It would have been easy enough. However, I believe true courage and heroism does not necessarily emerge from the monumental challenges of life but rather from the simple ones. It is easy to let an insult go, easy to yield in an argument, easy to acquiesce, and it would have been easy to give up a seat on the bus in Alabama in 1955, but we are here today to honor a woman who chose not to make the easy choice. It is the people who choose not to make the easy decisions who change hearts, who change minds, who change history. We should all have the courage not to make the easy choices, for true democracy depends on those who choose their own path.
Democracy is a fragile concept.
It is one that rests equally on the shoulders of each individual. Therefore, if one person's liberty is threatened, then everyone's liberty is at risk. People like Mrs. Parks ensure democracy for all of us, because without them we risk submitting to the simple challenges and slowly surrendering the freedoms we all hold so dear. I am proud and grateful for Mrs. Parks' past achievement and tenacious disposition, but I am also proud and inspired by the task we undertake today. By supporting the commemoration of Mrs. Parks' accomplishments with a Gold Medal of Honor, we are not only honoring her past achievements, but we also celebrate our present gratitude.