The Eva Rothwell Center is knocking on doors. The old school has brought new life to an old neighbourhood. Volunteers are making sure that everyone is aware of all the great things happening at the center, from breakfast programs, tutoring, clothing and furniture depots a food bank, health clinic, job support programs just to name a few.

The Robert Land School closed in 1994 but thanks to local business people such as Edward Palonek, a new purpose can for the building came about. The 95 year old school named after Palonek's mother is helping parents and children with all sorts of support programs. It's just what the neighbourhood needed say many of the local parents. More information about the Eva Rothwell Center can be found on their website along with articles in the local Hamilton Spectator.

        

Time for All of Us to Step Up

        

The Recovery Act in Action

Indicators	Then	Now
Real GDP (1)	-6.4%	-1.0%
Job Losses (2)	-741,000	-247,000
Industrial Production (3)	-2.2%	0.5%
Home Prices (4)	-2.1%	0.7%
New Home Sales (5)	-10.2%	9.6%
Consumer Confidence (6)	37.4	54.1
1: Real annual growth rates, 2009q1 and 2009q2
2: Payroll employment declines from January 2009 and July 2009.
3: Monthly percent change, Jan 09 and July 09
4: Case-Schiller, monthly percent change, Jan 09 and June 09
5: Monthly percent change, Jan 09 and July 09
6: Conference Board Index, 1985=100, Jan 09 and Aug 09

        

Photostream: Work and Rest in August

Building a Ready and Resilient Nation

Today marks the beginning of National Preparedness Month, an opportunity for our nation’s families and communities to discuss their plans if they were faced with an emergency. Protecting the United States from threats like terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious diseases is a shared responsibility and everyone has an important role to play.

This effort starts in our own communities. By talking to your neighbors, friends and family about citizen preparedness – during September and beyond – we can build a culture where shared responsibility for preventing and responding to emergencies is every bit as common as planning for retirement or keeping your car and home in good repair.

For more information about emergency planning, visit www.ready.gov or the Spanish-language site, www.listo.gov.

Individuals can also help by learning a skill like CPR , or volunteering in their community through a local Citizen Corps council.

We look forward to sharing additional ideas and information here, and at DHS.gov throughout the month of September to help all Americans become better prepared for – and more resilient to – emergencies of all kinds.


Janet Napolitano is the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

        

A New Generation for the Air Force

        

        

CHESAPEAKE BAY PROTECTION AND RESTORATION

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America and in furtherance of the purposes of the Clean Water Act of 1972, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251 et seq.), and other laws, and to protect and restore the health, heritage, natural resources, and social and economic value of the Nation's largest estuarine ecosystem and the natural sustainability of its watershed, it is hereby ordered as follows:

PART 1 – PREAMBLE

The Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure constituting the largest estuary in the United States and one of the largest and most biologically productive estuaries in the world. The Federal Government has nationally significant assets in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed in the form of public lands, facilities, military installations, parks, forests, wildlife refuges, monuments, and museums.
Despite significant efforts by Federal, State, and local governments and other interested parties, water pollution in the Chesapeake Bay prevents the attainment of existing State water quality standards and the "fishable and swimmable" goals of the Clean Water Act. At the current level and scope of pollution control within the Chesapeake Bay's watershed, restoration of the Chesapeake Bay is not expected for many years. The pollutants that are largely responsible for pollution of the Chesapeake Bay are nutrients, in the form of nitrogen and phosphorus, and sediment. These pollutants come from many sources, including sewage treatment plants, city streets, development sites, agricultural operations, and deposition from the air onto the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and the lands of the watershed.

Restoration of the health of the Chesapeake Bay will require a renewed commitment to controlling pollution from all sources as well as protecting and restoring habitat and living resources, conserving lands, and improving management of natural resources, all of which contribute to improved water quality and ecosystem health. The Federal Government should lead this effort. Executive departments and agencies (agencies), working in collaboration, can use their expertise and resources to contribute significantly to improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Progress in restoring the Chesapeake Bay also

will depend on the support of State and local governments, the enterprise of the private sector, and the stewardship provided to the Chesapeake Bay by all the people who make this region their home.

PART 2 – SHARED FEDERAL LEADERSHIP, PLANNING, AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Sec. 201. Federal Leadership Committee. In order to begin a new era of shared Federal leadership with respect to the protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, a Federal Leadership Committee (Committee) for the Chesapeake Bay is established to oversee the development and coordination of programs and activities, including data management and reporting, of agencies participating in protection and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay. The Committee shall manage the development of strategies and program plans for the watershed and ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay and oversee their implementation. The Committee shall be chaired by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or the Administrator's designee, and include senior representatives of the Departments of Agriculture (USDA), Commerce (DOC), Defense (DOD), Homeland Security (DHS), the Interior (DOI), Transportation (DOT), and such other agencies as determined by the Committee. Representatives serving on the Committee shall be officers of the United States.

Sec. 202. Reports on Key Challenges to Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay. Within 120 days from the date of this order, the agencies identified in this section as the lead agencies shall prepare and submit draft reports to the Committee making recommendations for accomplishing the following steps to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay:

(a) define the next generation of tools and actions to restore water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and describe the changes to be made to regulations, programs, and policies to implement these actions;

(b) target resources to better protect the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary waters, including resources under the Food Security Act of 1985 as amended, the Clean Water Act, and other laws;

(c) strengthen storm water management practices at Federal facilities and on Federal lands within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and develop storm water best practices guidance;

(d) assess the impacts of a changing climate on the Chesapeake Bay and develop a strategy for adapting natural resource programs and public infrastructure to the impacts of a changing climate on water quality and living resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(e) expand public access to waters and open spaces of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries from Federal lands and conserve landscapes and ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(f) strengthen scientific support for decisionmaking to restore the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, including expanded environmental research and monitoring and observing systems; and

(g) develop focused and coordinated habitat and research activities that protect and restore living resources and water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed.

The EPA shall be the lead agency for subsection (a) of this section and the development of the storm water best practices guide under subsection (c). The USDA shall be the lead agency for subsection (b). The DOD shall lead on storm water management practices at Federal facilities and on Federal lands under subsection (c). The DOI and the DOC shall share the lead on subsections (d), (f), and (g), and the DOI shall be lead on subsection (e). The lead agencies shall provide final reports to the Committee within 180 days of the date of this order.

Sec. 203. Strategy for Protecting and Restoring the Chesapeake Bay. The Committee shall prepare and publish a strategy for coordinated implementation of existing programs and projects to guide efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. The strategy shall, to the extent permitted by law:

(a) define environmental goals for the Chesapeake Bay and describe milestones for making progress toward attainment of these goals;

(b) identify key measureable indicators of environmental condition and changes that are critical to effective Federal leadership;

(c) describe the specific programs and strategies to be implemented, including the programs and strategies described in draft reports developed under section 202 of this order;

(d) identify the mechanisms that will assure that governmental and other activities, including data collection and distribution, are coordinated and effective, relying on existing mechanisms where appropriate; and

(e) describe a process for the implementation of adaptive management principles, including a periodic evaluation of protection and restoration activities.

The Committee shall review the draft reports submitted by lead agencies under section 202 of this order and, in consultation with relevant State agencies, suggest appropriate revisions to the agency that provided the draft report. It shall then integrate these reports into a coordinated strategy for restoration and protection of the Chesapeake Bay consistent with the requirements of this order. Together with the final reports prepared by the lead agencies, the draft strategy shall be published for public review and comment within 180 days of the date of this order and a final strategy shall be published within 1 year. To the extent practicable and authorized under their existing authorities, agencies may begin implementing core elements of restoration and protection programs and strategies,

in consultation with the Committee, as soon as possible and prior to release of a final strategy.

Sec. 204. Collaboration with State Partners. In preparing the reports under section 202 and the strategy under section 203, the lead agencies and the Committee shall consult extensively with the States of Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New York, and Delaware and the District of Columbia. The goal of this consultation is to ensure that Federal actions to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay are closely coordinated with actions by State and local agencies in the watershed and that the resources, authorities, and expertise of Federal, State, and local agencies are used as efficiently as possible for the benefit of the Chesapeake Bay's water quality and ecosystem and habitat health and viability.

Sec. 205. Annual Action Plan and Progress Report. Beginning in 2010, the Committee shall publish an annual Chesapeake Bay Action Plan (Action Plan) describing how Federal funding proposed in the President's Budget will be used to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay during the upcoming fiscal year. This plan will be accompanied by an Annual Progress Report reviewing indicators of environmental conditions in the Chesapeake Bay, assessing implementation of the Action Plan during the preceding fiscal year, and recommending steps to improve progress in restoring and protecting the Chesapeake Bay. The Committee shall consult with stakeholders (including relevant State agencies) and members of the public in developing the Action Plan and Annual Progress Report.

Sec. 206. Strengthen Accountability. The Committee, in collaboration with State agencies, shall ensure that an independent evaluator periodically reports to the Committee on progress toward meeting the goals of this order. The Committee shall ensure that all program evaluation reports, including data on practice or system implementation and maintenance funded through agency programs, as appropriate, are made available to the public by posting on a website maintained by the Chair of the Committee.

PART 3 – RESTORE CHESAPEAKE BAY WATER QUALITY

Sec. 301. Water Pollution Control Strategies. In preparing the report required by subsection 202(a) of this order, the Administrator of the EPA (Administrator) shall, after consulting with appropriate State agencies, examine how to make full use of its authorities under the Clean Water Act to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay and its tributary waters and, as appropriate, shall consider revising any guidance and regulations. The Administrator shall identify pollution control strategies and actions authorized by the EPA's existing authorities to restore the Chesapeake Bay that:

(a) establish a clear path to meeting, as expeditiously as practicable, water quality and environmental restoration goals for the Chesapeake Bay;

(b) are based on sound science and reflect adaptive management principles;

(c) are performance oriented and publicly accountable;

(d) apply innovative and cost-effective pollution control measures;

(e) can be replicated in efforts to protect other bodies of water, where appropriate; and

(f) build on the strengths and expertise of Federal, State, and local governments, the private sector, and citizen organizations.

Sec. 302. Elements of EPA Reports. The strategies and actions identified by the Administrator of the EPA in preparing the report under subsection 202(a) shall include, to the extent permitted by law:

(a) using Clean Water Act tools, including strengthening existing permit programs and extending coverage where appropriate;

(b) establishing new, minimum standards of performance where appropriate, including:

(i) establishing a schedule for the implementation of key actions in cooperation with States, local governments, and others;

(ii) constructing watershed-based frameworks that assign pollution reduction responsibilities to pollution sources and maximize the reliability and cost-effectiveness of pollution reduction programs; and

(iii) implementing a compliance and enforcement strategy.

PART 4 – AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES TO PROTECT THE CHESAPEAKE BAY

Sec. 401. In developing recommendations for focusing resources to protect the Chesapeake Bay in the report required by subsection 202(b) of this order, the Secretary of Agriculture shall, as appropriate, concentrate the USDA's working lands and land retirement programs within priority watersheds in counties in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These programs should apply priority conservation practices that most efficiently reduce nutrient and sediment loads to the Chesapeake Bay, as identified by USDA and EPA data and scientific analysis. The Secretary of Agriculture shall work with State agriculture and conservation agencies in developing the report.

PART 5 – REDUCE WATER POLLUTION FROM FEDERAL LANDS AND FACILITIES

Sec. 501. Agencies with land, facilities, or installation management responsibilities affecting ten or more acres within the watershed of the Chesapeake Bay shall, as expeditiously as practicable and to the extent permitted by law, implement land management practices to protect the Chesapeake Bay and its

tributary waters consistent with the report required by section 202 of this order and as described in guidance published by the EPA under section 502.

Sec. 502. The Administrator of the EPA shall, within 1 year of the date of this order and after consulting with the Committee and providing for public review and comment, publish guidance for Federal land management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed describing proven, cost-effective tools and practices that reduce water pollution, including practices that are available for use by Federal agencies.

PART 6 – PROTECT CHESAPEAKE BAY AS THE CLIMATE CHANGES

Sec. 601. The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior shall, to the extent permitted by law, organize and conduct research and scientific assessments to support development of the strategy to adapt to climate change impacts on the Chesapeake Bay watershed as required in section 202 of this order and to evaluate the impacts of climate change on the Chesapeake Bay in future years. Such research should include assessment of:

(a) the impact of sea level rise on the aquatic ecosystem of the Chesapeake Bay, including nutrient and sediment load contributions from stream banks and shorelines;

(b) the impacts of increasing temperature, acidity, and salinity levels of waters in the Chesapeake Bay;

(c) the impacts of changing rainfall levels and changes in rainfall intensity on water quality and aquatic life;

(d) potential impacts of climate change on fish, wildlife, and their habitats in the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed; and

(e) potential impacts of more severe storms on Chesapeake Bay resources.

PART 7 – EXPAND PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY AND CONSERVE LANDSCAPES AND ECOSYSTEMS

Sec. 701. (a) Agencies participating in the Committee shall assist the Secretary of the Interior in development of the report addressing expanded public access to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and conservation of landscapes and ecosystems required in subsection 202(e) of this order by providing to the Secretary:

(i) a list and description of existing sites on agency lands and facilities where public access to the Chesapeake Bay or its tributary waters is offered;

(ii) a description of options for expanding public access at these agency sites;

(iii) a description of agency sites where new opportunities for public access might be provided;

(iv) a description of safety and national security issues related to expanded public access to Department of Defense installations;

(v) a description of landscapes and ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay watershed that merit recognition for their historical, cultural, ecological, or scientific values; and

(vi) options for conserving these landscapes and ecosystems.

(b) In developing the report addressing expanded public access on agency lands to the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and options for conserving landscapes and ecosystems in the Chesapeake Bay, as required in subsection 202(e) of this order, the Secretary of the Interior shall coordinate any recommendations with State and local agencies in the watershed and programs such as the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, and the Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail.

PART 8 – MONITORING AND DECISION SUPPORT FOR ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Sec. 801. The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior shall, to the extent permitted by law, organize and conduct their monitoring, research, and scientific assessments to support decisionmaking for the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and to develop the report addressing strengthening environmental monitoring of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed required in section 202 of this order. This report will assess existing monitoring programs and gaps in data collection, and shall also include the following topics:

(a) the health of fish and wildlife in the Chesapeake Bay watershed;

(b) factors affecting changes in water quality and habitat conditions; and

(c) using adaptive management to plan, monitor, evaluate, and adjust environmental management actions.

PART 9 – LIVING RESOURCES PROTECTION AND RESTORATION

Sec. 901. The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior shall, to the extent permitted by law, identify and prioritize critical living resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed, conduct collaborative research and habitat protection activities that address expected outcomes for these species, and develop a report addressing these topics as required in section 202 of this order. The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior shall coordinate agency activities related to living resources in estuarine waters to ensure maximum benefit to the Chesapeake Bay resources.

PART 10 – EXCEPTIONS

Sec. 1001. The heads of agencies may authorize exceptions to this order, in the following circumstances:

(a) during time of war or national emergency;

(b) when necessary for reasons of national security;

(c) during emergencies posing an unacceptable threat to human health or safety or to the marine environment and admitting of no other feasible solution; or

(d) in any case that constitutes a danger to human life or a real threat to vessels, aircraft, platforms, or other man-made structures at sea, such as cases of force majeure caused by stress of weather or other act of God.

PART 11 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 1101. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) authority granted by law to a department, agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii) functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary,
 administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity, by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

BARACK OBAMA

THE WHITE HOUSE,
May 12, 2009.

        

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
IN COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME

University of Notre Dame
South Bend, Indiana

3:06 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, first of all, congratulations, Class of 2009.  (Applause.)  Congratulations to all the parents, the cousins -- (applause) -- the aunts, the uncles -- all the people who helped to bring you to the point that you are here today.  Thank you so much to Father Jenkins for that extraordinary introduction, even though you said what I want to say much more elegantly.  (Laughter.)  You are doing an extraordinary job as president of this extraordinary institution.  (Applause.)  Your continued and courageous -- and contagious -- commitment to honest, thoughtful dialogue is an inspiration to us all.  (Applause.)

Good afternoon.  To Father Hesburgh, to Notre Dame trustees, to faculty, to family:  I am honored to be here today.  (Applause.)  And I am grateful to all of you for allowing me to be a part of your graduation.

And I also want to thank you for the honorary degree that I received.  I know it has not been without controversy.  I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but these honorary degrees are apparently pretty hard to come by.  (Laughter.)  So far I’m only 1 for 2 as President.  (Laughter and applause.)  Father Hesburgh is 150 for 150.  (Laughter and applause.)  I guess that’s better.  (Laughter.)  So, Father Ted, after the ceremony, maybe you can give me some pointers to boost my average.

I also want to congratulate the Class of 2009 for all your accomplishments.  And since this is Notre Dame --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Abortion is murder!  Stop killing children!

AUDIENCE:  Booo!

THE PRESIDENT:  That’s all right.  And since --

AUDIENCE:  We are ND!  We are ND!

AUDIENCE:  Yes, we can!  Yes, we can!

THE PRESIDENT:  We’re fine, everybody.  We’re following Brennan’s adage that we don’t do things easily.  (Laughter.)  We’re not going to shy away from things that are uncomfortable sometimes.  (Applause.)

Now, since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk not only about your accomplishments in the classroom, but also in the competitive arena.  (Laughter.)  No, don’t worry, I’m not going to talk about that.  (Laughter.)  We all know about this university’s proud and storied football team, but I also hear that Notre Dame holds the largest outdoor 5-on-5 basketball tournament in the world -- Bookstore Basketball.  (Applause.)

Now this excites me.  (Laughter.)  I want to congratulate the winners of this year’s tournament, a team by the name of "Hallelujah Holla Back."  (Laughter and applause.)  Congratulations.  Well done.  Though I have to say, I am personally disappointed that the "Barack O’Ballers" did not pull it out this year.  (Laughter.)  So next year, if you need a 6’2" forward with a decent jumper, you know where I live.  (Laughter and applause.)

Every one of you should be proud of what you have achieved at this institution.  One hundred and sixty-three classes of Notre Dame graduates have sat where you sit today.  Some were here during years that simply rolled into the next without much notice or fanfare -- periods of relative peace and prosperity that required little by way of sacrifice or struggle.

You, however, are not getting off that easy.  You have a different deal.  Your class has come of age at a moment of great consequence for our nation and for the world -- a rare inflection point in history where the size and scope of the challenges before us require that we remake our world to renew its promise; that we align our deepest values and commitments to the demands of a new age.  It’s a privilege and a responsibility afforded to few generations -- and a task that you’re now called to fulfill.

This generation, your generation is the one that must find a path back to prosperity and decide how we respond to a global economy that left millions behind even before the most recent crisis hit -- an economy where greed and short-term thinking were too often rewarded at the expense of fairness, and diligence, and an honest day’s work.  (Applause.)

Your generation must decide how to save God’s creation from a changing climate that threatens to destroy it.  Your generation must seek peace at a time when there are those who will stop at nothing to do us harm, and when weapons in the hands of a few can destroy the many.  And we must find a way to reconcile our ever-shrinking world with its ever-growing diversity -- diversity of thought, diversity of culture, and diversity of belief. 

In short, we must find a way to live together as one human family.  (Applause.)

And it’s this last challenge that I’d like to talk about today, despite the fact that Father John stole all my best lines.  (Laughter.)  For the major threats we face in the 21st century -- whether it’s global recession or violent extremism; the spread of nuclear weapons or pandemic disease -- these things do not discriminate.  They do not recognize borders.  They do not see color.  They do not target specific ethnic groups. 

Moreover, no one person, or religion, or nation can meet these challenges alone.  Our very survival has never required greater cooperation and greater understanding among all people from all places than at this moment in history. 

Unfortunately, finding that common ground -- recognizing that our fates are tied up, as Dr. King said, in a "single garment of destiny" -- is not easy.  And part of the problem, of course, lies in the imperfections of man -- our selfishness, our pride, our stubbornness, our acquisitiveness, our insecurities, our egos; all the cruelties large and small that those of us in the Christian tradition understand to be rooted in original sin.  We too often seek advantage over others.  We cling to outworn prejudice and fear those who are unfamiliar.  Too many of us view life only through the lens of immediate self-interest and crass materialism; in which the world is necessarily a zero-sum game.  The strong too often dominate the weak, and too many of those with wealth and with power find all manner of justification for their own privilege in the face of poverty and injustice.  And so, for all our technology and scientific advances, we see here in this country and around the globe violence and want and strife that would seem sadly familiar to those in ancient times.

We know these things; and hopefully one of the benefits of the wonderful education that you’ve received here at Notre Dame is that you’ve had time to consider these wrongs in the world; perhaps recognized impulses in yourself that you want to leave behind.  You’ve grown determined, each in your own way, to right them.  And yet, one of the vexing things for those of us interested in promoting greater understanding and cooperation among people is the discovery that even bringing together persons of good will, bringing together men and women of principle and purpose -- even accomplishing that can be difficult.  

The soldier and the lawyer may both love this country with equal passion, and yet reach very different conclusions on the specific steps needed to protect us from harm.  The gay activist and the evangelical pastor may both deplore the ravages of HIV/AIDS, but find themselves unable to bridge the cultural divide that might unite their efforts.  Those who speak out against stem cell research may be rooted in an admirable conviction about the sacredness of life, but so are the parents of a child with juvenile diabetes who are convinced that their son’s or daughter’s hardships can be relieved.  (Applause.)

The question, then -- the question then is how do we work through these conflicts?  Is it possible for us to join hands in common effort?  As citizens of a vibrant and varied democracy, how do we engage in vigorous debate?  How does each of us remain firm in our principles, and fight for what we consider right, without, as Father John said, demonetizing those with just as strongly held convictions on the other side?

And of course, nowhere do these questions come up more powerfully than on the issue of abortion.

As I considered the controversy surrounding my visit here, I was reminded of an encounter I had during my Senate campaign, one that I describe in a book I wrote called "The Audacity of Hope."  A few days after I won the Democratic nomination, I received an e-mail from a doctor who told me that while he voted for me in the Illinois primary, he had a serious concern that might prevent him from voting for me in the general election.  He described himself as a Christian who was strongly pro-life -- but that was not what was preventing him potentially from voting for me.

What bothered the doctor was an entry that my campaign staff had posted on my website -- an entry that said I would fight "right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman’s right to choose."  The doctor said he had assumed I was a reasonable person, he supported my policy initiatives to help the poor and to lift up our educational system, but that if I truly believed that every pro-life individual was simply an ideologue who wanted to inflict suffering on women, then I was not very reasonable.  He wrote, "I do not ask at this point that you oppose abortion, only that you speak about this issue in fair-minded words."  Fair-minded words.

After I read the doctor’s letter, I wrote back to him and I thanked him.  And I didn’t change my underlying position, but I did tell my staff to change the words on my website.  And I said a prayer that night that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that the doctor had extended to me.  Because when we do that -- when we open up our hearts and our minds to those who may not think precisely like we do or believe precisely what we believe -- that’s when we discover at least the possibility of common ground.

That’s when we begin to say, "Maybe we won’t agree on abortion, but we can still agree that this heart-wrenching decision for any woman is not made casually, it has both moral and spiritual dimensions."

So let us work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions, let’s reduce unintended pregnancies.  (Applause.)  Let’s make adoption more available.  (Applause.)  Let’s provide care and support for women who do carry their children to term.  (Applause.)  Let’s honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded not only in sound science, but also in clear ethics, as well as respect for the equality of women."  Those are things we can do.  (Applause.)

Now, understand -- understand, Class of 2009, I do not suggest that the debate surrounding abortion can or should go away.  Because no matter how much we may want to fudge it -- indeed, while we know that the views of most Americans on the subject are complex and even contradictory -- the fact is that at some level, the views of the two camps are irreconcilable.  Each side will continue to make its case to the public with passion and conviction.  But surely we can do so without reducing those with differing views to caricature.

Open hearts.  Open minds.  Fair-minded words.  It’s a way of life that has always been the Notre Dame tradition.  (Applause.)  Father Hesburgh has long spoken of this institution as both a lighthouse and a crossroads.  A lighthouse that stands apart, shining with the wisdom of the Catholic tradition, while the crossroads is where "¼differences of culture and religion and conviction can co-exist with friendship, civility, hospitality, and especially love."  And I want to join him and Father John in saying how inspired I am by the maturity and responsibility with which this class has approached the debate surrounding today’s ceremony.  You are an example of what Notre Dame is about.  (Applause.)

This tradition of cooperation and understanding is one that I learned in my own life many years ago -- also with the help of the Catholic Church. 

You see, I was not raised in a particularly religious household, but my mother instilled in me a sense of service and empathy that eventually led me to become a community organizer after I graduated college.  And a group of Catholic churches in Chicago helped fund an organization known as the Developing Communities Project, and we worked to lift up South Side neighborhoods that had been devastated when the local steel plant closed. 

And it was quite an eclectic crew -- Catholic and Protestant churches, Jewish and African American organizers, working-class black, white, and Hispanic residents -- all of us with different experiences, all of us with different beliefs.  But all of us learned to work side by side because all of us saw in these neighborhoods other human beings who needed our help -- to find jobs and improve schools.  We were bound together in the service of others. 

And something else happened during the time I spent in these neighborhoods -- perhaps because the church folks I worked with were so welcoming and understanding; perhaps because they invited me to their services and sang with me from their hymnals; perhaps because I was really broke and they fed me.  (Laughter.)  Perhaps because I witnessed all of the good works their faith inspired them to perform, I found myself drawn not just to the work with the church; I was drawn to be in the church.  It was through this service that I was brought to Christ. 

And at the time, Cardinal Joseph Bernardin was the Archbishop of Chicago.  (Applause.)  For those of you too young to have known him or known of him, he was a kind and good and wise man.  A saintly man.  I can still remember him speaking at one of the first organizing meetings I attended on the South Side.  He stood as both a lighthouse and a crossroads -- unafraid to speak his mind on moral issues ranging from poverty and AIDS and abortion to the death penalty and nuclear war.  And yet, he was congenial and gentle in his persuasion, always trying to bring people together, always trying to find common ground.  Just before he died, a reporter asked Cardinal Bernardin about this approach to his ministry.  And he said, "You can’t really get on with preaching the Gospel until you’ve touched hearts and minds."

My heart and mind were touched by him.  They were touched by the words and deeds of the men and women I worked alongside in parishes across Chicago.  And I’d like to think that we touched the hearts and minds of the neighborhood families whose lives we helped change.  For this, I believe, is our highest calling.  

Now, you, Class of 2009, are about to enter the next phase of your life at a time of great uncertainty.  You’ll be called to help restore a free market that’s also fair to all who are willing to work.  You’ll be called to seek new sources of energy that can save our planet; to give future generations the same chance that you had to receive an extraordinary education.  And whether as a person drawn to public service, or simply someone who insists on being an active citizen, you will be exposed to more opinions and ideas broadcast through more means of communication than ever existed before.  You’ll hear talking heads scream on cable, and you’ll read blogs that claim definitive knowledge, and you will watch politicians pretend they know what they’re talking about.  (Laughter.)  Occasionally, you may have the great fortune of actually seeing important issues debated by people who do know what they’re talking about -- by well-intentioned people with brilliant minds and mastery of the facts.  In fact, I suspect that some of you will be among those brightest stars.

And in this world of competing claims about what is right and what is true, have confidence in the values with which you’ve been raised and educated.  Be unafraid to speak your mind when those values are at stake.  Hold firm to your faith and allow it to guide you on your journey.  In other words, stand as a lighthouse.

But remember, too, that you can be a crossroads.  Remember, too, that the ultimate irony of faith is that it necessarily admits doubt.  It’s the belief in things not seen.  It’s beyond our capacity as human beings to know with certainty what God has planned for us or what He asks of us.  And those of us who believe must trust that His wisdom is greater than our own.

And this doubt should not push us away our faith.  But it should humble us.  It should temper our passions, cause us to be wary of too much self-righteousness.  It should compel us to remain open and curious and eager to continue the spiritual and moral debate that began for so many of you within the walls of Notre Dame.  And within our vast democracy, this doubt should remind us even as we cling to our faith to persuade through reason, through an appeal whenever we can to universal rather than parochial principles, and most of all through an abiding example of good works and charity and kindness and service that moves hearts and minds.

For if there is one law that we can be most certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith together.  It’s no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism; in Islam and Hinduism; in Buddhism and humanism.  It is, of course, the Golden Rule -- the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated.  The call to love.  The call to serve.  To do what we can to make a difference in the lives of those with whom we share the same brief moment on this Earth.

So many of you at Notre Dame -- by the last count, upwards of 80 percent -- have lived this law of love through the service you’ve performed at schools and hospitals; international relief agencies and local charities.  Brennan is just one example of what your class has accomplished.  That’s incredibly impressive, a powerful testament to this institution.  (Applause.)

Now you must carry the tradition forward.  Make it a way of life.  Because when you serve, it doesn’t just improve your community, it makes you a part of your community.  It breaks down walls.  It fosters cooperation.  And when that happens -- when people set aside their differences, even for a moment, to work in common effort toward a common goal; when they struggle together, and sacrifice together, and learn from one another -- then all things are possible.

After all, I stand here today, as President and as an African American, on the 55th anniversary of the day that the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Brown v. Board of Education.  Now, Brown was of course the first major step in dismantling the "separate but equal" doctrine, but it would take a number of years and a nationwide movement to fully realize the dream of civil rights for all of God’s children.  There were freedom rides and lunch counters and Billy clubs, and there was also a Civil Rights Commission appointed by President Eisenhower.  It was the 12 resolutions recommended by this commission that would ultimately become law in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. 

There were six members of this commission.  It included five whites and one African American; Democrats and Republicans; two Southern governors, the dean of a Southern law school, a Midwestern university president, and your own Father Ted Hesburgh, President of Notre Dame.  (Applause.)  So they worked for two years, and at times, President Eisenhower had to intervene personally since no hotel or restaurant in the South would serve the black and white members of the commission together.  And finally, when they reached an impasse in Louisiana, Father Ted flew them all to Notre Dame’s retreat in Land O’Lakes, Wisconsin -- (applause) -- where they eventually overcame their differences and hammered out a final deal.

And years later, President Eisenhower asked Father Ted how on Earth he was able to broker an agreement between men of such different backgrounds and beliefs.  And Father Ted simply said that during their first dinner in Wisconsin, they discovered they were all fishermen.  (Laughter.)  And so he quickly readied a boat for a twilight trip out on the lake.  They fished, and they talked, and they changed the course of history. 

I will not pretend that the challenges we face will be easy, or that the answers will come quickly, or that all our differences and divisions will fade happily away -- because life is not that simple.  It never has been.  

But as you leave here today, remember the lessons of Cardinal Bernardin, of Father Hesburgh, of movements for change both large and small.  Remember that each of us, endowed with the dignity possessed by all children of God, has the grace to recognize ourselves in one another; to understand that we all seek the same love of family, the same fulfillment of a life well lived.  Remember that in the end, in some way we are all fishermen.

If nothing else, that knowledge should give us faith that through our collective labor, and God’s providence, and our willingness to shoulder each other’s burdens, America will continue on its precious journey towards that more perfect union.  Congratulations, Class of 2009.  May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.  (Applause.)

        

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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the First Lady
________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                              March 3, 2009

REMARKS BY THE FIRST LADY
AT THE WOMEN IN MILITARY SERVICE FOR AMERICA MEMORIAL CENTER

Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington, Virginia

2:30 P.M. EST

MRS. OBAMA:  All right, you're all invited.  (Laughter.)  No, I think that's an excellent idea.  Jocelyn, where are you?  She's my policy director.  She'll be working on that. (Laughter.)

I want to thank the General for that kind introduction, and to thank her for her lifetime of service to this nation in the United States Air Force and as the leader of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial.  I just did a tour with the General, and this is an amazing asset to this nation.  It's something that many of us don't even know exists, and I could have spent hours there. 

I strongly encourage anyone in this country who hasn't taken the time to see this memorial.  It goes through the whole progression of women into the military, with contributions from family members from around this country, pictures, uniforms.  I'm going to spend more time here and bring my girls, because it is something that I want them to see.  So I'm grateful to have the opportunity to see this, and will be working hard to make sure that this memorial continues to be a part of this nation's heritage.  (Applause.)

I also want to thank a few people, as well.  I want to thank General Dunwoody, the nation's first female four-star general, which deserves its own round of applause -- (applause); Vice Admiral Vivien Cray of the United States Coast Guard -- and I know there a few Coast Guards out there; I heard you -- (applause); and to Congresswomen Mary Fallin, as well as Laura Richardson and my hometown congressperson Jan Schakowsky.  (Applause.)  I also have to recognize someone else from home, our good friend, dear dear friend, Tammy Duckworth.  (Applause.)  It's good to see you.  (Applause.) 

I am honored to be here with you all.  As the General said, of course this is -- this month is Women's History Month, and it provides an opportunity for Americans to discover and reflect on the accomplishments of women throughout our nation's history. 

But it provides an opportunity to celebrate the many contributions women make today in national life as leaders in business, government, the community, the military, and of course in everyday life, which is how we women live, mostly as mothers, daughters, wives, colleagues and friends.  And I couldn't think of a better way to begin Women's History Month than by coming here to the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery to honor our nation's servicewomen. 

As I speak, servicewomen and men are at their posts all across our nation and around the world.  They're standing watch and providing the security that allows us to live in peace and to continue on with our daily lives. 

That includes two whom I have just met -– Lieutenant Grace Thompson and Corporal Crystal Moultrie of the United States Marines.  We keep them, the wounded who are recovering, and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, so that we may live in safety and freedom, we keep them in our thoughts and our prayers. 

Throughout our nation's history, women have played an important role in the military as well as in organizations supporting the military during times of conflict.  Our foremothers and our sisters today have joined our forefathers and our brothers today in securing our liberty and protecting our country. 

Women's military service goes back to America's early beginnings, and servicewomen have long navigated the twists and turns of the women's rights struggle to secure a more equal and fuller place in the United States military.  

This history was interesting to me.  In 1782 Deborah Sampson disguised herself and enlisted in the Fourth Massachusetts Regiment.  She was wounded at the Battle of Tarrytown in New York.  Later, she appealed for back pay as a former Continental Army soldier and was supported by Paul Revere.   The measure was passed by the Massachusetts legislature and approved by the governor, John Hancock. 

Then there was Dr. Mary Edwards Walker, a military doctor, who became the nation's first female Medal of Honor recipient for her service during the Civil War. 

And then we moved to the 20th century, where women became full-fledged members of the United States military with the creation of the Army and Navy Nurse Corps in 1901 and 1908. 

And we are joined here today by two amazing women -- they gave me their ages, but there's no reason to know, because they look about 30, 40, to me -- (laughter) -- Mary Ragland and Alice Dixon, who served in the "Six-Triple Eight," the only unit of African American women in the Women's Army Corps to serve overseas during World War II.  Please give them a round of applause.  I know Mary is here.  (Applause.)  Spring chickens.  (Laughter.)  And if you live right, you may be sitting right there in a few decades.  (Laughter.)

There's also Esther Corcoran, who is also with us, enlisted as a private in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps and was later entered into Officer Candidate School.  She was eventually promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, one of the first 10 women to achieve this rank.  (Applause.)

Currently serving her country is Lieutenant Commander Cindy Campbell.  She began her Navy career as an E1, served at sea and on the homeland.  She put herself through college and graduate school at night and became an officer.  She now works in the White House Military Office, right outside my office in the East Wing.  Cindy serves as a mentor to servicewomen and men in earlier stages of their careers, and I and my staff benefit from her expertise and dedication every day.  Cindy, where are you?  She's way in the back.  (Applause.)  

These women and thousands of others set a standard for excellence that enables women who serve today to take on even greater responsibilities. 

A recent Women's Memorial Women's History Month poster is called "Voices of Valor" and spotlights five decorated servicewomen from each of the Armed Forces who've served or are serving in the current war. 

One is Silver Star recipient Sergeant Lee Ann Hester.  She's the first woman to have been decorated for direct actions against an enemy force.

There's also Lieutenant Lisa Starr [sic], a United States Navy Nurse, who volunteered for a nighttime flight in Iraq during a sandstorm that had grounded all medical helicopters to save the life of a wounded Marine. 

And there's Fighter pilot Captain Kim Campbell, who displayed extraordinary skill at the controls of her aircraft to support and protect the lives of her fellow soldiers fighting on the ground in Iraq. 

There's Second Class Marine Science Technician Sarah Vega, who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan and is an example of the bravery that men and women of the United States Coast Guard are displaying in war zones today. 

And then Marine Corporal Ramona Valdez who, in addition to her other duties, was teamed up with 16 other servicewomen to form an all-female search force in Iraq as a proactive effort to calm Iraqi concerns that male soldiers might search Muslim women.  Her convoy was attacked and she was killed four days before her 21st birthday. 

Marine Major General Douglas O'Dell Jr. wept as he awarded Purple Hearts to the survivors from Corporal Valdez's force.  He said he was moved, I quote, "not by special sympathy for the women" but because of the display of equality born of that horrible day in Fallujah.  The general went on to explain that while military leaders believed women Marines could perform as bravely as men under deadly attack, there had never been a trial like the one in Fallujah to prove it.

Members of the military and their families have a special courage and strength.  As the President said last week during his address at Camp Lejeune, service doesn't end with the person wearing the uniform.  You all know that. 

And I have been honored and deeply moved to meet many military families over the past couple of years.  They are mothers and fathers who have lost their beloved children to war.  They are husbands and wives keeping the family on track while their wives and husbands are deployed, on duty.  They are grandparents, aunts and uncles, sisters and brothers who are taking care of children while single moms or dads in uniform are away. 

And there are moms and dads who both serve in uniform -- like helicopter pilots Colonels Laura and Jim Richardson who in 2003 became the first couple to have led their own battalions during a time of combat.  And during that time, they were able to leave their 14-year-old daughter in the care of family when they were deployed.

See, military families have done their duty, and we as a grateful nation must do ours.  We must do everything in our power to honor them by supporting them; not just by word but by deed.

And it is my great hope that today's and future generations will honor women and men in uniform by first of all never taking the blessings of freedom for granted and by doing their part to create a more perfect union.  I know that we will continue to do our parts over the coming years. 

Again, I want to thank you all for your service, for your courage, for your dedication, for your commitment.  And may God bless you all, and God bless America.  Thank you so much. (Applause.)

END
2:42 P.M. EST