    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
    [May 14, 2004]
    [Pages 885-888]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Commencement Address at Concordia University Wisconsin in Mequon,
    Wisconsin
    May 14, 2004

        Thank you all very much. Dr. Ferry,
    members of the faculty, trustees, and families, distinguished guests,
    most importantly, members of the Class of 2004, I appreciate the warm
    welcome to this fine university and to this great State. Thank you for
    such a wonderful welcome. I am honored to be with you on graduation day
    as you become proud alumni of CUW.
        I thank you as well for the honorary degree. I kind of like the
    sound, ``Dr. Bush.'' [Laughter] I don't think Laura is going to call me that. [Laughter]
        My congratulations to my fellow honorees today, especially General
    Vessey, a fine officer who served our
    country with distinction and honor.
        I'm here today with one of your alumni, the Class of 2000. He can't
    rise for applause because he's working. But I want his parents to know
    he's doing a really fine job. And everyone at Concordia can be very
    proud of Officer Scott Eichstaedt of the
    United States Secret Service.
        I am told that when the name of your commencement speaker was
    announced on April the 1st--[laughter]--a lot of students thought it
    might be an April Fool's Day joke. [Laughter] And some of you may still
    have doubts. I saw a person when I walked in, said, ``Is it him, or is
    it the guy on `Saturday Night Live'?''
    [Laughter]
        All of you have worked hard and have come far, and you can always be
    proud of the achievement we mark today. Through it all, you've had a lot
    of fine people standing with you. This graduating class is a credit to
    the superb and caring teachers at Concordia. And today we also honor the
    people who believed in you and prayed for you and paid for you--
    [laughter]--the parents of the Class of 2004.
        Many of today's graduates are on your way to full-time ministry, and
    that commitment is one of the greatest that a man or woman can make. All
    of the graduates leave Concordia with a commission and a calling. In the
    Lutheran tradition, all work--in an office, on a farm, in the home, or
    in the halls of government--should be done in the glory of God. And that
    is accomplished by doing our work with excellence and care and an
    awareness of the needs around us.
        We find our examples in great lives. Important work in this world
    can be done by towering figures like Martin Luther, who changed history
    and your own lives with an act of conscience. Work of lasting value can
    also be done by a solitary soul, condemned and stripped of all power,
    like Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Every life holds the possibility of serving
    God. And in every great life, that possibility is realized in service.
    After all, Bonhoeffer said, ``The Church is the Church only when it
    exists for others.''
        This teaching of faith is confirmed in our daily experience. Many of
    us find that there is much more to life than getting

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    and keeping. True fulfillment comes with the responsibilities we assume,
    to care for our families and to love a neighbor as we want to be loved
    ourselves. This is more than a familiar saying; it is the foundation of
    a meaningful life.
        A person shows his or her character in kindness and charity, and
    what is true in our lives is also true in the life of our Nation. You
    can fairly judge the character of society by how it treats the weak, the
    vulnerable, the most easily forgotten. Our own country, at its best,
    strives to be compassionate, and this isn't easy. Compassion is not
    merely a vague feeling of empathy; it is a demanding virtue. It involves
    action and effort and deep conviction, a conviction as old as Scripture
    and present at the founding of our country. We believe that everyone has
    a place and a purpose in this world, that every life matters, that no
    insignificant person was ever born.
        America rejects the ethic of sink or swim. America rejects social
    Darwinism, because strength is not the same as worth. Our greatest
    failures as a nation have come when we lost sight of our compassionate
    ideals in slavery, in segregation, and in every wrong that has denied
    the value and dignity of life. Our greatest strength as a nation is that
    we bravely face our flaws and do our best to make things right. Our
    greatest successes as a nation have come when we broadened the circle of
    protection and inclusion, and this work is not finished. We will press
    on until every person shares in the promise of our country.
        The mission statement of this university directs each of you towards
    a life of service to the church and to the world. It's not my place to
    tell you how best to serve the church, but I do have a few thoughts
    about how you can make your mark in the world. Wherever you are headed,
    I urge you to do the work nearest you and help to build a more
    compassionate society.
        First, America needs your efforts and energy in the fight against
    poverty and despair. A compassionate society does not look away from a
    man being dragged down by addiction, or a mother being abandoned by the
    father of the child, or boys and girls with no role models in life who
    wonder if anyone cares about them. These personal tragedies are often
    failures of love, and they must be answered with love and caring and
    kindness. Government can play many important roles, but it cannot take
    someone's hand and be their friend. You have that power. If you follow
    this calling, you can help transform our society, one heart, one soul at
    a time.
        This call is heard and followed here in the Milwaukee area at
    Lutheran Counseling and Family Services. It was founded over 100 years
    ago to help children in need. Today, it offers services and counseling
    that help teens and preteens escape drug and alcohol abuse. When
    children hurt this deeply and this early, they often need an entirely
    new path, a new way. The CEO of the program, Dr. Chuck Meseck, says this: ``The clinical work is important, but in
    helping a person, faith is what really heals them completely.''
        Around our country, there are so many people with loving hearts who
    despair at the suffering they see around them. And so I made a decision:
    Instead of ignoring or resenting religious charities and faith-based
    groups, this country will encourage these good works in every way we
    can. The Federal Government now allows faith-based groups to compete for
    billions of dollars in social service funding without being forced to
    change their identity and their mission. We must support the best, the
    most effective sources of compassion and hope, and we will not
    discriminate against people of faith.
        Second, America needs your good heart in meeting a basic
    responsibility, to protect and honor life in all its seasons. A
    compassionate society shows a special concern for those at the beginning
    of life, those at the end of life, and those who struggle in life with
    disabilities. Most of you, at some point, will be called to care for a
    dying

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    relative or a frail and aging parent or someone close to you with a
    terrible sickness. Often, in their pain and loneliness, they will feel
    they are nothing but a burden and worthless to the world, and you will
    need to show them that's not true. Our worth as human beings does not
    depend on our health or productivity or independence or any other
    shifting value the world might apply. Our worth comes from bearing the
    image of our Maker. And the hardest times of your life may be the most
    important, when you bear witness to this truth by your sacrifice and
    loving kindness to another soul.
        This commitment to the value of every life also challenges our
    society. Technologies that have extended life also make treatment
    decisions harder at the end of life. New methods of research hold
    promise in treating disease. These innovations show the resourcefulness
    of humanity, and they must be guided by all the wisdom of humanity. Our
    standards must be high and clear and fixed. Life is not just a tool or a
    commodity or a means to other ends. Nothing good or just can be built on
    the destruction or suffering of others.
        These convictions have deep roots in our Nation's founding. Our
    Declaration of Independence calls life an endowment of the Creator, and
    on Earth, an unalienable right. Applying this belief has always been a
    test of our democracy. Your education has prepared you to add to these
    debates with respect for others and with confidence in your own beliefs.
    By your voice and by your example, all of you can help to build a
    culture of life in America.
        Third, America needs your idealism to show the good heart of our
    country to the whole world. A compassionate society sees needs and
    suffering beyond its borders and cares enough to act. Americans show
    this care by adopting orphans from other lands, by resettling tens of
    thousands of refugees each year, by sending surgeons and dentists on
    medical missions, by spending years living among and serving people in
    faraway countries. The kingdom you serve is not bounded by coasts or
    rivers or checkpoints. The hymns you sing are sung in every language.
    The needs of all the world are your concern, and I hope that, with your
    generous spirit and global vision, you will point the way for others.
        The moral ideals of America are also universal. Because we believe
    in the rights and dignity of our own citizens, we believe in the rights
    and dignity of people everywhere. So in Africa and elsewhere, we are
    leading the fight against AIDS and other diseases. Where there is
    famine, our country provides food. Where there is desperate poverty, our
    country provides developmental aid. Where there is natural disaster,
    even in hostile nations, America is eager to help. And where there is
    tyranny, oppression, and gathering danger to mankind, America works and
    sacrifices for peace and freedom. The liberty we prize is not America's
    gift to the world; it is the Almighty God's gift to all humanity.
        At this hour, our fellow citizens are sacrificing for the security
    and freedom of Afghanistan and Iraq. Their mission is like others we
    have given to past generations in our military, to defeat the violent
    and to rescue the innocent. The mission of our military is also vital to
    the interests of America. We will not allow Afghanistan and Iraq to fall
    under the control of radicals and terrorists who are intent on our own
    destruction. On these matters, the compassion and the vital interests of
    our country speak as one: For the sake of peace and for the sake of
    security, we stand strong for freedom.
        The great events of these historic times can seem remote and beyond
    the control of individuals. Yet, we have recently seen how much
    difference, for good or ill, the choices of individual men and women can
    make. In Iraq, the cruelty of a few has brought discredit to their
    uniform and embarrassment to our country. The consequences of their
    failures of character reach well beyond the walls of a prison.

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    Yet, those failures cannot diminish the honor and achievement of more
    than 200,000 military personnel who have served in Iraq since the
    beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The character of the men and women
    who wear our uniform has been shown in countless acts of goodness and
    decency and unselfish courage. Our American military comes from all
    parts of the country. Six are members of the graduating class, and we
    thank them all.
        One person can do so much harm or so much good. One person can show
    the compassion and character of a whole country in an hour of testing.
    Never doubt that you can make a difference, because the call that comes
    to you is yours alone. And a great deal depends upon your answer. By
    bringing care and hope into other lives, you can fill your own life with
    purpose. By caring for life at every stage, you can make our country a
    more just and welcoming place. By showing the generosity of America, you
    can help change the world. Each of you has gifts to offer, and I am
    confident you will use those gifts where they are needed.
        I wish you well on the journey ahead. I thank you for the warm
    welcome and the honorary degree. I leave today a proud member of the
    Concordia University Wisconsin Class of 2004.
        May God bless you. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 3:15 p.m. in the field house. In his
    remarks, he referred to Rev. Dr. Patrick T. Ferry, president, Concordia
    University Wisconsin; and Gen. John W. Vessey, Jr., USA (Ret.), former
    Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Following his remarks, the President
    received an honorary doctorate of laws from the university.