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Good afternoon, and thank you for that kind introduction Rep. Upthegrove. It’s wonderful to know that the outstanding students here today are being supported so generously by some of their equally outstanding elected officials, Congressman Smith, Superior Court Judge Fleck and Representative Upthegrove. Thank you for taking the time to be here today to support our young people, and thank you for the work that you do for the people of Washington State and the nation. I would also like to say a special welcome to all of the wonderful and caring parents who are here with us—your participation is immensely important. We are all here today because we have something in common—the Constitution. It is this document that governs the laws we live under and helps us to shape our collective future. And through what we call “civic education,” an important step is taken in the life of an American. It is my hope that through learning about our governmental process, you have already learned one very important thing: the key to understanding democracy has nothing to do with its limitations. Democracy is truly about possibilities. If you are educated about the rights and responsibilities of a citizen, you will see you are given tremendous freedom to succeed; to accomplish great things, or if you prefer you can be a couch potato and watch the world go by. It is a lot like being a high school student given the opportunity to go to college—if you have no idea what you want, and what your options are—and are not willing to put in some effort to get there—then you most likely won’t accomplish much. Imagine that realizing the dream of America is the same—the responsibility for our collective future lies in our own hands. So in a way we are all responsible not only for our country’s future, but for our neighbor’s future, too. Thomas Jefferson once said, “If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Jefferson understood when he was helping to lay the foundation of this country that for the dream of America to succeed, the people had to keep themselves educated and use their knowledge wisely, or the country would go downhill and no longer be truly free. Think about it—what does it mean to be free? Does it mean being able to wander about and do whatever you want without considering the consequences? Does it mean taking advantage of others for personal benefit or manipulating others? Does it mean just looking out for yourself and leaving others alone to do the same? I don’t think so. I believe that freedom means civic responsibility—keeping up with the pace of changing times and knowing when things are off course—and then doing something about it. It means understanding what is written in great documents like the US Constitution and charting our future by it. In fact, the opening lines of the Constitution say, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and to posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” That means that if we want this nation to truly know justice, tranquility, common defense, general welfare and the blessings of liberty, we must familiarize ourselves with what is written in the Constitution, and take responsibility to be an active part in promoting and preserving the freedom and blessings it guarantees all citizens. The Constitution is more than an historical document. It is about who we are and what we want as a country. America’s foundation is liberty, and that means freedom of thought and speech. And there are some who take advantage of this and will try to manipulate others for their own advantage. Unfortunately, that is their choice. So our choice as responsible citizens should be to keep an eye on those who would take advantage of our freedoms to harm others. It’s just like what Abraham Lincoln once said, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time.” I’m certain that all of us here are well aware that a democratic society is as fragile or solid as the collective strength and knowledge of its citizens. Think about what has happened recently with major companies like Enron and WorldCom who took advantage of the system and truly harmed others. Harmed their futures, their jobs, and worst of all harmed their trust in the economy, the stock market, and in others. But they did not just harm themselves or lie just to their employees, but thousands who believed in the strength they misrepresented and who invested their life savings in them, and then lost it. Furthermore, when business overall got a black eye from this horrible breach of trust the stock market continued its decline and even more innocent victims were hurt. We have to be wary of things like this and help keep the country on track. All who live under the umbrella of democracy are equally protected, but they also share equal responsibility for its protection. Each and every generation must clearly evaluate their ideals and values so that the state can be molded into one that is not just suited to their generation and their times, but also moves the state and the nation forward. A healthy democracy is an accurate reflection of the will and involvement of the people. It could even be compared to a river—fluid, swift, and perhaps rough in places. But with an overall course that is steady and full of purpose. Where would we be today as a society if during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s the black community didn’t insist on their right to vote? People who stood up during that time for their constitutionally protected rights were not only doing something for themselves. They were actually protecting all of us and protecting our future by testing the strength and wisdom of the democratic system. It passed that test. Yet we still face difficulties: look at where we are today and the lessons we have learned. We have learned that one way oppressors such as white supremacists during that time were successful was by interfering with the free and open education system that was meant to be available to all citizens in our country. How can someone who does not know their options make a sound decision? That is exactly where the expression, “an educated decision” comes from. But fortunately, black Americans and thousands of others of all races stood up against the oppressors, and insisted that the Constitution be upheld and their rights as equal citizens be protected and guaranteed. And by the way, thousands of students from across the country joined in to help lead the fight for civil rights. They felt it was their civic responsibility. Those of you here today are showing your commitment to a healthy democracy. Your youthful voices echoing in these halls are the call of the future. It is your understanding and dedication that will bring new opportunity for positive guidance and change. Mistakes will be made along the way—that is certain. Those who founded this country understood with a clear conscience the imperfection of mankind. Today you are facing different challenges, one of which is being able to withstand the manipulation of those who care more about making themselves rich than they do about the health and futures of this nation’s youth. Advertisers and big companies intimidate you and try to take advantage of you in a much more subtle way than those who fought so viciously against the civil rights movements decades ago. Pointed directly at young Americans for nearly the past fifty years has been the marketing of products on television, billboards, in magazines, and now the Internet that are incredibly harmful. Did you know that a child is only four years old when they first begin to identify brand name merchandise? Marketing firms know it. They have divisions just to research your needs and wants and what influences you to buy or push your parents and grandparents to buy. Two years ago young people were responsible for influencing more than $155 billion worth of purchasing in America. The tobacco companies said that they absolutely do not market to kids. That was until competent people like Christine Gregoire, our Attorney General, uncovered documents from a vice president of marketing in the 70’s that directed their marketers to go after kids fourteen and older. How do you go after fourteen year-olds without also going after 13 and 12 year-olds? And then the cigarette companies labeled your age group the “Replacement Pool” because they needed replacements for the 450,000 customers they kill every year in the US with their products. Mass media and sophisticated marketing strategies that utilize telephones, direct mail, and the Internet weren’t anticipated during the debate and drafting of our constitution. Do you think the constitution would look the same if our forefathers knew it would be used to protect people who have a greater interest in profit than people, in cash than in kids? Marketing today is used to manipulate young Americans into buying and using products that are proven to be harmful. And the tobacco companies know it, and the alcohol companies know it. They know what we know. They know that if you are fifteen years old or younger you are four times more likely than a 21 year-old to become an alcoholic. They know, as do the drug legalization advocates, that if you do not use drugs, alcohol or tobacco before you get out of your teens, you most likely never will. So they have to get you now. And believe me—they are trying very hard. So let me pose a question to you; Is it right or wrong to propose legislation and policies that restrict companies’ advertising to kids when what they do ultimately is harm kids, even though they aren’t putting beer or alcohol pops in the mouth of a child and forcing them to drink. Before you answer that let me pose this; do you want them to go after the hearts, minds, bodies and souls of your kids? Each generation must consider the uniqueness of its changing environment in order to continue improving the lives and opportunities for generations to come. It is your civic responsibility to be knowledgeable and involved, not just to protect your rights but the rights and future of coming generations; your kids, your grandkids. The key is to keep on trying—what we have today is by no means perfect. It took Thomas Edison 2,004 attempts to successfully invent the light bulb. When asked by the media why he had failed so many times, he said that he did not fail, but that each attempt was a learning experience. It’s OK to fail, it’s unacceptable not to try. Your country needs you to try – to be a part of moving things forward. We must live day to day with freedom in our hearts, and continue to aim for the ideal of justice, domestic tranquility, and securing the blessings of liberty for all. It is your lives that will be the mirrors for our democratic society tomorrow, so just do your best and I guarantee you will do well. Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishments, your commitment to learning and good citizenship, and I wish you the best of luck in all that you do. It is a source of great pride to know that there are so many young people in the state of Washington who are committed to a healthy future for our state and our country. Thank you. |
