[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 5 (Monday, February 4, 2002)]
[Pages 142-147]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks to the Community in Winston-Salem

January 30, 2002

    The President. Thank you all very much for such a warm North 
Carolina welcome. I hope I didn't keep you up too late last night. 
[Laughter] I usually get to bed about 9 o'clock, but I obviously had 
something to say. I said that even though we're at war, even though 
we're at recession, the state of our Union has never been stronger.
    And I know why. And the reason why is because we're a nation of 
strong Americans. It is such an honor to be the President of such a 
fabulous country. And I'm glad, proud to be here with you to share some 
of my thoughts and hopes and concerns.
    Before I begin, I want to thank your chief. She has done a fabulous 
job. I loved it when the men and women who wear the blue stood up when 
the chief came out and led the round of applause. It shows that she 
knows how to lead. So, Chief, thank you for being here, and thank you 
for honoring me with your presence.
    I'm proud that Tom Ridge is traveling with me today. He and I were 
Governors together. Never did I dream that I'd ask him to come and serve 
in an important capacity--and that is to protect our homeland--because 
we never thought we'd be attacked. But we have been. And now it's time 
for this country to respond in a positive way, and I am so proud of the 
effort he is leading to secure the homeland of the United States of 
America.
    I'm also glad Allbaugh is here. Obviously, I didn't pick him because 
he's pretty. [Laughter] He's got a face only his mother would love--
[laughter]--if she stretches it. [Laughter] But I've known him for a 
long time. He was with me in Texas. He understands how to manage an 
organization. And the organization he manages is FEMA, so that if there 
ever is an emergency in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, you'll get the 
absolute best service from your Federal Government. I want to thank both 
members for being here--both men for being here today.
    I flew down on the airplane today with some distinguished members of 
the North Carolina congressional delegation. First, a true gentleman, 
and somebody every time I sees him talks about North Carolina in the 
most glowing terms, and that's Senator Jesse Helms.
    And then we let somebody from Hickory, North Carolina, travel with 
us, old Cass Ballenger. I appreciate you being here, Cass. Congressman 
Mel Watt is with us today, too. Thank you, Congressman, for coming; 
honored you're here. My first meeting was in his district, and then I 
crossed the line and came into Richard Burr's district, Congressman 
Richard Burr. Richard told me that his mother and daddy are here. Where? 
There you go. I hope he listens to you, Mom. You better tell him. He 
probably listens to you about as much as I listen to my mother--
[laughter]--a lot, by the way. [Laughter]
    I'm also so proud--the other night I invited one of our Nation's 
foremost couples for dinner. Unfortunately, only the husband could come. 
We got stuck with the short straw in this couple, because the wife was 
here doing hard work in North Carolina. The

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lady who wasn't at dinner was Miss Elizabeth Dole. Thank you for coming. 
My hope, of course, is that we'll be able to dine frequently. [Laughter]
    I'm told your good Governor is here, the Governor of the State of 
North Carolina, Mike Easley. I know your mayor is here, because I 
traveled with him in the limousine. We had a good visit, newly elected 
Mayor Joines of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. 
We've got leaders from the State delegation. I know the leader of the 
senate is here on the Republican side, members of the house and the 
senate. I'm so honored you all would take time to come and pay a visit.
    I know that we've got people who have made huge sacrifices in their 
life with us today, men and women who wear our uniform. We are so 
grateful for your service to our community.
    I'm told there are some volunteer firefighters here. I'm a proud 
contributor to the Crawford Volunteer Fire Department. One of the things 
I'll be talking about a little later on is how we can encourage 
volunteers to help police and firefighters all across the country. The 
volunteer fire departments have already shown how to help. It is made up 
of people who understand that in order to make their community, people 
must stand up and say, ``How can I help?'' So I want to thank all the 
volunteer firefighters who are here today.
    We're making great progress in our war against terror. We have 
totally routed out one of the most repressive governments in the history 
of mankind, the Taliban. When I made our announcement last September 
about our intentions, I said, the evil won't stand; and to nations that 
feel like they can harbor evil or support terrorists, they, too, are 
just as guilty as a terrorist. We not only made the message clear; we 
delivered. And that's because this patient Nation has got a fine, strong 
United States military. And this country is going to back them to the 
hilt in our war against terror.
    We're making good progress. We put together a great coalition of 
nations around the world with this message: Either you're with us, or 
you're against us; either you're on the side of freedom and justice, or 
you aren't. And the good news is, most people are beginning to see the 
wisdom of being on the side of freedom and justice. [Laughter]
    We're after them. But the good news to report for our side, and the 
bad news for the evil, is that we're patient, and we're determined, and 
we will not stop until we achieve all our objectives.
    The first objective was to hold the Taliban Government hostage and 
to liberate a people. And this proud Nation did so. One of my favorite 
images was to see liberated women and children with joy on their faces, 
thanks to the United States military.
    We haven't forgot our other objective, and that's bad news for Al 
Qaida. Our other objective is to run them down, wherever they hide, and 
bring them to justice--or as I like to say, get them. [Laughter] It's 
going to take a while. There are caves in rugged parts of Afghanistan 
where these people may be hiding. But they better not think they can 
hide forever----
    Audience member. Give them what for, G! [Laughter]
    The President. ----because our only objective is not Al Qaida; our 
objective is broader than one person or a handful of people. We'll get 
them. We're going to get them. We're going to bring them to justice, 
make no mistake about it, my fellow Americans. But the call is bigger 
than that. In order to make sure our children can grow up in a free 
world and a civilized world, we must rout out terror wherever it exists, 
wherever it hides.
    The doctrine that says you're just as guilty as the terrorist 
applies not only in Afghanistan but worldwide. Our mission is to make 
the world free from terror. And this mighty country will not tarry, and 
we will not fail in our love and our quest for freedom.
    I told the people last night that one of the things we discovered in 
Afghanistan in the caves was that they've got designs on our homeland 
still, of course. We also believe they've trained thousands and 
thousands of killers that are around the world. That's why we're not 
going to rest. That's why we're going to remind the nations around the 
world that we can't rest. We have no choice, and we're not going to.

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    I also made it clear that if you're a nation that's going to develop 
weapons of mass destruction, you too--you too--are on our radar screen. 
You too, if you've got a history of repression and violence and 
disregard for human rights and are developing a weapon of mass 
destruction, you too are now on notice that the United States of America 
will do whatever it takes to defend our security.
    And therefore, the budget I sent to Congress makes a priority for 
national defense. Our soldiers deserve the best equipment, the best 
training, and a pay raise as we fight this war against terror.
    I also want Americans to know that we will do everything we can to 
secure the homeland. And therefore, I submitted a budget that increases 
homeland security, increases the monies for homeland security. Tom Ridge 
is developing a coordinated strategy that will provide research for 
vaccines to fight bioterrorism, that will send more equipment and 
training money to first-responders--those are the police and 
firefighters all across America. We'll keep a closer eye on our border. 
We want to make sure we understand who's coming in and who's going out. 
We want to do everything we can to secure America, to secure our Nation.
    Part of the initiative I called on will call upon people to help us 
with the homeland security, and I will explain that a little later. But 
you've got to know that every day your Federal Government and law 
enforcement officials are doing everything we can to find them, to make 
sure they don't hit us, to protect the American people. My most 
important job is the security of America, is the security of Americans. 
I will not rest until we finally win this war on terror, because I 
understand the best way to secure America is to find terrorists where 
they live and bring them to justice. And that's exactly what this 
country is going to do.
    I also spent some time last night talking about economic security. 
We're talking about homeland security, and part of having a secure 
homeland is to make sure people can work, that there are jobs available 
for people who want to work. And so on the one hand, I think Congress 
ought to help those who are unemployed. But I understand people don't 
want an unemployment check; they want a steady paycheck. And so the 
thing Congress has got to do is create jobs, jobs for Americans, jobs 
for people who want to work.
    You probably remember the debate on taxes. Thank goodness we cut 
taxes when we did. The best way--the best way to help an economy recover 
is to let hard-working people keep more of their money. When they get 
more money in their pocket, they spend more money, and as they spend 
more money, it helps create jobs. Tax relief is an important way to 
battle recession.
    And for those who want to do away with tax relief, you don't know 
what you're talking about. You don't raise taxes. We don't raise taxes 
in the middle of a recession. We've got to trust people with their own 
money. I'm not sure what textbook some of them are reading up there. 
[Laughter] But obviously, it's not the same one we've been reading here 
in this room.
    I will tell you another way to create jobs is to open up markets. 
Listen, our farmers in America are the best in the world. We've got the 
best agriculture sector. If we're the best at something, it seems like 
we ought to sell it. The more we can sell, the more jobs there are. The 
more markets that open for U.S. producers, the more jobs there will be 
for U.S. workers.
    I'll tell you another way to create jobs is to have an energy 
policy, is to finally get an energy policy that does several things. 
First of all, if you're trying to create jobs and you're not sure what 
the price of energy is going to be, it makes job creation less certain. 
If there's a price spike, it's harder to hire somebody. If there's 
uncertainty in supply, it's harder to plan for the future. And 
therefore, having an energy policy makes sense. It makes sense from an 
economic perspective. We've got to conserve more. We've got to utilize 
technology more. But for the sake of national security, we must find 
more oil and gas at home to become less reliant on foreign sources of 
oil.
    I'm proud of the work we did on an education bill. I know a lot of 
you here are concerned about your public schools, and so am I. I want 
the best, and so do you. I want to make sure every child learns and no 
child gets left behind. We worked well together.

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I said last night in the middle of the speech that I was proud to work 
with Republicans, proud to work with Democrats. I was even proud of the 
efforts--very proud of the efforts of Ted Kennedy.
    Now, I understand in North Carolina--[laughter]--and in parts of 
Texas--[laughter]--they may not understand a good conservative 
Republican like me saying nice things about liberal Ted Kennedy. 
[Laughter] But I'm going to tell you something: He cares about public 
schools like I do. He, too, doesn't want any child left behind. We set 
aside our parties and focused on America and did what was right for the 
schoolchildren of America.
    A good job means good education. A good education means good jobs. 
In order to have good jobs, you've got to have a good education system. 
And so, therefore, we passed a good piece of legislation--provides more 
money for at-risk kids but also trusts the good people of North Carolina 
to make the decisions for the children of North Carolina. The people who 
care more about the children who live in Winston-Salem are the moms and 
dads and community leaders of Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
    And we've obviously got more to do, and we're going to get a lot 
done if we focus on America, if we focus on results, if we don't play 
the politics of the old days where you try to tear the other guy down in 
order to get ahead. We've got to get rid of that attitude in Washington, 
and when we do, the country will be better off for it.
    And that's what the country expects. This country expects the best--
the best. This country is taking an assessment right now of what's 
important. The evil ones thought that we were weak. They didn't 
understand us. As I say, they were probably watching too much daytime 
TV. [Laughter] This is a strong nation. This is a compassionate nation. 
This is a decent nation. And this is a nation that will not let 
terrorists change our way of life.
    As a matter of fact, what the terrorists have done has caused us to 
take an assessment of what's important. And one of the things of my job 
is to capture this new spirit. I had been concerned for too long about a 
culture that says, if it feels good, just go ahead and do it. I believe 
that this Nation is strong enough and focused enough and dedicated 
enough to usher in a culture that says, each of us are responsible for 
the decisions we make in life.
    Part of our responsibility understands that if you happen to be a 
mom or a dad, that your most important job will be to love your children 
with all your heart and all your soul.
    Part of our responsibility is corporate responsibility. And 
corporate America must be open about its books and accounting systems, 
so that shareholders and employees know the full truth about what's 
going on on balance sheets.
    Part of being a responsible society--part of being a responsible 
society is for people to love your neighbor just like you'd like to be 
loved yourself. And part of being a responsible society is to serve your 
community. And so my call to America is, I hope and ask that you serve 
your community you live in and your Nation by 2 years of service, 4,000 
hours of service over your lifetime.
    Now, many of you do that, I know. Many of you go to your Sunday 
school class and figure out ways to help a neighbor in need. Some of you 
walk across the street to a shut-in and say, ``I love you. Can I care 
for you?'' Many of you mentor. I hope you keep doing that. That's part 
of the 4,000 hours I asked for you to do for your Nation, for the good 
of your community.
    Some don't know where to start, and I've got, obviously, a good 
idea, and that is for the USA Freedom Corps. It's a chance to serve your 
Nation in three different ways.
    One is to be a part of making sure your community is prepared for 
any emergency that might happen. I went over with the chief today 
earlier and saw a community collaboration that is very strong and 
powerful that you have here in Winston-Salem. You need to be proud of 
it, proud of the fact that your police chief and your fire chief and 
your mayor, your emergency responders, the National Guard have developed 
a--hospitals and docs and nurses--have developed an emergency response 
plan, a plan that will help the citizens deal with an emergency, should 
it occur here in Winston-Salem. It's an integral part of preparing your 
community.

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    By the way, by preparing your community for an emergency, you also 
leave a legacy behind that will make your community better. The more the 
police and fire work together, the more likely it is your communities 
will be safe.
    But one of the things we're asking is for people to volunteer. Ex-
policemen or ex-firefighters, retired docs or nurses, make yourself 
available to be a part of your emergency response teams in Winston-
Salem, North Carolina, or any other community in North Carolina or the 
country, for that matter.
    A second way that we can serve our community is through AmeriCorps. 
I want to expand the size of AmeriCorps by 200,000 volunteers, many of 
whom will end up teaching in inner-city schools. I'm going to Atlanta, 
Georgia, tomorrow to herald a great program called Teach For America. It 
is a place where youngsters--or oldsters, for that matter--who are 
interested in serving their community can teach. I can't think of a more 
noble profession and a better way to serve your community than teaching.
    We're going to expand Senior Corps, as well, to give our seniors a 
chance to continue to lend their expertise and judgment and wisdom in 
the communities in which they live.
    And finally, I believe that one thing we must do--and I spent some 
time talking about it last night--was to expand the Peace Corps, 
revitalize the mission, encourage the Peace Corps to go into the Islamic 
world to spread the message of economic development and really share the 
compassion of a great nation, and that is America.
    These are ways you can help. These are ways that you can be a part 
of serving your Nation.
    Along these lines, I've asked a friend of mine who has served my 
administration well to be the Director, the Executive Director of this 
USA Freedom Corps. He is an integral part of our team. And by taking him 
off the Domestic Policy Council and putting him in charge of USA 
Freedom, I am obviously making a strong commitment to the future of this 
organization. He'll be held accountable. When we say we're going to get 
more people involved, I'll be asking him on a regular basis, ``How are 
we doing? If we're not doing that well, how come? What can we do to make 
it better?'' But I'd like you to welcome the new Executive Director, 
John Bridgeland. [Applause]
    Now, in order to make sure people who want to sign up--if you 
listened to the speech last night, you know, people were saying, ``Well, 
gosh, that's nice. He called me to action. Where do I look?'' Well, 
here's where: at usafreedomcorps.gov. If you want to find out how you 
can join the USA Freedom Corps or, for that matter, figure out how to 
help to serve your community outside of the USA Freedom Corps--because, 
as I understand, we've got it tied into websites, for example, the 
community services in Winston-Salem--dial up usafreedomcorps.gov.
    Or you can call this number--it sounds like I'm making a pitch, and 
I am. [Laughter] This is the right thing to do for America: 1-877-USA-
CORPS. If somebody out there is interested in figuring out how to serve, 
it's 1-877-USA-CORPS.
    Now, people ask me all the time, ``What can I do to help? How can I 
be a part?'' And oh, by the way, I look forward to working with my old 
rival on this initiative. One of the things that John McCain spent a lot 
of time talking about when we ran against each other and still spends a 
lot of time talking about is service. He's a man who understood service 
to his country. He's a man who knows that America will be better off as 
we serve our country. And I look forward to working with Senator McCain 
and Senator Bayh of Indiana to get this legislation through the 
Congress.
    People, though, come up to me all the time and say, ``Well, gosh, 
that's good. We're winning.'' I say, ``We are, and we've got a lot more 
to do, and it's going to take a while.'' They say, ``What can I do to 
help?'' You know, you've heard me talk about this, probably, but I 
really, truly view this as a conflict between good and evil. And there 
really isn't much middle ground--like none. [Laughter] The people we 
fight are evil people. They have no regard for human life. They believe 
in tyranny. Their history has shown exactly what I'm talking about. 
Imagine a society where women are brutalized, children aren't educated, 
young girls have no chance of getting an education. It is a backward, 
barbaric

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point of view. And those are the kind of people--but the people we're 
after embraced that point of view.
    And obviously, if you want to fight evil, we've figured out a way to 
do so militarily. That's one way. But at home, you fight evil with acts 
of goodness. You overcome the evil in society by doing something to help 
somebody. It's the collection--what I called last night the momentum of 
a million acts of kindness. That's the collective soul of the country, 
millions of acts of kindness and decency that take place not because of 
the Government but because this is a nation of heart, a nation that 
cares, a nation of fine, fine people.
    If people want to fight terror, do something kind for a neighbor; 
join the USA Freedom Corps; love somebody; mentor a child; stand up to 
evil with acts of goodness and kindness. Not only will our country be 
better, but we'll show the world--we will show the world that values, 
universal values, must be respected and must be adhered to. And as a 
result, the world will be more peaceful. History has called us to 
action, and action we will take.
    It is such an honor--I want to repeat where I started--it is such an 
honor to be the President of such a great land, to be given the 
opportunity to lead a land full of such great people. Fight on, America. 
I love you.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 3:15 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans 
Memorial Coliseum. In his remarks, he referred to Linda Davis, chief, 
Winston-Salem Police Department; Martha and David Burr, parents of 
Representative Richard Burr; former Senator Bob Dole and his wife, 
Elizabeth Dole, candidate for U.S. Senator for North Carolina; Mayor J. 
Allen Joines of Winston-Salem; Patrick J. Ballantine, senate minority 
leader, North Carolina General Assembly; and John Gist, chief, Winston-
Salem Fire Department.