EMBARGOED: Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama at University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Commencement

*** EMBARGOED UNTIL TIME OF DELIVERY ***

 

Remarks of First Lady Michelle Obama—As Prepared for Delivery

University of Arkansas Pine Bluff Commencement

Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Saturday, May 8, 2010

 

As Prepared for Delivery—

 

Thank you so much.  I am so thrilled and so honored to be here today to help celebrate the extraordinary young men and women of the Class of 2010. 

 

Thank you, Chancellor Davis, for that very kind introduction, and for continuing your family tradition of inspired leadership at this university. 

 

I also want to recognize Governor Mike Beebe and Mrs. Ginger Beebe, Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, Representative Mike Ross, Attorney General Dustin McDaniel and Mayor Carl Redus. 

 

Thanks also to Carl L. Johnson, Vice Chairman of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, the members of the Board of Trustees and B. Alan Sugg, President of the University of Arkansas System. 

 

And graduates, let’s all take a moment to thank the unsung heroes here today – your families: the folks who pushed you and believed in you, the folks who answered all those late night phone calls, even when you were just calling to ask for money, the folks whose love sustains you every single day. 

 

Because today is their day too.  So let’s give them a round of applause.

 

Finally, to the stars of today’s show, the class of 2010 – congratulations, we are all so proud of you. 

 

You’ve worked so hard and invested so much of yourselves. 

 

During your time here, your teachers have become mentors, your classes have become passions and career ambitions and your classmates have become lifelong friends. 

 

From the day you arrived as freshmen, you have taken all this school has to offer and made it your own. 

 

And in doing so, you’ve become part of a proud tradition – one that began 135 years ago, just a decade past slavery, on that September day when the Branch Normal College first opened its doors. 

 

Things were very different back then. 

 

There were no lecture halls or dorm rooms, no athletic facilities or libraries. 

 

The first campus was little more than a run-down frame house in desperate need of repairs. 

 

The first class consisted of just seven students, some of whom could barely read at a first grade level. 

 

Life was full of uncertainty for these students. 

 

There was no clear path to success – no guarantee of opportunity when they graduated. 

 

Still, with hope in their hearts, and faith in their God-given potential, they came here anyway, they came to do the only thing they could – they came to learn. 

 

Just imagine how those seven students would feel if they could see all of you here today? 

 

If they could see how their tiny schoolhouse has become the Flagship of the Delta – a great university with a network of alumni across this country.

 

Imagine their pride in seeing all this institution has accomplished: the Vesper Choir performing at the Vatican; the ROTC program producing a U.S. Army General; the Golden Lions making it to the NCAA tournament; and generations of doctors, lawyers, educators and others who have gone on to improve the lives of millions.

 

And do you think they could ever have dreamed that their school band would be chosen to march at the inaugural parade of a United States President, and that President would be an African American man named Barack Obama?

 

Graduates, when you think about how far you’ve come, when you think about how far this university has come, it just once again reminds you that God is good. 

 

And today, we celebrate not just your achievements, but the achievements of all those who came before you, those who poured everything they had into building this school and giving you opportunities they never could’ve imagined for themselves.

 

But even today, with all the progress that’s been made, and all that you’ve achieved, I know that for so many of you, the journey hasn’t been easy. 

 

Many of you probably grew up like me in neighborhoods where few had the chance to go to college where being teased for wanting academic success was a fact of life, where well-meaning, but misguided folks questioned whether a girl with a background like mine could succeed at a school like Princeton.  

 

But like me you knew you wanted something more. 

 

Just like those first seven students at this school, something inside of you drove you to set your sights higher. 

 

It was that internal drive that kept you focused, kept you out of trouble, and earned you admission to this University. 

 

I’m sure you all remember the joy you felt when you opened those acceptance letters.

 

But I’m sure that some of you also remember the initial shock you experienced when you first arrived on campus – and realized that the expectations were perhaps a little higher and the work was harder than anticipated. 

 

But that didn’t stop you instead, you dug deep, you stepped up your game – and ultimately earned yourself that diploma.  

 

But now, after all you’ve done to get this far after all of your achievements and struggles a new set of challenges awaits. 

 

Suddenly, you’re facing a future of debt in the form of tens of thousands of dollars of student loans – and you’ve got to find a job that will start paying the bills before the bill collectors come knocking.  

 

I know the feeling.  It wasn’t that long ago that my husband and I were still paying off our own loans.  

 

It can start to feel like each time you overcome one obstacle and achieve something big, another obstacle is right there to take its place. 

 

The bar is set, then you work as hard as you can to reach that bar, and just when you think you’ve finally reached it, the bar moves even higher – even farther out of reach. 

 

And I know that can be frustrating – particularly for young people like you who’ve been raised in a popular culture that doesn’t always value hard work and commitment, a culture that instead glorifies easy answers and instant gratification, the fast food, the instant messaging, the easy credit.

 

Your generation has come of age in a culture that celebrates fleeting reality TV fame rather than the hard labors of lasting success. 

 

It’s a culture that elevates today’s celebrity gossip over the serious issues that will shape our future for decades to come. 

 

It’s a culture that tells us that our lives should be easy, that suffering and struggle should be avoided at all costs, and that we can have everything we want without a whole lot of effort. 

 

But we all know that life really doesn’t work that way. 

 

Despite all those promises of easy money and fast profits, how many businesses do you know that succeed without the hard work and serious investments to produce a quality product?   

 

Despite all those expectations of instant progress and overnight change, how many leaders do you know that have made lasting contributions without major trials and setbacks along the way? 

 

It took decades of struggle to end slavery, for women to earn the right to vote, and for us to free ourselves from the scourge of segregation.

 

And we all remember what happened to our economy when we succumbed to the lure of easy credit, too-good-to-be-true-mortgages, and assurances that it’s just fine to spend way beyond our means.  

 

So graduates, I’d like to suggest that – contrary to what you might see on TV or in the tabloids –few things worth achieving happen in an instant, and there’s often great value in great struggle. 

 

I’m here to suggest that it’s only by embracing, rather than shrinking from challenges, it’s only by setting and striving for our own ambitious bars that we become what we are truly meant to be. 

 

Think for a moment about those first seven students at this school. 

 

They arrived here at a time when newly freed people had few opportunities beyond sharecropping, when oppressive “black codes” still limited their freedom, and lynching and mob violence were facts of life. 

 

They had been raised in a society that viewed them not as potential students, or professionals, or even citizens – but as property – unfit for, and undeserving of, an education. 

 

But something inside of them rejected that notion. 

 

Somehow, they were able to see beyond what they had been told. 

 

Somehow, they held fast to their own vision of themselves – as scholars, as future teachers, as human beings with something worthy to contribute. 

 

And that same defiant courage, that same spirit of self-determination, has fueled the success of countless students in every generation since. 

 

Consider the example of Dr. Samuel Kountz, class of 1952. 

 

He performed the first kidney transplant between people who weren’t identical twins. 

 

And over the years, his pioneering research has made countless other transplants possible. 

 

Believe it or not, back when he first applied to this school as a young man, he actually failed the entrance examination. 

 

But he didn’t give up on his dream of an education. 

 

He didn’t withdraw his application. 

 

He simply decided that his test score didn’t reflect his true potential and he appealed straight to the university President, who agreed, and admitted him despite his scores. 

 

And think about how many lives have been saved, and how much medical progress has been made, because Samuel Kountz believed more in himself than in some number on a page.

 

And people like Dr. Kountz are everywhere. 

 

They are sitting among you here today. 

 

Consider the journey of Quiana Childress who’s graduating today with a degree in biology. 

 

Quiana grew up in a tiny town in a family that struggled just to keep the lights on and the water running – and at the age of 16, she became homeless. 

 

In order to provide for herself, she found work as a nursing assistant. 

 

And living out of a car, she’d go to school during the day, and she’d work late nights and weekends at her job, sometimes up to 16 hours a day. 

 

Every day was hard.  Every day was exhausting. 

 

And one day at work, when she was just about ready to throw in the towel, Quiana thought for a moment, not about her own struggles, but about those of her patients. 

 

She thought about how sick they were and how much pain they were in. 

 

And at that moment she realized – as she put it, and I quote: “they needed me more than I needed to give up.” 

 

At that moment, Quiana found herself, she found her true calling in life – to be a doctor. 

 

And it’s not just her prestigious internships or her near-perfect GPA that will help her fulfill that dream. 

 

It’s the compassion she has for others’ suffering that comes from having suffered so much herself. 

 

It’s her burning desire to rise above her circumstances – her unrelenting belief that she can succeed despite all evidence to the contrary. 

 

All of that will not just make Quiana a good doctor – but an extraordinary one. 

 

And think for a moment about the improbable endeavor that was my husband’s campaign for President.

 

He’d be the first to tell you that he wasn’t the likeliest candidate for that office. 

 

He didn’t start out with many connections or much money or name recognition. 

 

And when he first began campaigning out in Iowa and New Hampshire, most folks whose hands he shook and homes he visited had no idea who he was.

 

But Barack Obama didn’t get discouraged. 

 

He didn’t listen to the pundits who said that someone like him could never get elected. 

 

Instead, he listened to his gut which told him that this country is less cynical, less divided, less selfish than some may think. 

 

He listened to his heart, which told him he had an obligation to serve and to give back to this country that had given him so much. 

 

And no matter how long those campaign days got, or how low his poll numbers dropped, that’s what motivated him, that’s what sustained him, that’s what saw him through to the end. 

 

And ultimately, all those ups and downs, all those long hours on the campaign actually helped him build up the stamina that now serves him every day as President of the United States. 

 

See that’s the thing about striving in the face of adversity – often, it’s the hardship and sacrifices that make you stronger. 

 

Often, the harder you have to fight to achieve your goals, the more endurance you build up – not just physical and emotional, but spiritual as well. 

 

Many of you know from experience that the moments of greatest trial and tragedy that shake our souls – those moments don’t shatter or weaken our faith, they strengthen and deepen it. 

 

It’s easy to have faith when things are good – when everyone’s healthy, and you can pay the bills, and life is going according to plan. 

 

But the faith that comes easy won’t always sustain you when times are hard. 

 

The faith you need then – the bone-deep kind of faith that gets you through your darkest hours – that kind of faith is only earned when it’s tested. 

 

Think about Dr. Martin Luther King, who spoke at this school’s commencement back in 1958. 

 

He’d been arrested and put on trial for his work. 

 

His house had been bombed, and his life had been threatened. 

 

But he came here on a Spring day half a century ago and after all he had seen, and all he’d been through, Dr. King told that graduating class – and I quote: “Now we stand on the border line of the promised land.” 

 

And he spoke of a day when “…all men can stand together, black and white, Jew and gentile, Protestant and Catholic and sing another song – ‘free at last, free at last’.” 

 

Dr. King refused to let the world as it was dissuade him from his vision of the world as it should be.  

 

And not just in spite of what he’d endured, but because of what he’d endured, Dr. King still had faith. 

 

He still had, in the words of Scripture, the faith that is “…the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

 

Now, I want to be clear: I’m in no way suggesting that hardship, injustice and inequality are somehow acceptable or justifiable because they can make people stronger. 

 

And I’m certainly not suggesting that the only path to success requires overcoming obstacles thrust upon you. 

 

Plenty of folks who’ve been raised in privilege have gone on to change the world because they had the discipline and drive to set high expectations for themselves, to use their resources to meet those expectations – and to pull others up along the way. 

 

And I expect nothing less from those of you who’ve been fortunate in your lives. 

 

My point is simply that life is complicated, human beings are imperfect and struggle and hardship will always be with us in some form or another. 

 

But that has never been the end of our story – either as individuals or as a nation – but only the beginning. 

 

For ours is a story of folks who traveled great distances to build a better life, folks who marched, and fought, and bled, folks who risked everything they had because they wanted something more for their children. 

 

It’s the story of folks like your parents and grandparents who may not have had the chance to go to college themselves, but who saved, and sacrificed so that you could go, so that you could have opportunities they never imagined for themselves. 

 

They didn’t do all that so that you could have it easy. 

 

And they didn’t do all that so that you could spend your lives breathlessly reaching for whatever bars others set for you. 

 

They did it so that you could set your own high bars. 

 

They did it so that you could discover for yourselves that the things that truly matter in life are the bars that don’t move: families that love you, work that’s meaningful, a community that embraces you, the chance to make a contribution that is lasting. 

 

Those are the bars that count.

 

I think that Dr. Dorothy Height – the godmother of the civil rights movement whose recent passing we mourn – put it best. 

 

When discussing why she kept up the fight for civil and economic rights all throughout her life, she said, simply, “This is my life’s work.  It is not a job.” 

 

And that is what I wish for all of you graduates today. 

 

I wish for you the kind of trials that help you discover your life’s work and give you the strength and faith to pursue it. 

 

I wish for you a life lived not in response to the doubts or fears or desires of others, but in pursuit of passions, hopes and dreams that are your very own. 

 

And whenever you get discouraged – and you will, when you start to lose heart and you want to give up – and you will, I want you to think about all those who came before you. 

 

I want you to tell yourself that if Quiana Childress can go from being homeless to graduating with the highest GPA not just in the biology department, but in the entire School of Arts and Sciences then surely, you can overcome whatever adversity you face in your own life. 

 

Tell yourself, if Dr. Samuel Kountz could appeal directly to this university’s President and insist that he deserved a place at this school, then surely you can see to it that your own gifts never go to waste. 

 

And if those seven students could have the audacity to take their place here 135 years ago, if they could insist on fulfilling their God-given potential and staking their claim on the promise of this great nation, then surely, all of you can too.

 

May their legacy be your inspiration. 

 

And I wish you Godspeed and every blessing on the road ahead.  Thank you. 

 

###

EMBARGOED: Weekly Address: President Obama Praises the Benefits and Successes of Health Reform Already in Effect

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
______________________________________________________________________________
EMBARGOED UNTIL 6:00 AM ET, SATURDAY, May 8, 2010

WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Praises the Benefits and Successes of Health Reform Already in Effect

 

WASHINGTON – In his weekly address, President Barack Obama highlighted the ways in which health reform is already holding insurance companies more accountable and giving consumers more control.  Implementing everything in the new law will not happen overnight.  But already, consumers are getting a break from unfair rate hikes and insurance companies will no longer drop coverage for people when the get sick.  Four million small businesses have been notified that they could be eligible for a health care tax cut this year.  Retirees will soon receive help if they fall into the prescription drug “donut hole.”  And, young adults will be able to stay on their parents’ plan until they are 26 years old. 

 

The full audio of the address is HERE. The video can be viewed online at www.whitehouse.gov.

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Weekly Address

Washington, DC

 

It has now been a little over a month since I signed health insurance reform into law.  And while it will take some time to fully implement this law, reform is already delivering real benefits to millions of Americans.  Already, we are seeing a health care system that holds insurance companies more accountable and gives consumers more control. 

 

Two weeks ago, four million small business owners and organizations found a postcard in their mailbox informing them that they could be eligible for a health care tax cut this year – a tax cut potentially worth tens of thousands of dollars; a tax cut that will help millions provide coverage to their employees. 

 

Starting in June, businesses will get even more relief for providing coverage to retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare.  And a little over a month from now, on June 15^th, senior citizens who fall into the prescription drug coverage gap known as the “donut hole” will start receiving a $250 rebate to help them afford their medication. 

 

Aside from providing real, tangible benefits to the American people, the new health care law has also begun to end the worst practices of insurance companies.  For too long, we have been held hostage to an insurance industry that jacks up premiums and drops coverage as they please.  But those days are finally coming to an end. 

 

After our administration demanded that Anthem Blue Cross justify a 39% premium increase on Californians, the company admitted the error and backed off its plan.  And this week, our Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, wrote a letter to all states urging them to investigate other rate hikes and stop insurance companies from gaming the system.  To help states achieve this goal, we’ve set up a new Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, and will provide grants to states with the best oversight programs. 

 

In the next month, we’ll also be putting in place a new patients’ bill of rights.  It will provide simple and clear information to consumers about their choices and their rights.  It will set up an appeals process to enforce those rights.  And it will prohibit insurance companies from limiting a patients’ access to their preferred primary care provider, ob-gyn, or emergency room care. 

 

We’re holding insurance companies accountable in other ways, as well.  As of September, the new health care law prohibits insurance companies from dropping people’s coverage when they get sick and need it most.  But when we found out that an insurance company was systematically dropping the coverage of women diagnosed with breast cancer, my administration called on them to end this practice immediately.  Two weeks ago, the entire insurance industry announced that it would comply with the new law early and stop the perverse practice of dropping people’s coverage when they get sick. 

 

On Monday, we’ll also be announcing the new rule that allows young adults without insurance to stay on their parents’ plan until they’re 26 years old.  Even though insurance companies have until September to comply with this rule, we’ve asked them to do so immediately to avoid coverage gaps for new college graduates and other young adults.  This also makes good business sense for insurance companies, and we’re pleased that most have agreed.  Now we need employers to do the same, and we’re willing to work with them to make this transition possible.  These changes mean that starting this spring, when young adults graduate from college, many who do not have health care coverage will be able to stay on their parents’ insurance for a few more years.  And you can check healthreform.gov to find a list of all the insurance carriers who have agreed to participate right away.  

 

I’ve said before that implementing health insurance reform won’t happen overnight, and it will require some tweaks and changes along the way.  Ultimately, we’ll have a system that provides more control for consumers, more accountability for insurance companies, and more affordable choices for uninsured Americans.  But already, we are seeing how reform is improving the lives of millions of Americans.  Already, we are watching small businesses learn that they will soon pay less for health care.  We are seeing retirees realize they’ll be able to keep their coverage and seniors realize they’ll be able to afford their prescriptions.  We’re seeing consumers get a break from unfair rate hikes, patients get the care they need when they need it, and young adults get the security of knowing they can start off life with one less cost to worry about.  At long last, this is what health care reform is achieving.  This is what change looks like.  And this is the promise we will keep as we continue to make this law a reality in the months and years to come. 

 

Thanks so much. 

 

EMBARGOED: Remarks of President Barack Obama at University of Michigan Commencement-As Prepared for Delivery

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________________________________

EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY

May 1, 2010

 

 

Remarks of President Barack Obama—As Prepared for Delivery

University of Michigan Commencement

Saturday, May 1^st, 2010

Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

As Prepared for Delivery—

 

 

It is great to be here in the Big House, and may I say “Go Blue!”  I thought I’d go for the cheap applause line to start things off.

 

Good afternoon President Coleman, the Board of Trustees, faculty, parents, family, friends, and the class of 2010.  Congratulations on your graduation, and thank you for allowing me the honor to be a part of it.  And let me acknowledge your wonderful governor, Jennifer Granholm, your mayor, John Hieftje, and all the Members of Congress who are here with us today.

 

I am happy to join you all today, and even happier to spend a little time away from Washington.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s a beautiful city.  And it sure is nice living above the store; can’t beat the commute.  It’s just that sometimes, all you hear in Washington is the clamor of politics – a noise that can drown out the voices of the people who sent you there.  So when I took office, I decided that each night, I would read ten letters out of the thousands sent to us every day by ordinary Americans – a modest effort to remind myself of why I ran in the first place. 

 

Some of these letters tell stories of heartache and struggle.  Some express gratitude, and some express anger.  Some call me an idiot, which is how you know I’m getting a good sample.  And some of the letters make you think, like the one I received last month from a kindergarten class in Virginia. 

 

The teacher of this class instructed the students to ask me any question they wanted.  One asked, “How do you do your job?”  Another asked, “Do you work a lot?”  Somebody wanted to know if I wear a black jacket or if I have a beard – clearly getting me mixed up with that other guy from Illinois.  And then there was my favorite:  “Do you live next to a volcano?”

 

But it was the last question in the letter that gave me pause.  The student asked, “Are people being nice?” 

 

Well, if you turn on the news today – particularly one of the cable channels – you can see why even a kindergartener would ask this question.  We’ve got politicians calling each other all sorts of unflattering names.  Pundits and talking heads shout at each other.  The media tends to play up every hint of conflict, because it makes for a sexier story – which means anyone interested in getting coverage feels compelled to make the most outrageous comments.

 

Now, some of this can be attributed to the incredibly difficult moment in which we find ourselves as a nation.  When you leave here today, you will search for work in an economy that is still emerging from the worst crisis since the Great Depression.  You live in a century where the speed with which jobs and industries move across the globe is forcing America to compete like never before.  You will raise your children at a time when threats like terrorism and climate change aren’t confined within the borders of any one country.  And as our world grows smaller and more connected, you will live and work with more people who don’t look like you or think like you or come from where you do. 

 

These kinds of changes and challenges cause tension.  They make people worry about the future and sometimes they get folks riled up. 

 

In fact, this isn’t a new phenomenon.  Since the days of our founding, American politics has never been a particularly nice business – and it’s always been a little less gentle during times of great change. A newspaper of the opposing party once editorialized that if Thomas Jefferson were elected, “Murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced.”  Not subtle.  Opponents of Andrew Jackson often referred to his mother as a “common prostitute,” which seems a bit over the top.  Presidents from Teddy Roosevelt to Lyndon Johnson have been accused of promoting socialism, or worse.  And we’ve had arguments between politicians that have been settled with actual duels.  There was even a caning once on the floor of the United States Senate – which I’m happy to say didn’t happen while I was there. 

 

The point is, politics has never been for the thin-skinned or the faint-of-heart, and if you enter the arena, you should expect to get roughed up. 

 

Moreover, democracy in a nation of more than three hundred million people is inherently difficult.  It has always been noisy and messy; contentious and complicated.  We have been fighting about the proper size and role of government since the day the Framers gathered in Philadelphia.  We have battled over the meaning of individual freedom and equality since the Bill of Rights was drafted.  As our economy has shifted emphasis from agriculture to industry to information and technology, we have argued and struggled at each and every juncture over the best way to ensure that all of our citizens have a shot at opportunity.

 

So before we get too down on the current state of our politics, we need to remember our history.  The great debates of the past all stirred great passion.  They all made some angry.  What is amazing is that despite all the conflict; despite all its flaws and frustrations, our experiment in democracy has worked better than any other form of government on Earth.

 

On the last day of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin was famously asked, “Well, Doctor, what have we got – a Republic or a Monarchy?” And Franklin gave an answer that’s been quoted for ages: “A Republic, if you can keep it.” 

 

Well, for more than two hundred years, we have kept it.  Through revolution and civil war, our democracy has survived.  Through depression and world war, it has prevailed.  Through periods of great social and economic unrest, from civil rights to women’s rights, it has allowed us slowly, and sometimes painfully, to move towards a more perfect union.

 

And now the question for your generation is this:  how will you keep our democracy going?  At a moment when our challenges seem so big and our politics seem so small, how will you keep our democracy alive and well in this century?

 

I’m not here to offer some grand theory or detailed policy prescription.  But let me offer a few brief reflections based on my own experiences and the experiences of our country over the last two centuries.

 

First, American democracy has thrived because we have recognized the need for a government that, while limited, can still help us adapt to a changing world.  On the fourth panel of the Jefferson Memorial is a quote I remember reading to Sasha during our first visit there.  It says, “I am not an advocate for frequent changes in laws and constitutions, but...with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also to keep pace with the times.”

 

The democracy designed by Jefferson and the other founders was never intended to solve every problem with a new law or a new program.  Having thrown off the tyranny of the British Empire, the first Americans were understandably skeptical of government.  Ever since, we have held fast to the belief that government doesn’t have all the answers, and we have cherished and fiercely defended our individual freedom.  That is a strand of our nation’s DNA. 

 

But the other strand is the belief that there are some things we can only do together, as one nation – and that our government must keep pace with the times.  When America expanded from a few colonies to an entire continent, and we needed a way to reach the Pacific, our government helped build the railroads.  When we transitioned from an economy based on farms to one based in factories, and workers needed new skills and training, our nation set up a system of public high schools.  When the markets crashed during the Depression and people lost their life savings, our government put in place a set of rules and safeguards to make sure that such a crisis never happened again.  And because our markets and financial system have evolved since then, we’re now putting in place new rules and safeguards to protect the American people. 

 

This notion hasn’t always been partisan.  It was the first Republican President, Abraham Lincoln, who said that the role of government is to do for the people what they cannot do better for themselves.  He would go on to begin that first intercontinental railroad and set up the first land-grant colleges.  It was another Republican, Teddy Roosevelt, who said that “the object of government is the welfare of the people.”  He is remembered for using the power of government to break up monopolies, and establishing our National Park system.  Democrat Lyndon Johnson announced the Great Society during a commencement here at Michigan, but it was the Republican president before him, Dwight Eisenhower, who launched the massive government undertaking known as the Interstate Highway System.  

 

Of course, there have always been those who’ve opposed such efforts.  They argue that government intervention is usually inefficient; that it restricts individual freedom and dampens individual initiative.  And in certain instances, that’s been true.  For many years, we had a welfare system that too often discouraged people from taking responsibility for their own upward mobility.  At times, we’ve neglected the role that parents, rather than government, can play in cultivating a child’s education.  Sometimes regulation fails, and sometimes its benefits do not justify its costs.

 

But what troubles me is when I hear people say that all of government is inherently bad.  One of my favorite signs from the health care debate was one that read “Keep Government Out Of My Medicare,” which is essentially like saying “Keep Government Out Of My Government-Run Health Care.”  For when our government is spoken of as some menacing, threatening foreign entity, it conveniently ignores the fact in our democracy, government is us.  We, the people, hold in our hands the power to choose our leaders, change our laws, and shape our own destiny. 

 

Government is the police officers who are here protecting us and the service men and women who are defending us abroad.  Government is the roads you drove in on and the speed limits that kept you safe.  Government is what ensures that mines adhere to safety standards and that oil spills are cleaned up by the companies that caused them.  Government is this extraordinary public university – a place that is doing life-saving research, catalyzing economic growth, and graduating students who will change the world around them in ways big and small. 

 

The truth is, the debate we’ve had for decades between more government and less government doesn’t really fit the times in which we live.  We know that too much government can stifle competition, deprive us of choice, and burden us with debt.  But we’ve also seen clearly the dangers of too little government – like when a lack of accountability on Wall Street nearly led to the collapse of our entire economy. 

 

So what we should be asking is not whether we need a “big government” or a “small government,” but how we can create a smarter, better government.  In an era of iPods and Tivo, where we have more choices than ever before, government shouldn’t try to dictate your lives.  But it should give you the tools you need to succeed.  Our government shouldn’t try to guarantee results, but it should guarantee a shot at opportunity for every American who’s willing to work hard. 

 

The point is, we can and should debate the role of government in our lives, but remember, as you are asked to meet the challenges of our time, that the ability for us to adapt our government to the needs of the age has helped make our democracy work since its inception. 

 

The second way to keep our democracy healthy is to maintain a basic level of civility in our public debate.  These arguments we’re having over government and health care and war and taxes are serious arguments.  They should arouse people’s passions, and it’s important for everyone to join in the debate, with all the rigor that a free people require. 

 

But we cannot expect to solve our problems if all we do is tear each other down.  You can disagree with a certain policy without demonizing the person who espouses it.  You can question someone’s views and their judgment without questioning their motives or their patriotism.  Throwing around phrases like “socialist” and “Soviet-style takeover;” “fascist” and “right-wing nut” may grab headlines, but it also has the effect of comparing our government, or our political opponents, to authoritarian, and even murderous regimes.

 

Again, we have seen this kind of politics in the past.  It’s been practiced by both fringes of the ideological spectrum, by the left and the right, since our nation’s birth. 

 

The problem with it is not the hurt feelings or the bruised egos of the public officials who are criticized. 

 

The problem is that this kind of vilification and over-the-top rhetoric closes the door to the possibility of compromise.  It undermines democratic deliberation.  It prevents learning – since after all, why should we listen to a “fascist” or “socialist” or “right wing nut?”  It makes it nearly impossible for people who have legitimate but bridgeable differences to sit down at the same table and hash things out.  It robs us of a rational and serious debate that we need to have about the very real and very big challenges facing this nation.  It coarsens our culture, and at its worst, it can send signals to the most extreme elements of our society that perhaps violence is a justifiable response. 

 

So what can we do about this? 

 

As I’ve found out after a year in the White House, changing this type of slash and burn politics isn’t easy.  And part of what civility requires is that we recall the simple lesson most of us learned from our parents: treat others as you would like to be treated, with courtesy and respect.

 

But civility in this age also requires something more. 

 

Today’s twenty-four seven echo chamber amplifies the most inflammatory soundbites louder and faster than ever before.  It has also, however, given us unprecedented choice.  Whereas most of America used to get their news from the same three networks over dinner or a few influential papers on Sunday morning, we now have the option to get our information from any number of blogs or websites or cable news shows. 

 

This development can be both good and bad for democracy.  For if we choose only to expose ourselves to opinions and viewpoints that are in line with our own, studies suggest that we will become more polarized and set in our ways.  And that will only reinforce and even deepen the political divides in this country.  But if we choose to actively seek out information that challenges our assumptions and our beliefs, perhaps we can begin to understand where the people who disagree with us are coming from. 

 

This of course requires that we all agree on a certain set of facts to debate from, and that is why we need a vibrant and thriving news business that is separate from opinion makers and talking heads.  As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.”

 

Still, if you’re someone who only reads the editorial page of The New York Times, try glancing at the page of The Wall Street Journal once in awhile.  If you’re a fan of Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh, try reading a few columns on the Huffington Post website.  It may make your blood boil; your mind may not often be changed.  But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship. 

 

So too is the practice of engaging in different experiences with different kinds of people.  For four years at Michigan, you have been exposed to diverse thinkers and scholars; professors and students.  Do not narrow that broad intellectual exposure just because you’re leaving here.  Instead, seek to expand it.  If you grew up in a big city, spend some time with some who grew up in a rural town.  If you find yourself only hanging around with people of your race or your ethnicity or your religion, broaden your circle to include people who’ve had different backgrounds and life experiences.  You’ll learn what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes, and in the process, you’ll help make this democracy work. 

 

The last ingredient in a functioning democracy is perhaps the most basic:  participation. 

 

I understand that one effect of today’s poisonous political climate is to push people away from participation in public life.  If all you see when you turn on the television is name-calling; if all you hear about is how special interest lobbying and partisanship prevented Washington from getting something done, you might think to yourself, “What’s the point of getting involved?”

 

The point is, when we don’t pay close attention to the decisions made by our leaders; when we fail to educate ourselves about the major issues of the day; when we choose not to make our voices and opinions heard, that’s when democracy breaks down.  That’s when power is abused.  That’s when the most extreme voices in our society fill the void that we leave.  That’s when powerful interests and their lobbyists are most able to buy access and influence in the corridors of Washington – because none of us are there to speak up and stop them. 

 

Participation in public life doesn’t mean that you all have to run for public office – though we could certainly use some fresh faces in Washington.  But it does mean that you should pay attention and contribute in any way that you can.  Stay informed.  Write letters, or make phone calls on behalf of an issue you care about.  If electoral politics isn’t your thing, continue the tradition so many of you started here at Michigan and find a way to serve your community and your country – an act that will help you stay connected to your fellow citizens and improve the lives of those around you. 

 

It was fifty years ago that a young candidate for president came here to Michigan and delivered a speech that inspired one of the most successful service projects in American history.  And as John F. Kennedy described the ideals behind what would become the Peace Corps, he issued a challenge to the students who had assembled in Ann Arbor on that October night: 

 

“…[O]n your willingness to contribute part of your life to this country…will depend the answer whether a free society can compete.  I think it can.” 

 

This democracy we have is a precious thing.  For all the arguments and all the doubts and all the cynicism that’s out there today, we should never forget that as Americans, we enjoy more freedoms and opportunities than citizens in any other nation on Earth.  We are free to speak our mind and worship as we please; to choose our leaders and criticize them if they let us down.  We have the chance to get an education, work hard, and give our children a better life.

 

None of this came easy.  None of it was preordained.  The men and women who sat in your chairs ten years ago and fifty years ago and one hundred years ago – they made America possible.  And there is no guarantee that the graduates who will sit here in ten or fifty or one hundred years from now will enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities that we do.  America’s success has never been a given.  Our nation’s destiny has never been certain. 

 

What is certain – what has always been certain – is our ability to shape that destiny.  That is what makes us different.  That is what makes us American – our ability at the end of the day to look past all of our differences and all of our disagreements and still forge a common future.  That task is now in your hands, as is the answer to the question posed at this university half a century ago about whether a free society can still compete.   

 

If you are as willing, as past generations were willing, to contribute part of your life to the life of this country, then I, like President Kennedy, still believe we can.  Congratulations on your graduation.  May God Bless You, and may God Bless the United States of America. 

 

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