The purpose of freedom. (Scan).(excerpts from President George W. Bush's commencement speech at Ohio State University)(Transcript)

Excerpted from remarks by President George W. Bush at the Ohio State University commencement: Some needs government cannot fulfill, like the need for kindness, and for understanding, and for love. A person in crisis often needs more than a program or a check; he needs a friend--and that friend can be you. We are commanded by God and called by our conscience to love others as we want to be loved ourselves....

Service is important in your own life, in your own character. No one can tell you how to live or what cause to serve. But everyone needs some cause larger than his or her own profit. Apathy has no adventures. Cynicism leaves no monuments. And a person who is not responsible for others is a person who is truly alone. By sharing the pain of a friend, or bearing the hopes of a child, or defending the liberty of your fellow citizens, you will gain satisfaction that cannot be gained in any other way. Service is not a chain or a chore--it gives purpose to your freedom....

We serve others because we're Americans, and we want to do something for the country we love. Our nation is the greatest force for good in history--and we show our gratitude by doing our duty.... Each of us has a bond with every other American. Patriotism is proven in our concern for others--a willingness to sacrifice for people we may never have met or seen. Patriotism is our obligation to those ...