View the President's Remarks
11:58 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very
much. Thank you all. Thank you all very
much. Okay. Thank you all very much for your warm
welcome. I'm honored to be here. I understand
that for more than six decades, the volunteers and supporters of the
March of Dimes have given help and hope to those in need, and I'm here
to say thanks on behalf of the American people. (Applause.)
Before I begin, I want to thank Tommy
Thompson for his leadership. He left a great state --
(applause) -- almost as good as Texas -- (laughter and applause) -- to
come and serve his country. And he's doing a fabulous
job. As you know, there was a recent incident with anthrax
in Florida. And Tommy handled that incident with such calm and such
purpose, and got the facts on the table early so that the American
people were able to react in a way that did not disrupt their lives
and, at the same time, felt comfortable that our government was doing
everything we could possibly do to protect the lives of
citizens. Tommy is doing a great job. I'm glad I
picked him and I'm glad he came. (Applause.)
I, too, want to thank Gary and Jennifer
for their leadership; thank the members of the trustees who are
here. I want to thank the sponsors of the March of Dimes in
this convention who are here. And I particularly want to
thank the volunteers from all across America who have come today.
(Applause.)
I not only appreciate your hard work on
behalf of children in America, I appreciate you setting a good example,
by getting on the airplanes and trains and buses and going about the
business of America. We will not let the terrorists hold us
hostage in our country. (Applause.)
I'm especially proud to be here with an
organization that's one of the most successful voluntary health
organizations in the history of our nation. For more than 60
years, 60 long years, the March of Dimes has coupled compassion and
persistence. Your resolve in combatting disease has changed
the world in which we live.
Today, you're advocating better access to
prenatal care, expanded health care coverage, and a greater awareness
of proper nutrition and immunization. You're supporting
genetic testing, screening and research. These efforts are saving the
lives of women and children and advancing the frontiers of
medicine. You're working to reduce birth rates by 10
percent, reduce infant mortality to seven per 1,000 live births, limit
low birth rate to no more than 5 percent of all live births, and
increase the number of women who get prenatal care in the first
trimester to 90 percent.
Such important goals for our country, such
an admirable cause, and I'm here to thank you for
it. Advancing these frontiers is also a priority of my
administration, as Tommy pointed out. We're working with
Congress to increase funding for the National Institutes of Health by
$2.8 billion next year. And that's part of an effort to
double NIH's funding to develop treatments and cures for some of the
most deadly and debilitating diseases -- diseases that affect Americans
of all ages.
The March of Dimes is a great
influence. And it's important for America to understand its
history, as well. In the 1930's, America lived in fear of
contracting a disease simply known as "the
crippler." Parents were afraid to send their children to
public swimming pools or movie theaters. Countless children
were in leg braces, transported in wheelchairs or confined to what was
called "iron lungs."
In 1938, in the course of four months,
America sent 2.6 million dimes to the White House in four short months,
beginning a campaign that eventually resulted in the end of
polio. (Applause.) This effort was even more
extraordinary because it took place during the Great Depression, when a
dime meant a heck of a lot more then than it means
today. (Laughter.)
At the height of the Depression, one-third
of Americans were unemployed. Nearly 40 percent of banks had
failed. And there was great anxiety and uncertainty in our
country. Yet, hard times drew people
together. The Great Depression tested America's character
and revealed America at its best.
Americans have shown a similar strength
since September the 11th. Terrorists hoped our nation would come
apart. That's what they hoped for. But, instead, we've come
together. Our country is more resolved, more united and
guided by a greater sense of purpose than any time during our
lifetimes. (Applause.)
And some important things about our
culture seem to be shifting. After the attacks, moms and dads held
their children closer. And maybe for a moment
longer. Millions have gone to synagogues and churches and
mosques to renew their faith, to find perspective, to be reminded of
the true values of life.
As Americans, we've mourned together, felt
the same outrage and resolve, and we've helped our neighbors, even when
they're strangers. People are looking to things that are precious and
permanent, things like family and faith, community, love of country,
and love of one another.
In America, it seems like we're putting
first things first. In my Inaugural Address, I said that
some Americans feel like they share a continent, but not a
country. Today, that feeling is gone. We know we
are a single nation, each a part of one another. The
terrorists did not intend this unity and resolve, but they're powerless
to stop them. (Applause.)
Our nation has suffered a great
loss. Yet, we are told that tribulation brings about
perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character,
hope -- and hope does not disappoint.
Late in life, Eleanor Roosevelt was asked
what her husband had learned from the experience of
polio. She said that Franklin had gained strength and
courage he had not had before. He had to think out the
fundamentals of living, she said, and learn the greatest of all
lessons: infinite patience, and never-ending persistence,
We all need to have a bit of Franklin
Roosevelt in us today. We are engaged in a struggle that
calls for patience and persistence. We face an enemy that
plans in secret and acts without morality and without remorse.
We must fight this enemy wherever he plans
or hides or runs -- abroad, and here at home. That will take
time and determination. Yet, they're going to learn that we
will not rest, and we will not fail. (Applause.)
Ours is a war against terrorism and evil,
not against Islam. Americans respect and admire that religion of
peace. And I'm proud our country is home to many followers
of the Islamic faith. Those who hijacked four airliners on
September the 11th are also trying to hijack Islam. But the
mass killing of innocent people clearly violates Islam, and countries
and clerics throughout the Islamic world have rejected these acts.
Nor is our war against global terrorism a
war against the people of Afghanistan. The Afghan people are
victims of oppression and misrule of the Taliban
regime. There are few places on earth that face greater
misery. One out of every four children dies before the age
of five, in Afghanistan. It is estimated that one in every
three children in Afghanistan is an orphan; almost half suffer from
chronic malnutrition; millions face the threat of
starvation. The situation is so bad, so bad, that we read
about three year old children in Afghanistan who weigh less than the
average newborn in America.
We're trying to get food to starving
Afghans. In contrast, the Taliban regime, those who house
the evildoers, has harnessed international aid -- harassed
international aid workers, and chased them out of their
country. The people of Afghanistan have suffered too long
under Taliban rule.
That suffering provides us with a
task. I'm asking every child in America to give not a dime,
but a dollar to a specific cause: a relief effort for the children of
Afghanistan. (Applause.) And I want to report to
the nation that after I laid out this initiative last night, and
confirming it here at your convention, that I've received the first
dollar. (Laughter.) It came from Justin
Washington. (Applause.)
I know Justin pretty
well. (Laughter.) I got to see him in the Oval
Office, and he made it clear, his boots were better than
mine. (Laughter.) But, Justin, I want to thank
you. Justin knows what I know, a dollar today is roughly
equivalent to what a dime was in the late 1930s. It's an
appropriate place to announce this initiative of
compassion. (Applause.)
I hope American children in their
classrooms and families in their homes put a dollar in an envelope and
send it to America's Fund For Afghan Children, to the White House, 1600
Pennsylvania Avenue -- (laughter) -- Washington, D.C.,
20509. (Laughter and applause.)
Schools, community and youth organizations
can organize events to raise money for this cause. And they
can, at the same time, demonstrate compassion and mercy in this hour of
need. This effort is an opportunity to help others, while
teaching our children a valuable lesson about service and
character. We will work with the Red Cross to make sure the
money is used for food and medicine, to make sure the money provides
hope and help to the children of Afghanistan.
We'll also coordinate with the
Administrator of USAID to ensure that our efforts build on the
important humanitarian work already being done.
During the last month, Americans have been
extraordinarily generous in their giving of time and
money. We still face many needs and challenges at
home. And that's why Americans should continue supporting
community-based organizations like the March of Dimes, which is doing
so much good all across the country. (Applause.)
And Americans are the most generous people
on earth. And because the suffering is so great, I know we
need to lend a hand to the children who live a world a halfway --
around the world -- a place a halfway around the world from here.
By embracing Afghan children, we assert
the American ideal. Our nation is the greatest force for
good in the world history. We value the lives and rights of
all people. Our compassion and concern do not stop at our
border. They reach across the world. Americans
are determined to fight for our security, no question about
it. And we're all equally determined to live up to our
principles. And I hope, I hope all Americans will help us
show those principles to the entire world.
Thank you for what you do, and may God
bless America. (Applause.)
END
12:13 P.M. EDT
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