Posted on 03/12/2002 7:24:04 PM PST by VOA
Remarks by the President to the NCAA Sports Champions
The East Room
3:42 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all. Welcome. I like a good, short introduction. (Laughter.)
Thanks, Chris, for being here. I appreciate you hosting this, and welcome
to the White House.
We have never had so many champions inside a room in the White House history,
so thank you for making history. Not only on -- when you won the championship,
but being here, as well. It's such an honor to welcome you here.
It's an unimaginable honor to live here and to share this with people from all
around the country. This is the people's house -- it isn't our house, it's the people's house.
And we're glad you're able to see it. And we're glad to herald champs, as well.
I love to talk about champs. I love to talk about winning and setting high standards
and working hard to achieve those standards. And that's exactly what you all
have done, and I really want to congratulate you.
(extra salutations deleted for brevity)
Before we go have our picture taken, I do want to say a few comments about
our country. First of all, we defend freedom, and we'll continue to defend freedom
to make sure that our children and grandchildren can grow up in a free world.
You know, the enemy, when they hit America, didn't understand us. They didn't
think we were a nation that could conceivably sacrifice for something greater
than ourself, that we were soft, that we were so self-absorbed and so materialistic
that we wouldn't defend anything we believed in.
My, were they wrong. They missed -- they just were reading the wrong magazine,
or watching the wrong Springer show. (Laughter.)
They didn't understand America. And what they really don't understand is the nature
of people who care about our society. They don't realize we're a compassionate nation.
And so I hope the champs who are here understand that with being a champion,
you have a responsibility -- a responsibility to uphold an example to others.
You probably know this; I don't need to tell you this. But when you're playing
baseball at the University of Miami, there's some little 8th-grade kid watching
your every move, trying to figure out how cool he can be. If you're a star
volleyball player at Stanford, somebody's watching. Or from Santa Clara; there's
some young child, young girl watching what it means to be a champ. And you have a
responsibility as a champ to make the right choices, and to set a clear example
for others. And we all have a responsibility to love a neighbor like we'd like
to be loved ourself.
We've got a strong military here in America, and that's good. That's how we're going
to make sure our homeland is secure, by using our military.
But we can all stand up in the face of this evil -- collectively, stand up by
doing something good in society.
I hope the athletes understand this. I hope you understand that you have a
responsibility as a champ not only to set the right example, but to love a neighbor
like you'd like to be loved yourself. You have a fantastic opportunity as
champs to help define the character of America; to help say loud and clear that
we will not tolerate evil, and that we will -- the collective goodwill of our
country, the gathering momentum of millions of acts of kindness will define the
very nature of America; that we will stand strong against evil by the collective
goodness of our country.
You've shown that on the playing fields, and I want to congratulate you for being
strong and great athletes. Show it on the field of life, as well, and America
will be a better place.
It's such an honor to welcome you here.
May God bless your futures.
May God bless your talent.
And may God bless America.
Thank you for coming.
END 3:50 P.M. EST
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