May 16 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 give our kids a safe and decent and well-edu- We cannot stand chaos and destruction, but cated childhood to put things back together we must not embrace hatred and division. We again. There is no alternative for us if we want have only one choice. to keep this country together and we want, 100 Let me read this to you in closing. It seems years from now, people to celebrate the 140th to me to capture the spirit of Brown and the anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education in spirit of America and what we have to do today, the greatest country the world has ever known, starting with what is in our heart. These are fully diverse, where everybody, all God's chil- lines from Langston Hughes' wonderful poem dren, can live up to the fullest of their God- ``Let America Be America Again'': ``Oh yes, I given potential. say it plain, America never was America to me. And in order to do it, we all have to overcome And yet I swear this oath, America will be.'' a fair measure not only of fear but of resigna- Let that be our oath on this 40th anniversary tion. There are so many of us today, and all celebration. of us in some ways at some times, who just Thank you, and God bless you all. don't believe we can tackle the big things and make a difference. But I tell you, the only thing for us to do to honor those whom we honor NOTE: The President spoke at 8:15 p.m. in the tonight is to tackle the big things and make International Ballroom at the Washington Hilton. a difference. In his remarks, he referred to Elaine R. Jones, I'm proud that Elaine Jones and all the rest director counsel, LDEF; Rabbi David Saperstein, of you are trying to deal forthrightly with the director, Religious Action Center, Union of Amer- problem of violence and the fear it produces ican Hebrew Congregations; Vernon Jordan, din- and what it's doing to drive our people apart. ner chairman; Dan Rather, dinner host; Cecelia I want you to think about what we can do Marshall, widow of Supreme Court Justice to honor the sacrifices of those whose shoulders Thurgood Marshall; William T. Coleman, former we stand on tonight. They did not do all this Secretary of Transportation; Jack Greenberg, Co- work to preside over the collapse of American lumbia University law professor; Julius L. Cham- society, to give people an equal opportunity to bers, chancellor of North Carolina Central Uni- get an inferior education, to give people an versity; Robert Bennett and Chester Davenport, equal opportunity to be unemployed, to give dinner corporate cochairs; Ernest Green, one of people an equal opportunity to stand on the the Little Rock Nine who integrated the public street corner and be gunned down by some school system in Little Rock, AR; Thurgood Mar- kid that nobody ever loved enough or disciplined shall, Jr., Deputy Counsel and Director of Legisla- enough or cared enough about to give a dif- tive Affairs for the Vice President; and Minister ferent way of living to. Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam. Exchange With Reporters Prior to Discussions With Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland of Norway May 17, 1994 Interest Rates deficit and expectations for high growth this Q. Mr. President, the Federal Reserve seems year, good growth. likely to increase interest rates today. How is And soÐI make it a practice generally not that going to affect economic growth and your to comment on what the Fed does. There is calculations for deficit reduction if you have to clearly some room for short-term interest rates spend more to service a $4 trillion debt? over the rate of inflation that won't slow down The President. Well, first of all, if it happens, our economic growth. And I have every con- it will be because we have growth. I mean, fidence that we're still going to have another now let's get the fundamental facts out here. good year this year and that we will be able We have more jobs, lower inflation, and a lower to offset any modest increase in interest rates 934 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1994 / May 17 with increased growth. And so farÐI talked to [At this point, one group of reporters left the Mr. Panetta yesterdayÐwe're well within our room, and another group entered.] projections on deficit reduction. Q. [Inaudible]Ðwhaling, Mr. President? The President. We are workingÐwe'll work Norway through that. I have confidence that we will Q. Mr. President, have you ruled out the pos- be able to work through it. sibility of sanctions against Norway because of Q. Mr. President, in that letter to Congress whaling? last October, you said that you're going to work The President. We are working on this whal- with Norway to create an inspection regime for ing issue. You know, the United States has taken commercial whaling within scientific limits. Is a position opposed to commercial whaling, and that still the U.S. position? we're working through this with Norway. The The President. What were you going to say, Vice President and I had a conversation about Mr. Vice President? it this morning. We are working through the The Vice President. I was going to say, we're issue, and we feel comfortable about what we're opposed to commercial whaling. We have always doing. We think we're doing the right thing. been committed to good, sound science. And Q. [Inaudible]Ðenvironmental groups say as the President said, we're working with Nor- youÐÐ way to work through this issue. We're opposed The President. Some environmental groups to commercial whaling. We hope that we'll also, do. The most mainstream environmental groups incidentally, be able to establish a sanctuary in have not joined these rather extreme claims that Antarctica. We hope Norway will support that. have been made against our country. Give us But we're just going to work through the issue. a chance to work through this. I think we'll Q. Are you going to visit Norway, Mr. Presi- come out in the right place. dent? Q. Madam Prime Minister, do you agree with The President. I hope I'll be able to go back. the Commerce Department's opinion that your I went to Norway once when I was a young country's resumption of whaling goes against ef- man. I loved it. I'd love to be able to go back forts to save the whale, so to speak? someday; one of the best trips I ever made Prime Minister Brundtland. No, I certainly in my life. don't. We would never have a policy which is not in accordance with international law. We NOTE: The exchange began at 10:07 a.m. in the would never have a policy which is not long- Oval Office at the White House. A tape was not term sustainable development, not on this issue, available for verification of the content of this ex- not on any other. change. Question-and-Answer Session on the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court Decision in Beltsville, Maryland May 17, 1994 The President. Good morning. Do you know The President. And what were the facts in why we're here? Why are we here, somebody? the case? What gave rise to the case? What Q. To talk about the Brown v. Board of Edu- was the case about? cation decision and how it affects us today. Q. Unsegregating schools in the South. The President. That's right, we are. What was The President. In the South and in Topeka, the ruling in Brown v. Board of Education? Kansas. It was about a little schoolgirl named What did the Supreme Court say? Linda Brown whose parents thought she should Q. That ``separate but equal'' was unjust and not be sent to a segregated school. The United unconstitutional. States Supreme Court made that decision in 1954, 40 years ago today. Before that, the Su- 935.