Remarks at Eden Prairie High School in Eden Prairie

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, March 11, 2002

And so in Washington, we're working to enhance the professionalism of the teacher ranks and in reminding America what a noble profession teaching is. We talk about teacher training and teacher recruitment and teacher authority and local control of schools.

I want the teachers here to know how much I respect what you do and how I appreciate the effort and care and compassion you show on a daily basis. One of the young teachers in there said, "You know, I decided that I wanted to teach instead of trying to get rich." That attitude is a fabulous attitude for America. It's really what I think is going to come out of this attack by the evil people. I think we're all beginning to take a hard look at the value of life, why we're here on the face of the Earth.

You know, today we've got a guy named Will Cove with us. Will is right here. Let me tell you something about Will. Can I say your age? Eighty-three, World War II vet, social entrepreneur. Here's a guy -- I think he said he could sit around the 19th hole drinking martinis if he wanted to. [Laughter] Was it martinis or beer? Anyway, instead, he builds soccer fields. Instead, he reads newspaper articles so that blind folks can get the news. Instead, he is a mentor. Instead, this guy is a soldier in the army of compassion, which exists all across America.

Will, I want to thank you for your example, for your living example of someone who puts his heart and soul into making our community a better place, someone who understands that you ought to love somebody just like you want to be loved yourself, that a complete life is one that is much greater than simple materialism.

The enemy hit us. They thought we were a materialistic society. But they didn't know we were made up of Wills. They didn't know, truly, what the fabric of our country was made out of.

You know, one of the things that I hear a lot of youngsters asking is, "What can I do in the war against terror? What can I do to be a part of my Nation's efforts to defend freedom?" Well, let me tell you what you can do. You can make somebody's life better off. You can walk into a shut-in's house on a daily basis and say, "What can I do to help you?" You can mentor a child. You can go to your church or your synagogue or your mosque, and you can put together a food drive. You can make somebody's life better. In order to stand up in the face of evil, you can do something good. It's the millions of acts of kindness and decency and compassion that define America and stand strong in the face of evil.

USAfreedomcorps.gov is a place where you can go if you're interested in serving somebody greater than yourself, a cause greater than yourself, to help somebody in need. If you want to figure out some way to enrich your life, think about being a teacher, or think about following the example of Will. If you want to do something, think about my friend Mary Copeland, who runs a prayer service, who understands the importance of faith in people's lives. With faith in people's lives, you can kick drugs and alcohol, and you can realize a better tomorrow.