I want to thank all the moms and dads for your sacrifice and for
the love you show your children and your young men and women as they go through
school and graduate and enter the job market. This year’s market for college
graduates is strong—and that means they’ll have more jobs to choose
from, their starting salaries will be higher, and their opportunities will only
limited by the size of their dreams.
We’re privileged to live in the world’s freest country
at one of the most hopeful moments in human history. We are witnessing dramatic
changes, and these changes present us with great opportunities, choices, and challenges.
To succeed, you’ll need to adapt to a dynamic economy that requires you
to learn new skills. I urge you to rise to these challenges and take charge of
your future. Be open to new ideas. Be willing to take risks. Treat your formal
education as the first step in a lifetime of learning, and your life will be rich
in purpose and reward.
Advances in technology will present you with unprecedented choices
and profound dilemmas. Science offers the prospect of eventual cures for terrible
diseases, and temptations to manipulate life and violate human dignity. With the
Internet, you can communicate instantly with someone halfway across the world—or
isolate yourself from your family and your neighbors.
You must confront the challenges of a world that is now at our doorsteps.
We're seeing the rise of new competitors like China and India, and this competition
creates uncertainty. Some people worry about the future. They want to wall America
off from the competition and retreat into protectionism. This is a sure path to
stagnation and decline. I ask you to reject this pessimism and welcome fair competition,
because it makes us stronger and more prosperous. I ask you to meet the future
with confidence in your ability to compete and succeed. A country that shuts itself
off from competition is a country that isolates itself from opportunities.
The advance of liberty is the story of our time, and we’re
seeing new chapters written before our eyes. Freedom is taking root in places
where liberty was once unimaginable. Just 25 years ago, there were only 45 democracies;
today, there are 122. More people now live in liberty than ever before. The advance
of liberty gives us hope in the future, because free societies are peaceful societies.
This changing world presents you with many exciting opportunities.
Yet a changing world also needs the anchor of old-fashioned values and virtues,
like courage and compassion. These are the virtues that sustain our democracy
and make self-government possible.
We see the spirit of compassion in those who step forward to serve
their community or country. You might volunteer at the local homeless shelter,
clean up debris in your neighborhood, or deliver comfort and relief. But you won’t
do such things unless you feel the calling to go help somebody in need.
I often meet with citizens who volunteer their service in a variety
of ways. They build houses for the underprivileged, visit nursing homes, and tutor
students. One such volunteer says about her service: “I’ve been very
fortunate, and any way I can help other people to have a house to live in, to
have food on the table, or even a clean yard means I’m making a difference.”
We see the spirit of service in our young men and women who step
forward to defend our freedom. They carry on the proud tradition of service in
uniform, and they are every bit as selfless and dedicated to liberty as any generation
before them. Our future is better because of their sacrifice.
Ultimately the character of America will be determined by your willingness
to serve a cause larger than yourself. The day will come when you’ll be
asked, “What have you done to build a better community and country?”
I’m confident that you will answer the call to service, and I promise you
that your life will be more rewarding and fulfilling and your country more hopeful
because of your service. PE
