I'm proud to be an American, not just because of our military might or abundance of wealth, and not even because of hard-won freedom and democracy. I'm proud because of our leadership and our sense of ethics. But for all our leadership and good will, the same social issues persist and, in many instances, are getting worse. We face many global challenges. Sustainability is the catchword for the next millennium.
Pollution crosses all boundaries.
Global warming threatens the entire planet. Diseases are spreading. AIDS and cancer are epidemics. Population estimates are for more than 8 billion by 2025. But even when we are not directly affected by foreign calamities and catastrophes, it is our ethics and our leadership that drives us to respond, yet we are not responding enough.