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OUR FOURTH GOAL IS TO APPLY THE
COMPASSION OF AMERICA TO THE
DEEPEST PROBLEMS OF AMERICA.
FOR SO MANY IN OUR COUNTRY, THE
HOMELESS AND THE FATHERLESS,
THE ADDICTED, THE NEED IS GREAT
.
YET, THERE'S POWER,
WONDER-WORKING POWER IN THE
GOODNESS AND IDEALISM AND FAITH
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
AMERICANS ARE DOING THE WORK OF
COMPASSION EVERY DAY, VISITTING
PRISONERS, PROVIDE -- VISITING
PRISONERS, PROVIDING SHELTER
FOR BATTERED WOMEN, BRINGING
COMPANIONSHIP TO LONELY
SENIORS.
THESE GOOD WORKS DESERVE OUR
PRAISE, THEY DESERVE OUR
PERSONAL SUPPORT, AND WHEN
APPROPRIATE, THEY DESERVE THE
ASSISTANCE OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
I URGE YOU TO PASS BOTH MY
FAITH-BASED INITIATIVE AND THE
CITIZENS SERVICE ACT TO
ENCOURAGE ACTS OF COMPASSION
THAT CAN TRANSFORM AMERICA ONE
HEART AND ONE SOUL AT A TIME.
LAST YEAR, I CALLED ON MY
FELLOW CITIZENS TO PARTICIPATE
IN THE U.S.A. FREEDOM CORPS,
WHICH IS ENLISTING 10'S OF
THOUSANDS OF NEW VOLUNTEERS
ACROSS AMERICA.
TONIGHT I ASK CONGRESS AND THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON THE
SPIRIT OF SERVICE AND THE
RESOURCES OF GOVERNMENT ON THE
NEEDS OF SOME OF OUR MOST
VULNERABLE CITIZENS.
BOYS AND GIRLS TRYING TO GROW
UP WITHOUT GUIDANCE AND
ATTENTION, AND CHILDREN WHO
HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PRISON
GATE TO BE HUGGED BY THEIR MOM
OR DAD.
I PROPOSE A $450 MILLION
INITIATIVE TO BRING MENTORS TO
MORE THAN A MILLION
DISADVANTAGED JUNIOR HIGH
STUDENTS AND CHILDREN OF
PRISONERS.
GOVERNMENT WILL SUPPORT THE
TRAINING AND RECRUITING OF
MENTORS, YET IT IS THE MEN AND
WOMEN OF AMERICA WHO WILL FILL
THE NEED.
ONE MENTOR, ONE PERSON CAN
CHANGE A LIFE FOREVER, AND I
URGE YOU TO BE THAT ONE PERSON.
ANOTHER CAUSE OF HOPELESSNESS
IS ADDICTION TO DRUGS.
ADDICTION CROWDS OUT FRIENDSHIP
, AMBITION, MORAL CONVICTION
AND REDUCES ALL THE RICHNESS OF
LIFE TO A SINGLE DESTRUCTIVE
DESIRE.

AS A GOVERNMENT, WE ARE
FIGHTING ILLEGAL DRUGS BY
CUTTING OFF SUPPLIES AND
REDUCING DEMAND THROUGH
ANTI-DRUG EDUCATION PROGRAMS.
FOR THOSE ALREADY ADDICTED, THE
FIGHT AGAINST DRUGS IS A FIGHT
FOR THEIR OWN LIVES.
TOO MANY AMERICANS IN SEARCH OF
TREATMENT CANNOT GET IT.
SO TONIGHT, A PROPOSE A NEW
$600 MILLION PROGRAM TO HELP AN
ADDITIONAL 300,000 AMERICANS
RECEIVE TREATMENT OVER THE NEXT
THREE YEARS.
OUR NATION IS BLESSED WITH
RECOVERY PROGRAMS THAT DO
AMAZING WORK.
ONE OF THEM IS FOUND AT THE
HEALING PLACE CHURCH IN BATON
ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
A MAN IN THE PROGRAM SAID, GOD
DOES MIRACLES IN PEOPLE'S LIVES
AND YOU NEVER THINK IT COULD BE
YOU.
TONIGHT, LET US BRING TO ALL
AMERICANS WHO STRUGGLE WITH
DRUG ADDICTION THIS MESSAGE OF
HOPE, THE MIRACLE OF RECOVERY
IS POSSIBLE AND IT COULD BE YOU.