[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 19 (Monday, May 17, 1999)]
[Pages 845-846]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Arrival at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport 
in Austin, Texas

May 7, 1999

    Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor. I want you to know, folks, I spent 
some of the best days of my life in Austin, Texas. And when Lloyd went 
up to make his remarks, I looked at the mayor and I said, being mayor of 
Austin may be the best elected job in the United States. And he didn't 
dispute me.
    I also want to thank Lloyd Doggett for his leadership on this and so 
many other projects. We've been friends for many, many years. I was 
elated when he was elected to the Congress, and I can tell you he does a 
terrific job for all the constituents of this district in Washington, 
DC.
    Ladies and gentlemen, I'm very, very sorry I had to miss the 
dedication. You know why. The events in Littleton, Colorado, compelled 
me to cancel. I do want to tell you that on Monday Hillary and Al and 
Tipper Gore and I are going to have a very distinguished array of people 
from all over the country to meet in Washington to organize a national 
campaign against violence involving our children. And I know it will 
have the support of every person here.
    But I want to ask you to think a little bit about the significance 
of this airport not only in terms of what it means to all of you but in 
terms of what it means to the future of America and how we ought to do 
all of our business. Six years ago, when your air base was closed, you 
saw that it did not have to be an economic setback. In fact, it could be 
an enormous opportunity. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport today is 
a testament to your unwavering commitment and vision.
    For years, this airport had the following motto: Bergstrom Air Force 
Base: Global Power for America. Today this airport is still a symbol of 
global power for America. It's a different kind of power. Where military 
aircraft essential to our victory in the cold war once landed here, now 
boxes of software take off for markets around the world, fueling our 
success in the new global economy. Where once pilots flew reconnaissance 
missions to survey cold war enemies, now they fly planes that ferry 
high-tech visionaries between Silicon Valley and these ``Silicon 
Hills.''
    This airport will be your gateway to prosperity in the 21st century. 
And I especially appreciate something that's already been mentioned, 
that you pay tribute to some of Texas' finest citizens. I hope every 
visitor will be inspired by Captain Bergstrom's courage and sacrifice, 
by my good friend Jake Pickle's life of service and compassion, by 
President Johnson's bold vision and commitment to progress for all 
Americans together, and by

[[Page 846]]

Barbara Jordan's incomparable voice for justice on common ground.
    Since I'm here today, I cannot help noting that the work of Lyndon 
Johnson and Barbara Jordan is being carried on today here in Austin by 
the State legislators who are trying to pass hate crimes legislation in 
the name of James Byrd. As you probably saw on the tarmac, I was honored 
to meet with members of Mr. Byrd's family. I know that what happened to 
him was anathema to every good citizen in Texas, as well as the United 
States.
    And I ask you, as our men and women in uniform today struggle 
against the killing, the rape, the looting, the uprooting of people, 
based solely on their ethnic and religious background in Kosovo, as they 
did in Bosnia, as we fight to reconcile people around the world, from 
the Middle East to Northern Ireland, here in America, if we want to do 
good abroad, we have to be good at home. We have to stand up for what is 
right.
    We have to acknowledge that there are differences among us that we 
celebrate. There are differences among us that are real differences, and 
we are compelled to disagree. But underneath it all, as the Founders of 
our Republic recognized, there is our common humanity and our equal 
dignity. And we must always stand for it. If we want to be a force 
against ethnic cleansing and genocide around the world, we have to be a 
force for harmony and community, here at home in every place in the 
United States.
    And so I close with the point I tried to make at the beginning. I 
want you to think about what this represents and how you did it. What it 
represents is a commitment to a common future, where no one is left 
behind and everybody has a chance. How you did it is by working 
together, across all the elements of this richly textured community. If 
you think about it, we could solve all of our problems that way. Thanks 
for the model.
    Good luck, and God bless you.
    Wait a minute. I want to do one other thing. I want to thank the 
Barbara Jordan Elementary Choir and the Pflugerville High School Band. 
Thank you very much. How about a little more music? Let's go.

Note: The President spoke at 5:38 p.m. In his remarks, he referred to 
Mayor Kirk Watson of Austin, TX; and former Representative J.J. Pickle. 
This item was not received in time for publication in the appropriate 
issue.