[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book II)]
[September 9, 1996]
[Pages 1510-1512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 1510]]


Remarks on Presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom
September 9, 1996

    The President. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the White House. 
It's a great pleasure for Hillary and for me to welcome all of you here, 
but especially our distinguished honorees and their families; Members of 
Congress who are here, Senator Lugar, Congresswoman Collins, Congressman 
Conyers, Congressman Dellums; Secretary Christopher, Secretary Shalala, 
and Secretary Cisneros.
    We're here to award the highest honor our Nation can bestow on a 
citizen, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. President Harry Truman 
established these awards as a tribute to those who helped to win the 
fight for democracy in World War II. President Kennedy elevated the 
medals to honor contributions by citizens to all aspects of American 
life.
    Although we confer these medals today on worthy individuals, we 
recognize even more than individual achievement. We honor the American 
values that unite us as a people: opportunity and responsibility; a 
community in which all have a part; determination, dedication, and 
loyalty; faith, courage, and country. We are honoring renewed faith in 
the freedom that has brought this Nation this far and the freedom that 
will sustain us into the next century.
    William Faulkner once said that we must be free not because we claim 
freedom but because we practice it. The 11 men and women we honor today 
have raised the practice of freedom to new heights. I would like to 
introduce each of them to you now.
    As the Archbishop of Chicago, Joseph Cardinal Bernardin is one of 
our Nation's most beloved men and one of Catholicism's great leaders. 
When others have pulled people apart, Cardinal Bernardin has sought 
common ground. In a time of transition in his church, his community, his 
Nation, and the world, he has held fast to his mission to bring out the 
best in humanity and to bring people together. Throughout his career, he 
has fought tirelessly against social injustice, poverty, and ignorance. 
Without question, he is both a remarkable man of God and a man of the 
people.
    Fifteen years ago, James Brady was at President Reagan's side when a 
would-be assassin nearly killed them both with a handgun he had 
purchased at a gun shop. But Jim Brady is living proof that courage and 
determination were stronger than the assassin's bullet. Since that day, 
Jim and his wonderful wife, Sarah, who is with us today, have waged a 
moral and political battle to save lives and keep handguns out of the 
hands of criminals. His life is a testament to bravery, and every 
American family and every American child is safer because of it.
    I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that Millard Fuller has 
literally revolutionized the concept of philanthropy. Twenty years ago 
he founded Habitat For Humanity to provide decent homes for 
disadvantaged people. To fund his plan he didn't ask people for their 
money; instead, he asked for the sweat of their brows. In return, he 
gave them something no tax deduction ever could, tangible proof that 
they had improved someone else's life with a home.
    Hillary, the Vice President, Tipper, and I, like so many Americans, 
have all swung hammers for Habitat For Humanity, and I was honored to 
sign a law passed earlier this year to provide the first Federal support 
for land and infrastructure for Habitat. It's an interesting testament 
to Millard, to his wife, Linda, to all the wonderful people at Habitat 
that the three people who testified in favor of the law were Millard 
Fuller, Henry Cisneros, and Newt Gingrich. They did a good job at 
bringing America together, and we are all the beneficiaries of Millard 
Fuller's vision.
    Physician, scientist, and educator David Hamburg has devoted his 
life to understanding human behavior, preventing violent conflict, and 
improving the health and well-being of our children. At Stanford he did 
pioneering work in the biology of mental illness and went to Tanzania to 
rescue four biology students who had been kidnaped there. He has worked 
to avoid all kinds of violent conflict, from nuclear war to ethnic 
strife. He has used his presidency of the influential Carnegie 
Corporation to support efforts for better parenting, strong families, 
and stronger childhoods, focusing especially on early childhood and 
adolescence. He is a truly remarkable man and a genuinely effective 
humanitarian.

[[Page 1511]]

    Ten years ago I had the honor of recognizing John Johnson for his 
contributions as a native of our native State, Arkansas. John rose from 
poverty in Arkansas and Illinois to become one of the world's greatest 
pioneers in media, founding the landmark magazines Ebony and Jet. He 
gave African-Americans a voice and a face, in his words, ``a new sense 
of somebody-ness,'' of who they were and what they could do, at a time 
when they were virtually invisible in mainstream American culture. A 
humble man despite becoming the most influential African-American 
publisher in history, he continues to inspire young African-Americans to 
succeed against the odds and to take advantage of their opportunities.
    Speaking of opportunity, hardly anyone has ever done more personally 
to give people who didn't have it, opportunity, than Eugene Lang. In 
1981 he made a simple promise to pay the college tuition of every 
student from his East Harlem alma mater who graduated from high school 
and wanted to go to college. Since then, his ``I Have A Dream'' 
Foundation has opened the doors of college for thousands of young people 
who seize the opportunity he offered. He has helped to make the most of 
their God-given abilities. We are all the beneficiaries of Eugene Lang's 
innovative vision, and it is a great tribute to him that since 1981 
other philanthropists, many State governments, and now, I hope, our 
National Government, have joined him in trying to guarantee the dream of 
a college education to all people. He began it, and we are all in his 
debt.
    Jan Nowak has dedicated his life to the fight for freedom. In World 
War II, he risked everything to carry vital information to the Allies. 
After the Nazis' defeat, he saw his native Poland once again in the grip 
of oppression, and he vowed to break it. For 25 years he was a dominant 
voice in Radio Free Europe, the great beacon of hope that brought so 
many people through the dark hours of communism. He continued to fight 
until the day he saw freedom triumph over tyranny. In America, his 
commitment to the ideal of democracy continues to inspire us all, and I 
can tell you that his inspiration is still felt in his native Poland 
where the people will never forget what he did and what he stood for.
    Paz y respecto, peace and respect: These are the values that define 
the life and work of Antonia Pantoja. Her efforts to create educational 
and economic opportunity for all Puerto Ricans have made her the most 
respected and beloved figure in the Puerto Rican community. Through 
Aspira, the educational program she helped to found 35 years ago, she 
still dares young Puerto Ricans to dream and to work to achieve their 
dreams. Her dedication to her people and, therefore, her contribution to 
our country is unsurpassed.
    When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a 
Montgomery, Alabama, bus 40 years ago, she ignited the single most 
significant social movement in American history. When she sat down on 
the bus, she stood up for the American ideals of equality and justice, 
and demanded that the rest of us do the same. When our descendants look 
back in time to trace the fight for freedom, Rosa Parks will stand among 
our Nation's greatest patriots, the legendary figures whose courage 
sustained us and pushed us forward. She is, and continues to be, a 
national treasure.
    Ginetta Sagan's name is synonymous with the fight for human rights 
around the world. In World War II, she paid dearly for her dedication to 
the cause of freedom. For more than a year, she was imprisoned and 
tortured but not broken. Instead, she devoted her life after the war to 
saving others from the ordeal she had endured. Through her tireless work 
with Amnesty International and her Aurora Foundation, she has drawn the 
world's attention to the plight of prisoners of conscience and of their 
families. Amnesty International has created a fund named in her honor 
designed to help stop torture and especially to stop the persecution of 
women and their children. She represents to all the triumph of the human 
spirit over tyranny.
    Morris Udall represents everything a lawmaker should be: dedicated 
to seeking common ground; committed to improving the political process; 
and singularly possessed, as no one in my adult lifetime has been, of 
the one trait no Member of Congress should be without, an extraordinary 
sense of humor.
    Mo was fond of quoting Will Rogers, who once advised us that in life 
you ought to get a few laughs and do the best you can. Well, he got a 
lot of laughs, and he did better than most. He set a standard few could 
match by his passionate commitment to preserve our national resources 
and to leave our children a safer environment. His life is an 
inspiration and more. His work is a gift to all Americans, and we

[[Page 1512]]

are especially grateful that his son could be with us today.
    Now it is my great honor and privilege to present to each of you the 
Presidential Medal of Freedom with great respect for your work, your 
dedication, the example you have set for all your fellow Americans.
    I ask now the military aide to read the citations.

[At this point, Lt. Col. Michael G. Mudd, USA, Army aide to the 
President, read the citations, and the President presented the medals.]

    The President. Ladies and gentlemen, we're going in for a reception 
now. But I wanted to say one thing. Rosa Parks was delayed in Detroit 
just as many of these people were delayed trying to get here because of 
the traffic. So we will have another time to give her her medal. We're 
sorry she couldn't be here. We're delighted everyone else is here. 
Please come in for the reception.
    Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 11:16 a.m. in the East Room at the White 
House.