Ridge Global LLC

On October 3, 2006, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, The Honorable Tom Ridge delivered the following remarks upon accepting the 2006 Woodrow Wilson Award.

To the Vice Chairs, to the Board of Trustees of the Woodrow Wilson Center… 

To Elsie and Henry Hillman…to a guy who’s pretty handy with a 3-iron, Arnold Palmer…

To my wonderful family – my wife Michele and children, Lesley and Tommy…

And to…well – to all of you here tonight, dear friends and well wishers, thank you for this special evening. 

My congratulations to Jim Rohr; what a remarkable life of corporate citizenship. 

Jim and I both know that of all the titles achieved throughout our lives – titles we have been proud and honored to obtain – we cherish most the titles of “husband” and “father.” 

Yet I think Jim would agree, as would everyone in this room, that the title we also embrace as one of our greatest blessings is that of “citizen” – citizen of this magnificent United States of America.  It’s a title to which our Founders aspired and risked their lives to achieve…and many generations of brave men and women have sacrificed to preserve. 

We are, after all, a nation built on principles, forged by pioneers, protected by patriots.  For such a country to endure, we need an active citizenry. 

The man who understood this notion in perhaps its purest form is Woodrow Wilson.  Excuse me – THOMAS Woodrow Wilson.  For some reason, he decided after graduating from Princeton, that “Thomas” was not distinguished enough for him.  So he began going by his middle name.  Personally, I think Thomas is all right – you do, too, don’t you, son?  Perhaps Wilson thought it sounded too…too…“Republican.”  Then again, Woodrow became president…and grateful we all are for it…and the better we all are for his service to our nation at a time of great need. 

Wilson once said, “I believe in democracy because it releases the energies of every human being.”  He was right.  Democracy is a bugle call – it engenders ideas that inspire – it preserves the ideals that we still uphold today and for which we fight.  Democracy propels us forward. 

That is what Wilson knew in his time, in a test of time, perhaps moreso than anyone of his time.  He knew as Washington did, that democracy is an “experiment entrusted into the hands of the American people.”  He knew as Lincoln did – “Revolutions do not go backwards.” 

Today, we must know as Wilson did, “It is not an army that we must train for war; it is a nation.”  The security of our country is a national mission – not a military one.  Not a federal one. 

More than five years on from September 11th, 2001, our challenge is to understand and mutually convey in the strongest possible terms that – as the hard, brutal shock of September 11th may soften over time – our commitment to our country – our commitment to each other – must never diminish.  Complacency is an enemy we can never allow to take hold in our country. 

Without question, we have made measurable progress in the war on terror.  And without question, there is more left to do – much more to address as the threat continues to change, as it continues to morph, as our enemies become more adaptable and strategic. 

When you fight an ideology that spans many areas of the world – versus enemy soldiers on a single battlefield, you must accept the notion that this threat is long term.  

That said, the things that you do in response to such a threat also must be long term. 

We are a “point and click, instant messaging, high speed, on demand” society.  Would that wars could be fought and won so swiftly. 

As difficult as it is to accept, America is now a theater in a much broader war with Islamic extremism.  It is a relatively new theater for us – but we must accept it as the new norm.  We must accept, as we did with fascism and communism, that victory will not come easily or quickly.  We must accept that there will be other incidents on our own soil – that there is no such thing as perfect security in this free and open society that we all call home.

So we can neither be breathlessly reporting a suspicious package on a city sidewalk – nor can we be in a state of constant tension.  We must go about our daily lives – as we did in the 1960s, when several hundred nuclear warheads were pointed in our direction.  We must be vigilant and know that our protection is the responsibility of every citizen. 

As our 28th president said, “Liberty has never come from the government. Liberty has always come from the subjects of government.”  We are those loyal subjects.  We are also its stewards, in keeping with ten generations of history.    

As such, we know that there are questions – good and appropriate questions that deserve necessary debate.  These questions span the threshold of government protections; the transparency of those efforts, how we balance security in accordance with our Constitution; the careful caretaking of our civil liberties.    

But let me say most unequivocally – within the context of those important debates exists no room for political posturing, no room for personal attacks and no room for reckless stagnation. 

Remember the sight of Members of Congress singing “God Bless America” on the steps of the Capitol in the twilight of September 11th?  It was a sight and sound and signal broadcast for all the world to see. 

Our message as citizens of the greatest nation was one of unity and resolve.  We unfurled flags in unprecedented numbers.  We embraced each other in unprecedented grief.  We stood together in unprecedented guard. 

Freedom was something we no longer took for granted.  Those bent on destroying our freedoms awakened in all of us a renewed sense of duty and service to protect them. 

Our message was clear and collective:  Americans do not live in fear.  We live in freedom.  And we will never let that freedom go. 

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Perhaps more than any other time in our nation's history, as citizens we have learned the lesson of time and events.  We have learned that we are all called to serve as long as we call ourselves free. 

We have learned – haven’t we? – that change comes through the expressed will of the people.  And yet, how we express that will is equally important as what we express. 

We have a common mission.  It is not a mission to agree.  Unity does not mean unanimity.  We can disagree as leaders, as citizens.  But when it comes to the protection of our country, we know:  you do not defend liberty to forsake it. 

You do not question the patriotism of those who differ from a point of view.  You do not undermine personalities and offer cheap shots in lieu of solutions.  That level of political vitriol will make us less safe.  That will undermine our safety.  That gets us nowhere. 

Sustained commitment is our salvation.  Solidarity of “we, the people” is our greatest protection from harm.  We are wrestling with formidable questions in an entire new war-fighting environment.  So let us wrestle with them in a transparent, open and civil way. 

Freedom is the work of a nation.  It is the role of the citizen.  It is the legacy of Wilson.  It is the long, hard-fought, much-blessed pathway of generations of Americans.

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Wilson used to say “I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow.”  As Thomas Woodrow Wilson knew quite well – you surround yourself with good people; you work together; you achieve more. 

My public service career is one bolstered by many extraordinary people who served alongside me in many a collective mission to get things done. 

For that reason, I accept this award on their behalf – of behalf of my family, my friends, my fellow soldiers and my colleagues – all those who answered the call to serve with the highest standard of citizenship.

To them…and to you all…thank you for this wonderful evening.

May God bless you. And may he continue to bless the freest, most treasured place to call home – the United States of America.

Click here to visit the Woodrow Wilson Center.