Money comes and goes, but if you get an Honorary Degree attached, that stays with you until the end of your days. There are certainly speakers who are brought in because there is a hope that they have a particular interest in a program that will be initiated or is ongoing at the university. The university is honoring them because of the shared interest and hoping they will be donating to the university in the future. Many cases were Commencement Speakers and Honorary Degrees are targeted to people of means in the hope they will work with the university in building some particular program. Typically, they will not be offered any fee at all. The University Needs their money. Carey nelson is former president of the American Association of University Professors and he serves as an english professor at the university of illinois and our viewers can find out more at your website. I also think once you have announced the commencement speaker, withdrawing it is an act of cowardice. That has happened and i think it is deplorable. When the university does not have the courage to stay with its convictions, that is while the worst things that can happen. It is also possible to survive a demonstration at a commencement talk. There is nothing wrong with an organized demonstration, banners, chants, taking place for 30 seconds or a minute and then the people sit down and listen to the talk. A lot of people feel that any demonstration is unacceptable. I think you can live with a demonstration so long as the people demonstrating accept the notion they have to let the speech go on. What is totally in conflict with Academic Freedom is of demonstrators try to prevent a speech from taking place. Some of the speakers who have withdrawn this season have been afraid they might face that type of demonstration, where the aim is to violate Academic Freedom and prevent the speaker from continuing. That really reflects a failure to educate people on campus about the need to let people have their say. Professor nelson, we appreciate you joining us. Nearly 40 of European Union gas imports come from russia, much of which comes for ukraine. Tomorrow, a panel will look at the implication of russias growing influence in europe. Live coverage starts at 10 00 eastern on cspan. It are in the day, donald trump will announce its take questions from the audience. If you go back, he was a conservative hero, and his tax rate was a gold standard. 25 was what you got. He fought like crazy. That wasnt epic battle. When you look at what all the socialites said, how cold he they were also from families that endorse different policies. It was a lets get him go presidency. I am fully. He said he looked as though had been weaned on a pickle. Farmers dont talk a lot because a cow might take them. Temperamental is shy person. But he also had a political purpose. A president or a political leader is constantly bombarded with requests. His silence was his way of not giving in to special interests. Amityhor and columnist shlaes will take your comments and tweets. Hours, live for three at cspan3. Lauren bush, accepted this yours profile in courage award on behalf of her grandfather for his role in 1990 budget deal. Also honored, paul bridges. During a federal lawsuit against a law targeting undocumented immigrants. From boston this is 45 minutes. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests. I am ceo of the john f. Kennedy Library Foundation and it is my pleasure to welcome you today for the 2014 profiles encourage ceremony. Profile in courage ceremony. Please join me in welcoming our guests. [applause] it is my great pleasure to introduce the chairman of the kennedy Library Foundation board of directors who gives endlessly of his time and extraordinary talents to both this institution and to our country. [applause] i want to welcome everybody here this morning. This is one of the great highlights of the year for this Great Library and we are honored to have all of you here with us today to celebrate a very special day. As we begin the ceremony, i want to acknowledge a couple of people who are pivotal and we are pleased that they are here today. First, my close friend and a man who gives whatever he asked, his vision, his work indispensable to this institution. Many of you do not know this but it is said that designed the tiffany lantern we will be presenting to our distinguished awardees. That is one of the many things that it does for us and i appreciate that. We also welcome ed and Rose Schlossberg is here today. [applause] we are happy to have jack schlossberg. The newest member of our profile in courage Award Committee. He is not shy in our deliberations. He will hear more about jack and a few minutes. I want to extend a warm welcome to our honoree, paul bridges and to lauren bush who will accept the award on behalf of her grandfather. We also welcome her husband david lauren and rebecca miller. Thank you for being here today. [applause] i think that mayor bridges three children have traveled across from the country to be with him today. We are very happy they could join us today. Thank you. [applause] we are honored by the presence of several members of the bush family. President bushs sister, nancy bushellis is here today. Ande bush, his nephew, nancy black and her husband thomas black. You have made this a very special occasion for all of us. [applause] i would like to extend a special welcome to our current and former Public Officials who have joined us today. Congresswoman Donna Edwards of maryland. [applause] somebody who needs no introduction at this library since he is responsible for much of its success. My predecessor and for ms. U. S. Senator former u. S. Senator paul perl. [applause] and former senator olympia snowe. Former governor johnson a new of New Hampshire who was resident bushs white house chief of staff. And a special personal thank you to former transportation secretary andy card who served president bush and that role is white house chief of staff. I can tell you he was essential to the success of the september 11 Victim Compensation fund. He was my of these on at the white house. What andy did i cannot repay him, i will be at his debt forever. Thank you very much. [applause] both of whom served into poetic posts in president bushs administration. Thank you for being here. A special thank you to who received the award in 2006 and is with us to salute the newest recipients. A past winner of the award. We would like to thank there you are. Thank you. [applause] and finally a special thank you in these introductions of distinguished guests to our dinner chair and two nights award dinner who helped make this years dinner and unprecedented success in terms of diversity, amount of money raised by the number of people coming. I have known him for six years, he is from brockton. Bob epstein. Thanks very much. [applause] we could not do any of the things that we do without the wisdom, generosity, the commitment of my board at the kennedy Library Foundation. The board of directors. I see some of them here today. I want to acknowledge and thank our or numbers who are with us and for all they do for this institution. Board members sprinkled around this audience, thank you very much. Finally before introducing our next speaker, i must extend my personal gratitude and the gratitude of the board to the two key people who run this Institution Day and and day out and they do it with the type of selfless energy that guarantee success. First our new ceo, heather campion. [applause] and the director of the kennedy president ial library and museum. My good friend tom putnam. [applause] i thank them and the staff for the work that you guys do in making this day possible and making this institution so relevant and important. And now, ladies and gentlemen, i would like to introduce the chairman of the profile in courage Award Committee who leads the committee with humor, wisdom, a bit of courage, and a great sense of empathy i think is a fair word in trying to deal with all of the Committee Members who work so diligently to select annual awardees. My good friend, loyal chairman, i do not know what i would do without him, al hunt. [applause] thank you and welcome. I know what is on everyones mind out there right now. Did lauren loan one of her grandfathers socks to jack . We will find out. [laughter] it is my pleasure to work with a really distinguished group. As ken alluded to, there are no shrinking violets in this group which makes it even more rewarding. Most of the members of the committee are here today and i would like them to stand as we show our appreciation for their Tremendous Service to this institution. Satcher paul kirk, senator olympia snow, congress one Donna Edwards, adam frankel, elaine jones, martha minnow, and david schribman. Thank you all. In addition to selecting the inspiring recipients of this years profile in courage award we also choose the winner of the profile in urge sa courage essay. 9000 students in 41 states, washington dc, the virgin islands, canada, france, and korea submitted their own essays about political courage. Some of our judges are here with us today. I would like to ask them to stand as we acknowledge the service they provide. [applause] i also want to take a moment to express thanks to the wonderful people of john hancock, which provides invaluable Financial Support to the profile in courage as a contest. Now to the winner of the 2014 contest. Ben wolman is a freshman at Palisades Charter High School in california, where he is involved in social justice. He saw this as an opportunity to address these subjects with a broader audience. Little did he realize how broad this audience might be. Ben is a scientist and filmmaker. He placed second in cspans student documentary competition. He is also involved in the schools Robotics Team and the santa monica amateur astronomy club. He originally wrote a different essay for this contest. He continued researching and writing and thinking about the concept up political courage, and he told me he finished that essay. He concluded the subject that concluded his essay did not all fight to the standard he aspired. So he continued searching and found one that exemplified political courage. Less than a year after the shootings in colorado, john morris risked his political career to lead a passage of a new gun safety measure in colorado. He was recalled from office last fall in a special election organized by the opponents of the new legislation. Since i have been on this committee i have never seen such impressive essays. Ben was a runaway winner. When you start placing your bets on the National Office in 2044 or 2048, put money on ben. It has been a great pleasure that i present the citation that accompanied by 10,000 to recognize bens outstanding writing on the topic of leadership and courage as described by president kennedys profiles in courage. Ben . [applause] i was still trying to think about what my kids were doing when they were freshmen. I do not want to go there. Bens prize is partly a College Savings plan. He is joined by his parents and his brother. Will bens family please stand . [applause] now a word about bens nominating teacher. Every student who submits an essay is required to have a nominating teacher who provides guidance and support during the research and writing process. We call it editors, and sometimes they are our worst enemies. They are invaluable. Ben would say his teacher is essential to this. We rely on them to encourage students to participate in the contest and help them submit thoughtful, compelling, and wellwritten essays. We would like to a College Sarah rosenthal who could not be here today because of family obligations. Sarah will receive a john f. Kennedy Public Service award to encourage civic engagement. Now i want to give thanks and a big round of applause to all of our essay participants, their families, teachers, School Administrators who made this program so successful this year. Thank you very much. [applause] now it is my pleasure to introduce jack schlossberg, the son of Caroline Kennedy and the grandson of president kennedy. He just drove in after finishing his final exams, so he can now officially say he is a senior at yale. You know, some people after you take final exams, some students worry about what the results of his exams. When he is not writing opeds, he writes for the yale herald, serves as an emt, and he is the newest member of the profile in courage Award Committee. Like his grandfather, he is no shrinking violet. He left all of us know including the chair exactly what he thought about generational gaps and things in gender and diversely, and very big for my very helpful. [laughter] he has taken on his work with wisdom, with gusto. We are very fortunate he is willing to serve. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great privilege to introduce jack schlossberg, who will introduce the 2014 profile in courage award recipient. Thank you. Thank you. If you ever want my criticism on anything, you just give me the word and i will be happy to. On behalf of my family i join them in welcoming you today. My mother usually presents this award, and she would have loved to be here today, but she would like to say arigato for being here with us. This is been a proud day for my family, a day would come to celebrate my grandfathers memory, and to honor president kennedys service. He once said that nation reveals itself by the men in honors, the men it remembers. He looked to the past two examples of men and women who made sacrifices for democratic ideals, human rights, scientific progress, and love of country, for guidance and inspiration as he welcome the challenges of his day. We honor his memory by giving this award. We celebrate courage today in a moment of profound change and challenge in the world gripped by partisan inaction. All too often our political discourse punishes those who are brave enough to take for the taxes who forgo self interests and compromising for the greater good. A nation is always needing leaders to lead us toward the top, for, as president kennedy wrote, it is on national issues, matters of conscience which challenge regional loyalties that the test of courage is presented. Today we celebrate two courageous men. In 2009, paul bridges knocked on the door when he ran for mayor in georgia. He said he wanted to make his town a more fair and prosperous place. He faced a tough choice in 2011 when the Legislature Passed a law that threatened the local farm economy and promised to separate undocumented parents, children, brothers, and sisters from their families. The offer is Police Officers to demand citizenship documentation during routine traffic stops. It criminalized housing and transport of undocumented immigrants. It restricted access for people without Legal Immigration status. He realized it was separate families he knew, families that were part of the fabric of the communities, and he would no longer to give them a ride when they need them. You have to break with his party and with much of his constituency to oppose a law that he believed was unjust. Mayor bridges summoned the courage. When his principled stand was attacked by local and national antiimmigration groups, the town became an unlikely stage for the debate over National Immigration reform. Reelection became impossible. When his term ended, his commitment to reform did not, and despite his opponents best efforts, he still calls his town is home. He wrote a man does what he must in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers. That is the basis of all human morality. It is my honor to present the 2014 john f. Kennedy profiles in courage award to john bridges. [laughter] [applause] good morning. Wow, to be here with people who people like me only see about on television, it is incredible to be here. Thank you very much for allowing me to be here. Members of the john f. Kennedy profiles encourage Award Committee, it is a privilege to be here with you. Thank you for this moment. I want to thank my family and friends for being here in boston for the special day, and especially my partner rebecca, and my three wonderful, amazing children, paul, cameron, and leah. Thank you for your support. I am humbled by this honor. Im still in disbelief. I have not quite recovered from the shock of a young man called me on my cell phone telling me that hes president kennedys grandson, and i will never forget the intense emotion of that moment when i realized the magnitude of what jack was offering me. To consider that a kennedy, a member of the family that my own family loved and cherished and admired and respected, called me forward to recognize me from among true heroes and courageous people. It goes beyond my ability to comprehend, but i am here, jack. Thank you. I was 9 when president kennedy was inaugurated, and when he laid down the challenge for generations to follow when he said ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. How incredible that me, the 10th child of 12, born to dirtpoor farmers was chosen for this recognition. It just does not happen. We had a pot bellied stove in the kitchen. As a young child my daddy and my family farm our 55 acres with two mules. We had a single milk cow. We did not have indoor plumbing or even running water. But we did have lively conversations. Particularly, about politics. Daddy was a southern democrat and complained that he would not do any good to vote because mama would be in the next booth. I was a member of our high schools first fully integrated graduating class. I saw our countrys institutionalized racism. How fortunate that i have the experience them at the power, and the richness that comes with the diversity. It is good to know diverse city. In 1999, i met a person living in a trailer in the cotton field with a host of others, and working in the onion field and baling straw. We were instant friends and he remains my closest friend to this day. His youngest calls me grandpa. His older daughter is with us. [applause] 13 years ago he moved to the United States with his wife, a daughter, and a son. On their journey, they were held this side of the border with only the clothes on their backs. As a parent i cannot imagine the terror of traveling to the desert separated from your young children. As with my parents before me, i understand the passionate desires to make a better life for my children and to make sure that they have a better education and better opportunities than i did. And that they are happy and free to be the very best that life offers to them. While i am honored to receive this award i know in my heart that it did not take courage to speak the truth. Just a profound sense of injustice and a willingness to speak up in the knowledge that there are millions of others out there who feel the same way. This is all that i have really done, to speak up, to speak the truth about the unfairness of our current immigration system. I was asked to run for mayor in 2009. We completed three years of missing financial audits, installed new Computer Systems and bought computers, new street signs, and many other longdue improvements. The townspeople revived the oldtime typical mayor stuff, and for two great years that was great. That was to change quickly. When the red states began passing their own socalled immigration laws, i could see prejudice rising its ugly head. Georgia passed a law that created criminals out of ordinary people. Grandparents who invited their own childrens wife or husband into their homes could be subjected to a year in jail. A son driving his mother to the Grocery Store to become a felon. Close knit, mixed family suddenly found themselves contrary to the law. Yes, i spoke out against the new law. It did not feel courageous for me to tell the truth. Gandhi said if you are a minority of one, the truth is the truth. After years of condemning the aclu [laughter] i must publicly apologize to them. [laughter] [applause] the law that i called because of its attack on our families would not have been overturned had it not been for this dedicated group of Civil Liberties organizations. Along with the southern poverty law center. They now have my heart. Shockingly, those attacks continue. My state will not allow undocumented students to attend select universities. Even if an honor graduate had attended kindergarten through the 12th grade, in georgia and the student is undocumented, they have to pay outofstate tuition. And now the talk is to not issue birth certificates to the babies if their parents are undocumented. How can what i just say not jolt your conscience . There are two things i want to leave you with. First, how profoundly grateful i am that you bestowed this national honor, the nobel prize Public Service, on me. Secondly, that we as a nation can no longer leave hardworking, familyoriented god fearing people to walk in the shadows or to live in the terror of losing a loved one to deportation. We must allow those who put food on every american dinner table the opportunity of upward movement. We must find a way, and we must find a way now. Dr. King said we would have to repent in this generation, not merely for the vitriolic words and actions of the bad people, but for the appalling silence of the good people. Again, i want to say thank you very much, and it is a pleasure to see you and it is wonderful to be here. Thank you. [applause] in 1990, america needed a different kind of political courage. A recession and the debt that had tripled, america needed responsible action from eaters in washington. President age to view bush needed to make a difficult choice. He would have to compromise with democrats and risk his political future. He had promised americans no new taxes during the president ial campaign two years earlier and was voted into office on a promise. That is a promise he would keep. The president who began the year with overwhelming National Approval ratings ended it with far less support and he became the target of attacks from both sides of the aisle. The budget deal desperately needed reforms at the expense of the president s popularity. To put country examplerty makes him an of courage. We are happy that Lauren Bush Laurent is here. Works as the chairman of the board and cofounder of the seed foundation. It raises funds in support for you and world food the u. N. World food program to feed schoolchildren. The projects has invited 60 million free nutritious meals to kids around the world. It is my privilege to introduce lauren bush lauren. [applause] thank you. Thank you all. And for myh an honor family. I would like to start by reading a short message for my grandfather. I wish to send my sincere thanks to the john f. Kennedy Library Foundation and their Selection Committee for the decision they render that led to todays proceedings. I can only hope that the vote itself was not too excruciating or too close for the members. Recall how shortly after leaving the white house the School District board were used to live decided to name a local Elementary School after yours truly. After it passed by a landslide 32 vote [laughter] it was explained that the two dissenting votes were based on the fact that we normally only name things after dead people. [laughter] at 89 7 8, let me assure you your kind words mean a lot to me, and to receive this award that bears such an illustrious name means more than mere tongue can tell. Im sorry i cannot be there in person, but a nasty rumor spread that your menu encompassed a deconstructed study in broccoli. [laughter] i have gamely sense of a special emissary to confront the florets. Thank you for remembering what our team tried to do those many years ago. One thing is sure. Even today at age 89 7 8, i still have a zest for living. Most of you have seen his crazy socks. They come in all colors and all patterns. More recently, there was even a Youtube Video of him rapping to an m. C. Hammer song. Even if my grandfather is not sure what a homeboy is and he loves that video it is not hard to imagine how president kennedy with his love of skinny ties and passion for life would have shown much of the same style and panache had he been given that blessing of old age. Of course, were here to recognize and celebrate a singular act of political courage, nearly 1 4 a century ago, when politics and our world was different. I looked at the circumstances surrounding the 1990 budget deal, and i was struck by the challenges that were facing the country at that point in our history. That fall my grandfather sent 500,000 troops halfway around the world to kuwait. Meanwhile, he was helping to engineer the reunification of germany that october, and managed reforms that led to the peaceful end of the cold war. On tf