[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 15 (Monday, April 15, 2002)]
[Pages 582-586]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Citizens Corps in Knoxville

April 8, 2002

    Thank you all so very much. I'm sure glad to be back in Knoxville, 
Tennessee. I want to thank you for your warm welcome. I want to thank 
you for your hospitality. And I want to thank you all for coming today 
to give me a chance to talk about some--to talk about the future of this 
great country and why I'm optimistic about the future of this great 
country and why I'm so proud to be an American, to be the President of 
this great country.
    It makes sense to come to the Volunteer State to talk about the need 
for our citizens to help each other. I can understand why the

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foes of the University of Tennessee dread hearing ``Rocky Top.'' 
[Laughter] I mean, it kind of fired me up, standing behind the--
[applause]. It reminds me of that great volunteer spirit. Of course, in 
Texas, we really appreciate those Tennessee volunteers coming down to 
help us out.
    And I appreciate the Citizens Police Academy I went to today. It 
shows the best of your city. You have a great mayor working with a 
really fine police chief, who are pooling the resources, who are 
providing an avenue, an outlet for people who care about your community, 
a place for them to come and learn the skills necessary to help protect 
the good people of Knoxville, should an emergency arise.
    I've come to highlight what works, so others around the country, if 
they're interested----

[At this point, there was a disturbance in the audience.]

----if your're interested in doing what is right--to encourage your 
citizens to become involved. And so I want to thank the city of 
Knoxville, Tennessee, for showing Americans--for showing Americans how 
best to help their communities. [Applause] Thank you all.
    I also want to thank the mayors and county officials from cities 
from around our country. I had the honor of flying over from Washington 
today with the fine Mayor of Washington, DC, my friend Tony Williams. I 
also was with Mayor Jim Hahn from Los Angeles and others here, all of 
whom are utilizing their positions to encourage our citizens to become 
more involved in our communities. And I want to thank you all so very 
much for coming. We've got some mayors from Texas, small towns, large 
towns, Republicans, Democrats, all of whom care deeply about our 
country.
    I want to thank so very much the members of the Tennessee 
congressional delegation for being here as well. You've sent a fine 
group of folks to Washington. I enjoy working with them. I appreciate 
their service to the country, and I want to thank you all for coming.
    I want to remind our fellow citizens that we have a volunteer 
military, that we've asked our citizens to volunteer to protect our 
country. And my attitude is, so long as we have a soldier in harm's way, 
they deserve the best pay, the best support, the best equipment 
possible. I have submitted a budget to the United States Congress that 
reflects the nature of the conflict with which we're faced. I've asked 
for the largest increase in defense spending in 20 years, not only 
because it will fulfill our commitment to support our troops but because 
it recognizes that this country is in our war for the long pull, that 
we're interested in defending freedom no matter what the cost.
    You know, I can't imagine what went through the minds of those who 
felt like they could attack America. I can't imagine. They must have 
thought we were so materialistic and so self-absorbed and so weak that 
all we would do was file a lawsuit. [Laughter] They found out we're a 
different type of nation than they thought. They found out this Nation 
will do what it takes to defend that which we hold dear, and what we 
hold dear is freedom.
    And it's important for the young, in particular, but all Americans 
to understand that we seek--we don't seek revenge; we seek justice. It's 
hard for some to believe, but there are people in this world who hate 
what America stands for. They hate the fact that we believe people 
should worship freely. They hate the fact that we believe there ought to 
be honest political discourse. They hate the fact that we believe in 
human rights and the dignity and worth of each individual. These people 
hate America. They are coldblooded killers, and the United States will 
hunt them down one by one and bring them to justice.
    And thanks to our United States military and thanks to a coalition 
we put together--and thanks to the coalition we have put together, we 
have freed the people of Afghanistan from one of the most repressive 
regimes in the history of mankind. Not only are we steadfast in our 
desire to defend that which we believe; we also are willing to commit 
resources to free a nation. Several weeks ago, young girls went to 
school for the first time in Afghanistan.
    I'm proud of the United States of America. I'm proud of our people. 
I'm proud of our resolve. I'm proud of the unity. I'm proud of the 
patience of the American people. The American people know what I know, 
that we have been called into action, that history has

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given us a chance to lead, that history understands--that we now 
understand that history's call is to lead our vast coalition against 
terrorists and to defend freedom, no matter what the cost. And my fellow 
Americans, I can assure you so long as I'm the President, I will lead 
this world's coalition to defend our freedoms, no matter what the cost.
    I've heard talk about the budget and people saying, ``Well, the 
budget is too big for defense.'' Listen, the price of freedom is high. I 
understand that. But it's not too high, as far as I'm concerned. This 
Nation can show the world what we stand for, and we can show future 
generations what we're made out of.
    Now, it's important for us to remain strong, and it's important for 
us to do what we say we're going to do in the world. I said loud and 
clear, ``Either you are with us, or you're against us.'' And I also 
said, ``If you're going to harbor a terrorist or feed a terrorist or 
think you can hide a terrorist, you're just as guilty as the ones who 
came and murdered innocent Americans, and we're going to hold you 
accountable.''
    And we're making good progress. We're making good progress. We're 
hunting them down, and that's what has to happen. And we're doing it in 
a way that sometimes doesn't make it in the newspapers. I understand 
that. You know--and sometimes it doesn't have all the sensationalism 
that some on the TVs would like to see. But you've just got to know that 
your Government is steady and deliberate and patient. There is no cave 
deep enough to hide from the arm of justice of the United States of 
America.
    And while I recognize that the best way to secure our homeland is to 
find the enemy wherever they hide, there's some stuff we need to do at 
home too. And we're doing it. And that is to have a homeland security 
strategy that recognizes the importance of first-responders. I want to 
thank the police and fire officers and EMS teams not only in Knoxville 
but around the country for your sacrifice on behalf of the citizens of 
your community.
    We've got a strategy that makes sure our border security works 
better, a strategy that responds to any bioterrorism-type attack. We're 
doing a good job of buttoning up our country. We're doing a much better 
job of communicating between law enforcement agencies. You see, you've 
got to know that anytime we get a hint, a scintilla of evidence that 
somebody might be thinking about doing something to America, we're 
responding. We're sharing information. We're on alert, and we're working 
overtime. And we're working diligently to make sure the enemy doesn't 
hit us again.
    But there's some things that citizens can do as well. People 
oftentimes ask me, ``What can I do to help?'' Well, let me give you some 
suggestions today. One way to help is to volunteer. And I said to the 
fellow citizens, give 4,000 hours of volunteer service for the rest of 
your life. If you want to help America, step up and serve your 
community. And there are ways to do that. There are ways to do so on the 
forefront of the war--on the strategy to make sure America is better 
prepared.
    I have created what's called USA Freedom Corps. It's a chance for 
citizens from all walks of life to serve, to serve by serving in 
AmeriCorps, where you can help teach--where you can help people realize 
that the American experience is meant for us all. Or you can teach. Or 
Senior Corps--senior citizens can serve in the Senior Corps programs. Or 
the Peace Corps--we've had thousands of people now call in to say they 
want to serve America's interest in the Peace Corps by helping to spread 
America's values. There are ways to serve.
    Today I'm talking about the Citizens Corps. It's an opportunity to 
work with local officials to make the homeland security more prepared. 
Interestingly enough, when I made the call for people to serve, we had 
over a million hits on the Web site for the Citizens Corps, and 25,000 
Americans stepped up and said, ``We want to help. We want to apply for 
Citizens Corps applications.''
    And here--there are ways to help. We need volunteers who are trained 
in emergency preparedness and response to participate in what we call 
Community Emergency Response Team programs. They first started in Los 
Angeles, Mayor Hahn was telling me. All the cities represented here on 
this stage have now got CERT programs. It gives people a chance to be a 
part of an emergency-

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response mechanism, both urban and rural, in America. If you're 
interested in helping, dial up the phone and the Web site I'm about to 
give you, so that you can be a part of emergency preparedness in your 
communities.
    We need volunteers on the Neighborhood Watch programs. Neighborhood 
Watch--I hope you're familiar with it--is a way for communities to be--
citizens to become involved with making each neighborhood more secure. 
Neighborhood Watch is a structure which already exists. We want to 
expand it in America. We want more folks to be a part of the 
Neighborhood Watch program, to make our communities more prepared.
    Operation--what's called--we call it terrorism information program; 
it's a tip program. This is a program where truckers can report anything 
that might be suspicious to local authorities. One of the most 
innovative tip programs in the country took place in Maine. Governor 
King, in working with the local FBI, signed up a lot of lobstermen, so 
when they're out there pulling their pots to get the lobsters, if they 
see something suspicious taking place along the Maine coast, that they 
share information with the local jurisdictions, local law enforcement 
jurisdictions. If people see anything suspicious, utility workers, you 
ought to report it. This is a way to organize that which already happens 
in our communities on a daily basis and a way to make the homeland more 
secure and more prepared.
    We've got what's called the VIP program, VIPS, and that's Volunteers 
in Police. And that's what we've talked about today here in Knoxville. I 
don't know if you know this or not, but I would say the vast majority of 
police departments need volunteer labor to help make their departments 
function. The chief here in Knoxville was telling me that he could not 
live without the fact that we've got a lot of volunteers right from your 
community, probably your neighbors, that go down there on a daily basis, 
to help make the police department function more smoothly. This is a 
good way to help in your community, if you're interested in helping.
    And then we have what's called the Medical Reserve Corps. This is a 
chance for active and retired doctors and nurses to lend a hand in 
preparing any community for an emergency. It makes a lot of sense to say 
to a retired doc or a retired nurse, ``You know, you've still got your 
skills. You still care about people. Here's a good way for you to serve 
the community.'' We need this participation from our citizenry. It's not 
only good for each community; it's good for the citizens to know that 
they're helping to serve a great nation by serving their community.
    And so for those of you out there who are interested in 
participating, I want you to call up this number, 1-877-USA-CORPS*, or 
to dial up on the Internet, www.citizencorps.gov. This is a way where 
you can help America. The Government will help as well. I put in my 
budget $203 million to help on the Citizen Corps programs, 50 of which 
will be immediate, through the supplemental.
    * White House correction.
    In other words, we're willing to fund. But what we can't do is, we 
can't hire people. You've got to step up in the Citizen Corps. The money 
is meant to enable. You're meant to provide the manpower. So when a 
fellow American says, ``What can I do to help? What can I do to help 
America be prepared better,'' here's a way you can help and make a huge 
difference in the communities in which you live.
    And there's another way to help too. It's by loving a neighbor like 
you'd like to be loved yourself. You've probably got a sense of my 
strong feelings about the enemy. I believe they're evil. The best way to 
fight evil is to do some good. Let me qualify that--the best way to 
fight evil at home is to do some good. The best way to fight them abroad 
is to unleash the military.
    It is so important for citizens in this country to put a face on 
America for the world to see, the true face. And that's by loving 
somebody, and that's by caring for somebody who needs a hand. You know, 
it doesn't take much to help define the true face of America; it really 
doesn't. It can mean just walking across the street to a shut-in, and 
saying, ``I care for you. Is there anything I can do to make your day 
brighter?'' It certainly means mentoring a child, putting your arm 
around a child, and say, ``You know, America is

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meant for you, and I love you.'' It means organizing a program in your 
church or your synagogue or your mosque, to help hear the universal call 
of loving somebody just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
    There are pockets of despair in America, and we need people of love 
to go into those pockets, people of faith to go into those pockets of 
despair, to help this country realize its potential. If you want to join 
in the war against terror, you can join the Citizen Corps, or you can 
act out of compassion and concern to help make somebody's life brighter. 
It is the gathering momentum of millions of acts of kindness and decency 
and compassion which show the world the true face of America. Not only 
are we strong militarily, but we've got great hearts and great 
compassion about our fellow human--men and women.
    And therefore, my fellow Americans, if you want to join us, if you 
want to make the country stronger, participate; help somebody in need. 
You know, I truly believe that out of this evil is going to come 
incredible good. I believe that by remaining strong in the face of 
terror, that we can lead the world to peace. I believe there's going to 
be some problems in the world that can be solved with American strength 
and American leadership and a coalition that refuses to bend when it 
comes to the defense of terror. And out of evil will come some 
incredible good in America, some incredible good.
    Many of you know what I'm talking about when I say that families 
have taken a good look at what's important in their life. Moms and dads 
have now said that they're going to love their children with all their 
heart and all their soul. They're going to focus their love and 
attention on being the best parent they can possibly be, as we've taken 
a good look at the value systems that are important for our future.
    You know, Flight 93 told me a lot about America. Here we were in the 
midst of this beginning of the new war of the 21st century, and some men 
and women on a flight decided that they needed to save others. They were 
on cell phones with their loved ones. They told them they loved them. 
They said a prayer. They said, ``Let's roll,'' and they saved lives on 
the ground. It is that spirit that is alive and well in America, and 
it's that spirit that makes me so optimistic about the future of this 
great country.
    I want to thank you all so very much for coming. I want to thank you 
for your strong support for our country. I want to thank you for your 
patience. I want to thank you for your understanding about what lies 
ahead for the country. But most of all, I want to thank you for working 
hard to make your neighborhood and your community the best place it can 
possibly be for each one of us who's lucky enough to call themselves an 
American.
    And I want you to know, I can't tell you what an honor it is to be 
the President of the greatest land on the face of the Earth. God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 1:30 p.m. at the Knoxville Civic Coliseum. 
In his remarks, he referred to Mayor Victor H. Ashe of Knoxville; Mayor 
Anthony A. Williams of Washington, DC; Mayor James K. Hahn of Los 
Angeles, CA; Governor Angus S. King, Jr., of Maine; and Phil E. Keith, 
chief of police, Knoxville Police Department.