Remarks to Langham company employees in Indianapolis, Indiana

Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents, Sept 15, 2003

September 5, 2003

Thank you all. Thanks for coming. It's such an honor to be here with the Langham family and the employees of this incredibly vibrant company. I want to thank the CEO for such a fine introduction. I am honored that Cathy would invite me here and give me a chance to talk about some of the challenges which face our Nation, the challenge of making sure this Nation is secure and the challenge to make sure people can find work.

I know you all have been through some challenges here in the State of Indiana because of some recent flooding. Today 1 had the privilege of telling your Governor when I landed that I recently signed a disaster declaration that will provide Federal funds to help the folks who suffered as a result of the disaster that took place in many parts of your State.

There are a lot of Americans looking for work, and we need to do something about that in Washington, DC. We've taken steps to get our economy growing again, and there are some very hopeful signs mat progress is being made. I'm optimistic about the future of this country. Yet today's unemployment report shows we've got more to do, and I'm not going to be satisfied until every American who's looking for a job can find a job.

I have laid out a comprehensive plan for job creation all across America. And for the sake of our fellow citizens, I look forward to working with the United States Congress to get this comprehensive plan passed. And one Member who will help get this plan passed, and a man "who represents Indiana with such distinction and class, a man who is a person with whom my administration works closely, the chairman, Dick Lugar.

I want to thank John and Margaret Langham, as well as Cathy, for allowing my entourage to--[laughter]--which is quite large these days--[laughter]--to invade this beautiful facility. I want to thank the employees for welcoming us. I know it's not easy to have your day disrupted by a Presidential trip, but I'm honored to be here. [Laughter] And I want to thank you for your hard work.

One thing is for certain, that you've earned the respect of the Langham family. Walking in here, Cathy was telling me how proud she is of the 55 fellow workers, people who make this small business grow and become vibrant. So I want to congratulate you for your productivity and your hard work as well. You know, one of the great things about America is that we've got the best workforce in the world. We've got the finest workers and finest employees.

I also know that the attorney general of the great State of Indiana is with us today, Steve Carter, and I appreciate Steve being here. I want to thank Zionsville High School for being here today. I appreciate you all singing. I'm sorry I didn't get to hear you. I want to thank the Kobes for leading the Pledge. I appreciate Brenda Williams coming.

Today when I landed there at the airport, I also not only spoke to the Governor and the attorney general, but I spoke to a lady named Joyce Irwin. You probably don't know who Joyce is. She is--I will tell you, though. She is a soldier in the army of compassion. She's one of the thousands of people all across our country who have heard a call to love a neighbor just like you'd like to he loved yourself.

There's great talk about the might of America, and we're mighty. And I intend to keep it that way. We've got great military might, economic might. But the truth of the matter is, the great strength of America is the heart and soul of the American people. The great strength of our country is the fact that there are millions of our fellow citizens like Joyce Irwin who are willing to lend a hand to a neighbor in need. The great strength of America is the fact that on a daily basis, there are millions of acts of kindness and mercy that helps change America to a more hopeful place, one heart, one soul at a time.

Joyce Irwin is a volunteer. She's active with the Little Red Door Cancer Agency, the Fairbanks Hospital, the Meridian Street United Methodist Church. She helps round up donations of clothing to those who need to be clothed, food for those who need to be fed. But most important, she dedicates her time to those who need to be loved. My call to our fellow Americans is love your neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself. Thank you, Joyce.

I mentioned the fact that our Nation is facing big challenges. One of the big challenges, of course, is for me, my administration, and those of us who have been honored to serve the American people, to do our solemn duty and protect the security of the American people. We must never forget the lessons of September the 11th, 2001, a sobering reminder that oceans no longer can protect us from forces of evil who can't stand what America stands for. There are people in this world who hate the thought that we believe in free societies, we believe people should worship freely, speak their mind freely. And since we're not going to change, since we're not going to change our attitude about freedom, we've still got an issue with these terrorists.