Clark Blog

Well, thank you very much for that very warm introduction and this great welcome to Cornell. It's just a tremendous honor and a great privilege to be here with you and I'm just thrilled to see all of you here today and I want to congratulate the graduating seniors, the commencing seniors, here today. Congratulations, you've made it, well done!

I guess it's not too early to say that. I mean you've still got to get through tonight. But...and I know that you feel the appropriate love and appreciation for your families, but could I just ask you, graduating seniors, stand up and give it up and applaud your families and loved ones who've supported you and gotten you this far in life, and care about...[Applause]...turn around and look at them and applaud them.

So, as Sabine and Stephen and Jacqueline and Jason have all said, this is really...this is it. After fifteen or so years, sixteen years, of being known as students, you're in for something different. As students, you were obligated to study; well, you were obligated to study. You were dogged by the administration. You were harassed by professors. You were being held accountable for everything you were supposed to learn, and not all of what you learned, but everything you were supposed to learn here. And today you are, or tomorrow, you're going to receive a new status. And I'm not talking about B.A.s and B.S.s and Ph.D.s. You're going to receive a new status as, well, Jacqueline called it "adulthood." Call it...being really part of the community of American citizens. And of course when you move into a new status, you're transitioning from an old one, it is confusing. I know. I did a big transition a few years ago when I got out of the military. And I knew it was going to be a tough transition. I had a tremendous job in the armed forces and it was a job that gave me satisfaction every single day. I had 89 countries to worry about in my U.S. capacity, I had the NATO alliance, I had active military operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, I had 70,000 NATO troops, 100,000 U.S. troops, I had 44,000 kids in schools that I worried about, I had hospitals, I had communities, I had a four billion dollar budget. It was the kind of job where you could call anybody in the world and they would answer your telephone call. And I knew it was going to be tough...I had all the perks...it's what you have to have to do a job like that. I had personal staff of 100. I had transportation provided day and night. I had a couple of armored Mercedes and six drivers, cause they have to rotate, you know. And some places you can't get to by car, you have to take a helicopter, so I had a couple of Blackhawk helicopters. And some places were too far for that, I had two aircraft. I had a Gulfstream and then I had a DC-9. And that's a lot of aluminum, so you have to maintain it, so they had a private airfield set up for me. And I had to have some place to live and I had to entertain. So, the Belgian government donated a chateau. I had to keep telling my wife, "Honey, this is our home, but it's not our house."

And so, when they said I was going to retire and I was going to have to give all that up, I knew it was going to be kind of traumatic. I went to a friend who had done it previously. I said, "How do you do it?" He said, "It's easy. You just go to Fort Meyer, Virginia on a sunny day and they have a parade for you." He said, "About a thousand troops on the field, a couple of bands, they march back and forth, you get your last medals, you give your speech." He said, "And then it's...it's over. There's no office, car, no nothing. No Jack Welch retirement program at all." And I said, "It's really traumatic. How did you deal with it emotionally?" And he said, "We were worried at first, about the weather." Because whenever you're having a big event you worry about the weather. And he said, "But the weather was fine and you know, we got there, and I had family and friends and Army colleagues from all over came, and we did the parade, I gave the speech, I got the medals." And he said, "People just lined up for an hour or so coming through and saying goodbye to me and my wife and it just felt so wonderful. And then we looked and there was nobody left. And we looked up then and we realized we were the only people left on the whole parade field. The MPs who had been guarding me were walking off across the field. My former aid who'd brought me there in the official staff car who'd brought me there in the official staff car, he had gone with my successor in my...my car back to my office." He said, "We had to find our own, privately owned car that we hadn't driven in four years." He said, that without any MPs or anything, "I found the car and there was no one to open the door and I opened the door myself and I got in and sat down and my wife looked in at me and she said, a tear formed in her eye, and she said 'Honey, what do you think you're doing sitting in the back seat?'"

Now, you future graduates, you can't be sitting in the backseat anymore. You're going to be upfront. You've got to have your hands on the steering wheel and that's a challenge when you start out, and now that you have or you're going to have your degree, you've got to figure out what you're going to do with it. Now some of you are going to go right out into the business world and you know it. And some of you are going to continue your education. You're going to go for a law degree or a degree in medicine or a master's degree in some discipline. But you know what you're going to do, and some of you can see the summer coming and you've made the tough decision not to decide yet. And that's ok. But, whatever and whenever you do decide, the one constant you have in this society are the choices and opportunities. And you have them not just because you're a citizen of any country, but because you're an American citizen, or many of you are.

You see, in America, our country is...we're wealthier than any other country has ever been in the history of the world. We've got a political system that's the envy of the world. Our advances in science and medicine are at the forefront of mankind's efforts to improve and extend life. The appeal of our culture and our entertainment reaches to the furthest corners of the globe. And yet, right now, we haven't so far created the intergalactic space travel, the airships. We haven't met all those incredible creatures that George Lucas imagines us seeing and they're there in that new episode of Star Wars, but there's still a lot of great possibilities and opportunities in America. And from all of this, you're free to choose â€" where to live, what profession to follow, what to see, what to do with your life. Because in a society as open as ours, there's no dictator to demand your obedience. There's no conscripted service to take away your freedom. There's no code of conduct to crush your will. It's really all open before you. It's all yours. And no one is demanding you lift a single finger to defend it. If you want, provided you've paid off all your student loans, you can walk out of here without a care in the world. You're moving into a world filled with choices. To paraphrase that great American philosopher, Forrest Gump's mother, "Life is like a box of chocolates, open it, you never know what you'll find." And it reminds me of when I was growing up in Arkansas, on special occasions, when you didn't really know what you were going to get for your mom on special occasions, you'd go to get a special brand of candy. It was decorated in a special box. It was the Whitman's sampler. And you know with the Whitman's sampler, you got a little taste of everything. You got some pecans, you got some peanut clusters, you got some nougats, you got some caramel, you got some toffee. And your thought was, you know, you didn't really know what mom wanted, so why choose? Why worry? Just get a little of each, it's a sampler. And it was smart advertising. And the brand became famous for the idea. Until of course, you bought it, you got home and you then remembered the last time that mom didn't really like the nougats, dad didn't really like the caramels, and after a few weeks, what you got was a box of half-eaten, picked over chocolate that you had to throw out. It was what you got with a sampler.

Now look, when you go out in the world, you're going to meet people whose lives are like that box of chocolate. They do a little of this, they do a little of that. Their interests are fleeting. Their commitments are half-hearted. Their associations are temporary. Their convictions are flexible. They live life by the bite. They take what's easy. They walk away from what's hard. In our family, we call them samplers. They don't choose, they sample. And I hope as you think about all that is before you that you understand that the opportunities that your being given, they weren't created by samplers. They were created by people who were committed, who were dedicated, who were inspired, who worked hard, who dared to dream. They were committed by people who chose and made hard decisions again and again and again. And I listened to what your class officers had to say, and as I walked around the campus last night and today and met students, and as I look out across the crowd now and I look into your faces, I do believe that you're ready and willing to do your part; that you can be and will be people who choose and make a difference in life. We just need you to step forward. We need you to contribute your skills in medicine or law or journalism. We need you to create a business. Explore the latest science and technology. Some of you may want to go into public service. And I'm proud that some of you have decided to go into the United States Armed Forces to defend our freedom and I honor them. [Applause]

But, regardless of what particular path in life you walk down, I hope you'll see the big picture. We need you out there, not only in your professions and your skills. We need you to help work our country. You're walking out into a world that, we noted this morning already, that it's changed so dramatically since people your parents' age and my age sat where you now sit. Not so long ago, we were in the Cold War. People my age grew up believing that there would never be a time when we weren't under the threat of Soviet missiles aimed at the heart of America. We believed we had to focus on winning the battle against communism, containing Soviet expansionism, deterring a strike on Europe, winning the Cold War, and at home we set up our economy and our educational system to do it. And our economic dominance was unmatched in the world. And if you worked hard in this country and you were willing to sacrifice, you could afford college and get a good job and make a decent living and support your family and count on a secure retirement. And then we won the Cold War. The Berlin Wall came down, and soon walls all over the world came down with it â€" walls between countries and people, between commerce and communication, globalization, technological innovations. We took advantage of a global opening of trade and technology, communication and commerce, the entrance of China and India into the world economic community, North American Free Trade Act, we created unheralded prosperity in our own country. But what we didn't understand when we did this is that we were also opening the door to new risks and dangers. And that world came crashing in on us in 9/11, in a way that cannot be ignored. And so today, I think every American recognizes the threat faced by our people from terrorists abroad, who would seek, we believe, without any reason or rationale, to do us harm. But beyond that, we're embroiled in a vicious conflict in Iraq that's consumed hundreds of American lives and threatens to undermine the strength of our all volunteer military. And we see a terrorist leader who still defies the world and hides from the reach of American justice. And we see despotic regimes in Iran and North Korea continuing to pursue nuclear weapons. And we see hundreds of millions of people around the world who now profess to distrust our nation and dislike our foreign policy. And we see emerging economic competitors around the world who, in five years, or even tomorrow, can threaten American jobs and our standard of living. You see what happened is we won the Cold War, but we lost our global strategy. The threats have changed, our situation has changed, technology has changed, our nation has changed, and we still haven't created a new framework for America's engagement in the world and our actions and policies at home. We need a framework that will preserve America's freedom of action, our prosperity, our security, keep us and our families safe, and help us enjoy the fruits of our own labor here. And we don't have it yet. In the old days we called the strategies deterrence and containment. We need to call it a strategy of American leadership and we need to find it. Because we haven't found it yet.

Leadership: General Eisenhower defined it this way â€" it was definition we all had to memorize in military leadership at West Point, leadership he said is the art of persuading the other fellow to want to do what you want them to do. He didn't say it was force, manipulation, or the exercise of raw power. He said it was an art. We need that kind of leadership today, not the bullying kind of leadership, not the kind of leadership... [Applause]...we don't need the kind of leadership that's so hackneyed that even George Lucas quotes it in Star Wars. "If you're not with us, you're against us." That's not what we're looking for. [Applause] We need the kind of leadership that moves nations and peoples with our ideals. Steady, patient, balanced, determined. Leadership that works to bring the world together, to focus on the common tasks, not to divide it. And that works to build international structures, to promote development, to resolve disputes between nations, to respond to disasters, and to help advance our ideals of respect, dignity, security, and health for every human being in the world. And we need that leadership at home too. You see, your generation is going to compete for jobs and wages, contributions, with graduates from Massachusetts and California and Arkansas, and also with graduates from countries like India and China, who are now getting the same world class education you have. The walls have come down around the world and that means that new ideas can come from almost anywhere and that new businesses, prosperity, security, and ultimately power can go wherever the brainpower is. And that's why we need a new kind of American leadership, to insure that we're still the land of innovation, of exploration, of possibility. That means looking at skyrocketing tuition costs and saying look every child in America should have the same shot at college that you've had here so they can learn, so they can give, so they can compete, so they can win in this new economy. And it means making it happen, not just talking about it. It means it's time to do something about the high healthcare costs that are burdening American families, dragging down American businesses, and forcing the outsourcing of jobs. And it means realizing in this country that we have to pull together, not divide each other, but pull together to focus on the great projects and the great values that can set forth this new generation on a new voyage of discovery in energy independence and taking care of our environment and realizing our hopes and ideals. Now we can meet these challenges, if we come together as a nation. But to do so we've got to overcome the vicious partisanship which has repelled so many voters and we've got to get past the pervasive politicization of social and ethical issues that's turned away so many Americans. We got to lift up this public dialogue to address the big issues that are important to America's future. And by we, I'm not talking about the C-SPAN crowd, I'm talking about the need for American leadership and the need for American leaders. I'm talking about you all, 2005, Cornell University, that's you. We need you. We need your energy, and your insight, and your imagination. We need your integrity.

Now, when I was young man growing up in Arkansas, I often thought about this in terms of the parable of the talents in the book of Matthew. And since a lot of people seem to like to talk about the book of Matthew and other books in the Bible, I will too. You see, in the book of Matthew, Jesus talks about the parable of the master. He's a fierce, determined master. He goes away on a trip and he has some servants. He gives the servants talents five...one servant five talents, one servant two talents, and one servant one talent. And he leaves. And of course the servants know that when he returns he's going to hold them accountable for what they've done. Sure enough, one day he returns and he calls them to account. And to the first servant he's given five talents to he says, "I gave you five, what have you done with them?" And the servant says, "Oh master, I have invested these five talents, and I have these five to give you back, plus five more." And the master says, "Ah, well done. Thank you good and faithful servant." He calls the second guy in and he says to him, "I gave you two talents, what did you do with them?" He says, "Master I invested them, I have these two talents to give you plus two more." He says, "Well done, good and faithful servant." He calls the third man in and he says, "I gave you a talent, what did you do with it?" Well, he said, "I knew you were a really tough and strict master and I was afraid something might happen, so I buried it and I want to give it back to you right now." And the master says, "You're out of here, you're fired, take off." And it was one of these experiences that when you're a youngster and you read it, you can't understand quite understand the anger. Because the man with the one talent he didn't lose it, he didn't spend it on himself, and he didn't, you know, he didn't gamble it away. He saved it and he gave it back. And I guess to really understand it, you have to put it in modern cultural terms. Think of a TV show like The Apprentice, and think of Donald Trump, and he says what did you do with that talent and you say I buried it. And he says you're fired. I think it's a parable that each of us has to think about in our own way. Whether you're religious, whether you're Christian, it's the essence of the adulthood that you're receiving.

What I ask you to do is to make the most of your talents, and your potential, and your opportunities â€" to dare, to risk, to dream, to become part of something larger than yourselves. Henry David Thoreau said it this way, he said, "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you've imagined." It's a challenge and it's tough. But what I've found in life is that the joy comes from taking those risks. The joy comes from stepping up to the challenges and that the fulfillment is there when you say I might not succeed, but I am going forward. That's the fulfillment in taking action to support and protect your family, your community, and your country. And I've seen that joy on the faces of so many others. I've seen it on the faces of athletes who've dared and strived and excelled beyond all expectation. I've seen it on the faces of entrepreneurs when a wild and daring plan comes together. I've seen it on the faces of soldiers after battle. It's not easy, but if you're able to keep even a hint of the idealism and the hope that you feel right now on this day and tomorrow on this special week when everything is going to feel so right, you can do it. Robert Kennedy said, "Rely on youth." He said, "It's not a time in life, it's a state of mind. It's a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, and of appetite for adventure over the love of ease." Well, that's what you're faced with â€" those opportunities, that freedom. And I hope you'll have heart, I hope you'll take courage. I hope you'll be someone who makes a difference, someone who leads, someone who inspires, someone who chooses. Tomorrow is commencement. Please reach out, feel the day, find your youth and don't ever lose it. With that youth, you'll help our country and you'll find joy.

Congratulations on your graduation. Thanks to the parents and may God bless you.

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