Today we honor heroic principles like the Bill of Rights and heroic people who died defending it.
By Robert A. Scott, President, Adelphi University
Commander Donovan, Senator Hannon, Mayor Miller, distinguished guests, neighbors, I听am honored to be here. Adelphi University aspires to be a good neighbor in Garden City,听and this is another occasion for us to emphasize this goal.
As you may know, Adelphi attracts students from over 60 countries, students who want听to study in Garden City and this country. For ours is the only country which experiences听people dying trying to enter instead of when trying to leave.
I start with a quote from United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, upon being听awarded the Nobel Peace Prize:
Today, in Afghanistan, a girl will be born. Her mother听will hold her and feed her, comfort her and care for her,听just as any mother would anywhere in the world. In these听most basic acts of human nature, humanity knows no divisions.听But to be born a girl in Afghanistan is to begin life centuries听away from the prosperity that one small part of humanity (those听of us here) has achieved. 1
While Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke of a young girl in Afghanistan, he 鈥渕ight听equally well have mentioned a baby boy or girl鈥� in Iraq, or Kosovo, or Haiti.2
These children, and our values 鈥� the rule of law not of man, freedom of speech, of听assembly, of religion, of opportunity, from search 鈥� are the reasons we send men and听women, some not older than boys and girls, to war to defend our national security. War听is to be the last resort, and today, Memorial Day, we honor those who paid the ultimate听price to protect these values and those children 鈥� even when their war is not universally听approved.
To these neighbors we give honor, express our sorrow, and make our apologies. Today,听we reflect on these individuals as well as on our institutions 鈥� people we know and don鈥檛听know, some relatives and neighbors, some not, as well as on the Navy, the Army, the Air听Force, and the Commander in Chief. Today we remember those who served, those who听gave the greatest sacrifice, and those who sent them. Today, we reflect on and remember听those who know the value of our vision, the worth of our values, and the priceless nature听of our principles. They are our heroes, the ones who deserve our attention. They are the听ones we honor.
As Ted Sorenson said, 鈥淥ur greatest strength has long been not merely our military might听but our moral authority鈥ur richest asset has been not our material wealth but our听values.鈥� 3 We are the people who鈥elped create 鈥渢he United Nations, the Marshall Plan,听NATO, and programs like Food for Peace, international human rights (formulated in听nearby Lake Success), and international environmental standards. The world admired not听only the bravery of the Marine Corps but also the idealism of the Peace Corps.鈥�4
Today we honor the heroic: heroic principles like the Bill of Rights, which helps us raise听our sights and keep our judgments unbiased, and heroic people like those who died听defending these ideals. For these heroes, we need no assurances from others, and we give听our affirmation freely 鈥� we owe them so much.
Thank you.
Invited Address, Garden City Memorial Day Celebration, May 31, 2004
1听Annan, Kofi A. 鈥淪trategies for World Peace: The view of the UN Secretary-General.鈥� 鈥淭he Futurist,鈥澨齅ay-June 2002, p. 18.
2 Ibid.
3 Sorenson, Theodore C. 鈥淎 Time to Weep.鈥� Commencement Address, The New School University, New听York, May 21, 2004, p. 1.
4 Ibid., p.2.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director听
p 鈥� 516.237.8634
e 鈥� twilson@adelphi.edu