[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[April 27, 1992]
[Pages 645-648]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 645]]

Remarks at the Florida International University Commencement Ceremony in 
Miami Beach, Florida

April 27, 1992
    Thank you all very much. Thank you, Dr. Maidique, for that wonderful 
citation, those very kind words. May I salute Elsie Augenblick for the 
alma mater, Sister Flood for that very moving invocation, Provost Mau 
for opening the ceremony and presiding over this madhouse. I'm pleased 
to be here with so many leaders of the State, State legislators, members 
of the Florida Legislature, so many distinguished leaders in the Miami 
community. I want to salute Chairman Alvah Chapman, who does so much for 
this community, and the other members of the board of trustees; Regent 
Alec Courtelis; your own Congresswoman, or one of the Congresswomen from 
this area, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who came down with us. Today she's not 
known as a Congresswoman; she's known as a graduate of F.I.U. And we're 
very proud of that. I told Ileana coming down on the plane that the real 
reason that I'm here today, Andy Garcia made me an offer I couldn't 
refuse. [Laughter]
    May I also salute my fellow honorees: Celia Cruz, ``Queen of the 
Latin American Music,'' ``Doctor of Salsa.'' [Laughter] She's captured 
the soul of a culture in her music. She asked me where Barbara was. I 
said Barbara is up there trying to get an agent for our rich dog. But I 
know that if she were here--she's a great Celia admirer--she would give 
her a grande abraso like the rest of us do. Celia, congratulations.
    And to our other honoree, a longtime friend, respected friend, Abe 
Foxman. You heard it in the citation, but he is a lifelong fighter for 
fairplay and equity. His voice is strong against racism and against 
anti-Semitism. And all of us in public life can take an example from the 
man you honor here today. He's a great fighter for human rights and 
dignity. Abe, congratulations.
    And may I salute honorees Bell and Weiser and Rosenberg and your 
teachers Smith and Jones. Very good going for both of them. They 
disappeared over here somewhere. But I loved those citations because it 
says so much about the commitment of our teachers to helping kids all 
across this country. And may I, too, salute the F.I.U. faculty, the 
students, the families. Thank you, Panthers, all, for this wonderful 
welcome to this coliseum.
    I know today's commencement is one of the hottest tickets in town. 
President Maidique told me about one graduate, Yanira Bermudez, who 
needed a dozen tickets for family members who came all the way from 
Canada. You can't imagine how pleased I am to receive this degree, 
knowing, therefore, that I'd be guaranteed a seat at this tremendous 
turnout. [Laughter] It is spectacular.
    And I really am, I mean this, I'm very honored to be a part of this 
special occasion. Today's ceremony marks more than a graduation. This 
commencement is a coming of age. Twenty years ago, Miami didn't have a 
public university. Today, under the leadership of President Maidique, 
Florida International is not simply a fixture in the intellectual and 
economic life of this thriving city; it is one of the 50 largest 
universities in the United States of America, and a quality one at that. 
I can tell you this: They won't be asking, ``F.I. who?'' anymore. Never 
again. You've come a long way from those early days 20 years ago, 
holding class in the air traffic control tower out at Tamiami Airport. 
And the progress that you've made stands as testimony to the power of a 
dream and also of your determination to make that dream real.
    Let me speak for a moment about the secret of your success. Florida 
International has blazed its own path. Many of your students are a 
little older, a little more experienced. You're a little more likely to 
combine work and study, family life with college life. And because of 
that, you're a little less likely to treat your university years as some 
ivory tower exercise and more an extension of the everyday world around 
you. All of those factors keep this university close to the community it 
serves. And all of those factors make F.I.U. a force in shaping

[[Page 646]]

south Florida's fortunes in the new century ahead.
    Even now, each day brings new changes, new nations, new realities, 
new hopes, new horizons. And it's not so much technology and science 
that we marvel at but the startling pace of political change. The 
democratic renaissance in Central and Eastern Europe, the blossoming of 
democracy here in our precious hemisphere, the end of the cold war, and 
the collapse of imperial communism, all would be unimaginable in a world 
where America turned inward, away from the challenges of a new world.
    The changes in the world beyond our shores have real impact right 
here at home. In the new world you'll call your own, your children won't 
wake to the nuclear nightmare that played in the corners of your mind. 
We have made real, dramatic progress toward eliminating the threat of 
nuclear weapons and in turning our old adversary in the Soviet Union 
into new partners of peace. And I take great pride that U.S. leadership 
helped make that dramatic change possible.
    But change brings new challenges. We've put an end to a long era of 
military confrontation and entered a new age of economic competition. 
And yes, dictators have given way to democracy, and yet, clearly, 
dangers still remain. Here in Miami, I know the great gains for 
democracy we've seen in the world have a bittersweet edge. Each triumph 
for freedom, each victory for the people from Moscow to Managua calls 
attention to the one island where communism continues to hold sway. And 
I cannot pretend to imagine the anguish that so many of you or your 
parents or your other family members must have felt at a cruel choice, 
the cruel choice between the land of your birth and the love of freedom. 
I share the dreams that you have for a democratic Cuba.
    I have thought a great deal about this and anguished about it. And I 
am absolutely convinced that that day will come. And with the collapse 
of Soviet communism, Cuba now stands isolated and alone, and we continue 
to keep the pressure on to tighten the trade embargo, to champion the 
cause of human rights. The fact that dictators cling to power is a fact 
that will soon become a footnote. We are witnessing the collapse of the 
Communist idea, the demise of the crippling concept of the all-powerful 
state.
    There are many reasons for this collapse. But in the end, one fact 
alone explains what we see today. Its advocates saw the triumph of 
communism written in the laws of history, and they failed to see the 
love of freedom written in the human heart. I know there's a Spanish 
saying about the Castro regime that is true in any language: En las 
noventas, se revienta. I guarantee you, freedom will come to Cuba. Make 
no mistake about it. And none of you professors give me a grade on my 
accent, either.
    But the change we see doesn't stop at America's doorstep. Here at 
home we've got to ask: How can we open the doors of opportunity for 
every American? Our challenge, our new American destiny is to give the 
American dream room to grow. And to make that destiny our own, we must 
advance American ideals, help communism's old captive nations take their 
place among the world's democracies. We must advance America's economic 
interests, meet the competitive challenge of a new world economy.
    Here in Miami, we see this new American economy in microcosm. This 
city is the hub, the economic gateway to the Americas. Here's the 
figure: Forty-five percent, nearly half, of all U.S. trade with Latin 
America passes through the Miami area. And that translates into 35,000 
jobs in the Miami area alone tied to trade. And here's what that means 
for the graduates that are here today. Your standard of living, your 
opportunities, your future are certain to be influenced by the world 
beyond our shores.
    Now, I know that there are some who see a different future, people 
who want to sound retreat, run from the new realities, seek refuge in a 
dream world of economic isolationism or protectionism. Those voices have 
nothing to say to this Nation. There is no turning back. There is no 
hiding from the new reality. We have no choice but to compete. The new 
reality of our new world economy is simply this: To succeed economically 
at home, we must lead economically abroad.

[[Page 647]]

    And finally, if we want to make a new American destiny our own, 
we've got to bridge the gap between the American people and the 
Government that's meant to serve it. I know there's a discontent. Travel 
around the country; you can't help but feel it, a deepening cynicism 
about the way things work or fail to work in Washington, a doubt about 
one person's ability to change, really change the system. To them, 
Government has grown more distant. Too often, the Government we get is 
not accountable. It is not effective. It is not efficient. And 
regrettably, it's not compassionate.
    It's not that people are apathetic. It's that people are angry with 
Government. Many of you recycle empty cans and plastic bottles because 
when it comes to the environment, you believe that one individual's 
actions can make a difference. But when it comes to self-government, 
cynicism kicks in, and too many people have come to doubt the power of a 
single vote.
    This didn't happen just overnight. It's the legacy of a theory of 
government grown too used to promising what government will do for the 
people. And this theory fails to see that people don't want government 
to make their decisions for them; they want government that gives them 
the freedom to choose. And they want a Government that spends within its 
means in the way families do. And they want welfare programs that 
provide opportunity, not the dead-end street of dependency. And they 
want to be free to choose the school that is best for their children, 
public, private, or religious.
    And that message is getting through. Because in spite of the 
cynicism, we see positive signs, a new ethic of responsibility alive in 
America. The days of the no-fault lifestyle are coming to an end. We see 
it all around us: individuals taking responsibility, individuals taking 
action. In their private lives, people know actions have consequences. 
And what they want from government are policies and programs that hold 
people responsible for their actions. And that government is responsible 
to the people. And if you think about it, that's nothing more than a 
working definition of the word ``democracy.''
    We've got to bring the ethic of responsibility back into government. 
And when we do, we'll see the sense of public trust return to politics. 
And we'll see a Government that reflects the real values of this great 
Nation, proud, confident, caring, and strong. That's my mission as 
President. It's our challenge as a Nation. And the way we do it is 
through reform.
    I've already mentioned one of the areas where we need urgent action: 
expanding trade, to open new markets the world over to American goods. 
Beyond trade, there are four other key issues that together form the 
core of our reform agenda.
    We've got to fight for legal reform to end the explosion of 
litigation that strains our patience and saps our economy. America would 
be better off it we spent less time suing each other and more time 
helping one another.
    And we've got to reform this country's health care system, open up 
access to all Americans, and control the runaway cost without 
sacrificing the quality education that separates us from every other 
country in the world: choice and quality.
    We've sparked a revolution in American education, community by 
community, to help our children get the world-class education that our 
new world demands. And I know the need for education dollars is great, 
and that's why at the Federal level we've increased our education budget 
by 41 percent since I took office. And I saw those stickers out there, 
and believe me, I came prepared with those statistics, 41 percent 
increase.
    And finally, we've got to push forward on Government reform because 
only if we reverse a generation of creeping bureaucracy, only if we 
restore limits to Government, can we restore public trust.
    Each reform is essential. And I've called on Congress to take action 
in each of these areas--legislation on Capitol Hill right now in most of 
it. Each reform will succeed so long as we draw on the strengths that 
got each of you here in this room today. As a society, as a Nation, we 
stand to gain from your skills and your training, your insight and your 
energy. But the most precious resource of all is this: It's that sense 
of optimism, your optimism. And there is still plenty of optimism in the 
American charac-

[[Page 648]]

ter.
    Let me take someone many of you will know, a senior named Sylvia 
Daniels. She took her first class at F.I.U. 15 years ago, and she 
graduates today at the age of 77. And I've saved the best for last: This 
summer, Sylvia, they tell me, starts graduate classes in Cambridge, 
England. Good luck. And Sylvia, if you're looking for a new challenge to 
take on until school starts, there's always the national windsurfing 
championship. Good luck. [Laughter]
    We see the power of optimism in Jose Marrero, who today becomes the 
first in his family to graduate from college. And he's done it at the 
age of 19. And we see it in Michael Yelovich. Ten years ago, at the age 
of 15, Michael was paralyzed, the result of an accidental shooting. And 
Michael's mother wrote me at the White House about that difficult time 
when, in her words, ``Life to Michael and the rest of our family seemed 
unbearable.'' Michael's battled back against the odds and the obstacles 
to get here today. And his mother wrote that ``When he graduates, the 
whole world should know.'' And it seems to her now that the whole world 
does know. And what a great story that is.
    And so, when I hear that in America you can't get ahead, I say, 
``Tell that one to Michael Yelovich. Try that one on.'' And when I hear 
that in America our kids are in crisis, I say, ``Tell that to Jose 
Marrero.'' And when I hear that in America our best days are behind us, 
I say, ``Tell that to Sylvia Daniels.'' Here's what I know: America's 
best days always lie ahead. In the next century, as in this one, America 
will be the strongest, the bravest, the freest Nation on the face of the 
Earth.
    As President, I have made it my mission to preserve and advance 
three legacies close to all our hearts: a world at peace; an economy 
with good jobs, real opportunity for all Americans; a Nation of strong 
families, sturdy values of character and culture. To make this destiny 
our own, we've got to be part of a larger movement. As parents, as 
citizens, as members of the communities we call home, we must rekindle a 
revolution to bring change to the country that, indeed, has changed the 
world.
    Thank you, once again, for this warm welcome and this high honor and 
for inviting me to share this special day with you and your families. 
And may God bless the United States of America. Thank you very, very 
much.

                    Note: The President spoke at 2:50 p.m. at the Miami 
                        Beach Convention Center. In his remarks, he 
                        referred to Andy Garcia, actor and F.I.U. 
                        alumnus; Robert Bell, Sherwood M. (Woody) 
                        Weiser, and Mark B. Rosenberg, F.I.U. 
                        Distinguished Service Award recipients; Mary Ann 
                        Smith, Broward County Teacher of the Year; and 
                        Angel Stanford Jones, Dade County Teacher of the 
                        Year.