Remarks in a discussion at Parkersburg south high school in Parkersburg, West Virginia

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, May 17, 2004

Listen, I hope you're as optimistic about the future of the country as I am. You just heard some, I think, incredibly positive news about your community. You've got people who are raising the bar, people who are making sure that the course load is relevant to the jobs of the 21st century, people who are using the asset base, the education asset base, in a wise way to make sure that every child has got ah opportunity to realize the great promise of the country.

We live in the most fabulous nation on the face of the Earth, and one of the reasons why is because we're a nation that believes in the worth of every person, regardless of their background. We're a nation that believes in the potential of every person. We want every child to learn to read, write, and add and subtract. We want every child to have the curriculum necessary to be able to realize his or her dreams. That's what we want in America.

We're also a great nation because we've got fantastic values. And one of the values we hold dear is the value of freedom. We love our freedom. We understand our freedom. We will never relinquish our freedom.

Thank you all for coming. May God bless.

NOTE: The President spoke at 12:58 p.m. in the school's gymnasium. In his remarks, he referred to Lance Cpl. Stephen Ferguson, USMC; and Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi of Japan.