,\nSAINT LOUIS, CHICAGO, AND KANSAS CITY COULD BE SYMBOLS OF SUCCESS,\nSUSPENSION OF PROPERTY TAXES, PRIVATE INVESTMENT INCENTIVES,\nFEDERAL REVENUE SHARING, AND FEDERAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK\nGRANTS -- WHICH BET ON LOCAL INITIATIVE ARE ALL WEAPONS THAT\nWELL DIRECTED CITIES ARE USING.\n-10-\nIN THE PAST WE, AS INDIVIDUALS, HAVE ABANDONED THE CITIES TO\nTHEIR PROBLEMS. RATHER THAN ATTACK DETERIORATING NEIGHBORHOODS,\nINCREASING CRIME, SEGREGATED EDUCATION, AND JOBLESS MINORITIES\nWITH OUR VOTES, OUR TAX DOLLARS, AND WITH ALL THE CREATIVITY AND\nENERGY THAT WE COULD MUSTER, WE HAVE TOO OFTEN CURSED THE\nINEPTITUDE OF OUR CITIES' LEADERS FROM THE SANCTITY OF OUR SUBURBS.\nOF COURSE THE ANSWER IS NOT IN BUSSING OUR CHILDREN BACK AND\nFORTH. IT IS TAKING OURSELVES BACK TO THE FIGHT TO REHABILITATE\nTHE STRUCTURES, THE GOVERNMENT, AND THE SCHOOLS OF THE CITIES,\nFORTUNATELY, THE VERY FORCES WHICH NOW REQUIRE US TO CONSERVE\nOUR URBAN ASSETS ARE ALSO GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE\nINCENTIVE TO REVITALIZE THEM. SCARCITY AND THE RESULTANT HIGH\nCOST OF LAND, RAW MATERIALS, AND ENERGY ARE MAKING URBAN LIVING\nA MORE ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVE.\nSOME CHILDREN OF THE GENERATION WHO FLED TO THE SUBURBS ARE\nRETURNING TO THE CITIES. AREAS THAT ONCE WERE SLUMS HEADING FOR\nABANDONMENT ARE BEING RESTORED BY FAMILIES NO LONGER WILLING TO\nBEAR THE COST AND INCONVENIENCES OF SUBURBAN LIFE,\n-11-\nIT TOOK OUR CITIES A LONG TIME TO REACH THEIR PRESENT STATE\nOF AFFAIRS, AND IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME AND GREAT INGENUITY TO\nTURN THE TREND -- BUT TURN IT CAN. OUR ADVERSITY CARRIES WITH\nIT THE OPPORTUNITY TO RE-CREATE THE URBAN CENTERS TO THEIR KEY\nECONOMIC, HISTORIC AND CULTURAL PLACE.\nI DWELL ON THE CITY HERE PARTLY BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN THE FOCUS\nOF MY WORK IN WASHINGTON BUT MOSTLY BECAUSE CITY PROBLEMS PROVIDE\nAN INTENSE COMPOSITE PICTURE OF ALL OF OUR CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS,\nIF WE AS A PEOPLE ARE TO SECURE REAL SOCIAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THE\nGENERATION AHEAD WE MUST PROVE OUR WILL AND CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH\nTHE PROBLEMS CONCENTRATED IN OUR CITIES.\nAs I SEE THE BATTLE FOR THE CITIES EVOLVE, I SEE A NEW\nTOLERANCE TAKING SHAPE FOR THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE,\nMORE AND MORE I SEE THE UNRESTRAINED GROWTH OF THE PAST YIELD\nTO THE RECOGNITION THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED APPETITES FOR INCOMPATIBLE\nGOALS, WHEN THERE WAS PLENTY OF EVERYTHING, WHETHER IT BE SPACE,\nAIR, CLEAN WATER, OR FEDERAL FUNDS, WE SEEMED TO PERCEIVE ONLY\nSINGLE TRUTHS -- ONE PROBLEM, ONE ANSWER. SOMETHING WAS EITHER\nDESIRABLE OR UNDESIRABLE -- RIGHT OR WRONG. OUR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC\nPROBLEMS COULD BE FAR MORE EASILY EXPLAINED IN SUCH A FRAMEWORK.\n-12-\nONCE WE ADMIT THAT THERE ARE FEW ABSOLUTES AND KNOW THAT\nWE WILL BE CHOOSING BETWEEN DIFFERENT RIGHTS, NOT NECESSARILY\nBETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG, WE CREATE A CLIMATE OF ACCOMMODATION\nTHAT IS THE NECESSARY PREREQUISITE OF PROGRESS.\nWE KNOW NOW THAT OUR RESOURCES ARE NOT SUFFICIENT TO\nACHIEVE ALL THE OBJECTIVES THAT EACH OF US INDIVIDUALLY WOULD\nLIKE TO SET FOR OUR CIVILIZATION, AND WE TURN TO THE FAR MORE\nDIFFICULT, BUT FAR MORE PRODUCTIVE, PROCESS OF MAKING THE\nNECESSARY RELATIVE CHOICES,\nAMERICA HAS BEEN A SPOILED CHILD, BUT IT NOW MAY BE PASSING\nOUT OF ITS ADOLESCENCE.\nWITH LUCK AND GOOD LEADERSHIP WE WILL SPEND THE NEXT 21\nYEARS FINDING BETTER WAYS TO SOLVE THE ISSUES THAT DIVIDE US\n-- ISSUES FOR THE MOST PART THAT ARE NEITHER CONSERVATIVE NOR\nLIBERAL -- SIMPLY TOUGH:\n-13-\nNEW BUSINESS AND ENERGY GROWTH\nVERSUS\nTHE INSISTENT DEMAND FOR BETTER ENVIRONMENT.\nTHE PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT TO GUARANTEE\nNEW JOBS, HOMES, AND SECURITY\nAS OPPOSED TO\nOUR FAITH IN FREE ENTERPRISE,\nTHE CRITICAL NEED FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE\nSYSTEM OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE\nWEIGHED AGAINST\nOUR DEDICATION TO FAIR TRIALS AND OUR\nCOMPASSION FOR THE UNDERPRIVILEGED,\nTHE DEMAND OF CONSUMERS FOR BETTER\nTREATMENT\nAGAINST\nTHE CALL OF OTHERS FOR LESS GOVERNMENT\nREGULATION.\nTHE DESPERATE CRY OF THE UNEMPLOYED\nVERSUS\nTHE DESPAIR OF THOSE IMPOVERISHED BY\nTHE LAST INFLATIONARY CYCLE,\nGERALD\n-14-\nPROBLEMS so STATED ARE TIMELESS, THEY ARE FAR MORE LIKELY\nTO EBB AND FLOW -- THAN TO BE SOLVED.\nOUR GOVERNMENTS WILL IN THE FUTURE, AS THEY HAVE BEFORE,\nALLOCATE PEOPLE AND RESOURCES TO DEAL WITH THEM IN ACCORDANCE\nWITH THE PRIORITIES THAT PEOPLE DEMAND,\nYOUR OWN CHANCES TO DEAL WITH THEM IN YOUR PRIVATE AND\nGOVERNMENTAL CAREERS WILL COME ABOUT AS MINE DID THROUGH A\nCOMBINATION OF YOUR OWN DESIRES -- AND CHANCE, As YOU SEE\nSOME PROBLEMS REACH CRISIS LEVEL, YOU WILL SEEK DEDICATED,\nIMAGINATIVE EFFORTS TO REDUCE THE TURMOIL TO A TOLERABLE\nLEVEL, AND YOU WILL SURELY SEE NEW CRISES ARISE TO COMMAND\nTHE NATION'S AND THE WORLD'S ATTENTION,\nTHE MEASURE OF OUR CIVILIZATION IS WHETHER WE MAINTAIN\nTHE CAPACITY AND WILL TO DEAL WITH THESE CRISIS AS THEY ARISE,\nMy VIEW, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT WE DO INDEED HAVE BOTH AND THAT\nTHE PROBLEMS WHICH MAY SEEM DESPERATE TO SOME SHOULD TO YOU\nBE THE GREAT CHALLENGES THAT AWAIT YOUR ATTENTION.\nIF MY OPTIMISM FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY SEEMS NAIVE\nTO SOME, LET ME SAY SIMPLY THAT I SHARE THE CONCERN REGARDING\nTHE FORCES THAT THREATEN OUR DEMOCRACY, THERE HAVE BEEN FAR\nTOO MANY REVELATIONS OF MISCONDUCT NOT TO BE WARY,\n-15-\nBUT I SHARE MORE THE VIEWS OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE\nCLEANSING PROCESS OF THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS STRENGTHENED OUR\nSOCIETY. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THOSE WHO CHARGE THAT WE HAVE\nBEEN ENGAGED IN A FOOLISH SELF-FLAGELLATION BY DISCREDITING OUR\nINSTITUTIONS: GOVERNMENT, BUSINESS, AND THE MILITARY. THERE\nARE, OF COURSE, THOSE WHO CLAIM THAT THE WORLD NEEDS A STRONG,\nSINGLE-DIRECTED AMERICA, NOT ONE DISTRACTED BY SELF-CRITICISM.\nI SEE IT DIFFERENTLY. I SEE THIS COUNTRY ENTERING ITS\nTHIRD CENTURY IN FULL ADULTHOOD WITH ITS HOUSE IN GOOD ORDER,\nWITH THE STRONGEST ECONOMY AND THE STRONGEST DEMOCRACY THIS\nWORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. WITH THE OLDEST CONTINUING GOVERNMENT\nIN THE FREE WORLD, WE STILL RETAIN MORE THAN ANY OTHER NATION,\nTHE WILL AND CAPACITY TO REFORM,\nI AM, IN SHORT, PLEASED TO BE IN MY HOME STATE, AT MY\nUNIVERSITY, TO CELEBRATE YOUR COMMENCEMENT, WITH A FIRM BELIEF\nTHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE QUALITY OF YOUR LIVES AND OUR\nSOCIETY HAVE NEVER BEEN GREATER.\nTHANK YOU,"
}