Volunteer Louisiana

Speeches | January 14th, 2008

Inauguration Speech

*Introduction portion of the speech was not delivered verbally due to time constraints.

By the Grace of God, we come together today to celebrate democracy’s greatest gift – the peaceful transition of political power. We willingly accept the responsibility to govern well, for the common good of the people of Louisiana, each an American, one and all.

We come together today to renew our commitment to democracy’s central promise: freedom.

Freedom to worship as we are called.
Freedom to speak as we please.
Freedom to assemble at will.
Freedom to dissent when necessary.
Freedom to be who God intended us to be.
Freedom to enjoy the right naturally bestowed.

We come together today to commit ourselves to the proposition that freedom is only half of democracy’s great promise. For our search for freedom should always be tempered by and tethered to the equally powerful notion that where there is a right to enjoy, there is a responsibility to embrace.

Democracy is practiced well when those who claim the rights and privileges share the burdens and responsibilities. Democracy’s light shines the brightest when opportunity and responsibility walk hand and hand.

We come together today to acknowledge the great irony that freedom is not free. Not in peacetime, nor war, not on our homeland, nor on a distant shore. She calls us to service and sacrifice. Take her for granted, refuse to respect the rights of others, fail to protect her, she will wither. Perhaps slowly, perhaps imperceptibly, but nonetheless wither.

Freedom deserves a robust defense, and she is best defended when we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. When we love thy neighbor as thyself. This is the most elegant communion of two equally powerful ideas. And it is the only certain path to ensure not only freedom for all, but justice for all, as well.

By the grace of God’s sparing hand, we stand on a narrow edge of time: sorry that we have squandered our heritage, fearful of our capacity to change, hopeful that we will summon the courage to do so, and mindful of the fact that failure is not an option.

We must refuse to condemn our children to the prison of mediocrity and the low expectations that have held us back for so long. Mediocrity dare not be our legacy. It cannot be our children’s destiny.

Generations to come will rely on those of us gathered today to reject the mistakes of the past and to seize this moment in time. To lay the foundation necessary for the people of Louisiana to truly enjoy the fruits of the gifts naturally bestowed. To come together as one people, with one voice, as one state.

To seek and find higher common ground, and to ultimately create with our own hands, our hearts, and our minds, and through sheer will power and resilience, a place that others across the world will look to as a shining example of the best that democracy has to offer.

A place that is honest and fair. A place that is safe, a place that is smart, a place that is healthy, a place where families live and children - all children – grow happy and healthy, where people who are different flock towards rather than away from one another, and wring from each the great value that diversity brings and the richness it bestows. As Psalm 103 reminds us, “Do not forget all the gifts of God.”

A place that sings to the mountain tops. Finally, after 200 years of waiting at the back of the line, walking in the back door, suffering the slings and arrows of life’s outrageous fortune – we are ready, willing and able to do what is necessary and proclaim that the people of Louisiana are indeed worthy of both the promise and burden of freedom.

The nation waits and wonders. As the people of America look down on Louisiana, both figuratively and literally, some well intentioned - others not so - I say to you people of Louisiana: Do not be afraid. Have faith in yourselves and each other. Great progress is not always planted in the halls of power or where the rich and respected roam. Sometimes life’s greatest lessons are harvested from the most unlikely of places. The greatest stories of triumph come from those who thirst the most for redemption. So too will the future of America be harvested from the most unlikely of places at the most unlikely of times – from the most unlikely of people - because we are the Americans who thirst longingly for redemption in the eyes of the world and who have the most to lose if we dare not succeed.

So as we prepare to enjoy this transition of earthly power, let us acknowledge and see the ever-guiding hand of God by asking:

Dear Lord, teach us to be generous. Help us to serve you as you deserve. To give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed to the wounds, to toil and not seek for rest, to labor and not ask for reward except that of knowing that we are doing your will.

It is in this spirit of generosity, this spirit of self sacrifice and this glorious spirit of service that we the people of Louisiana offer ourselves to the people of this great nation as the best and most immediate laboratory of democracy, and America’s best hope for restoring its greatness at home and abroad.

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Speeches | June 16th, 2006

City Year Conference

Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu
City Year Conference Address
New York, June 16, 2006

I’m here today to deliver a message from Louisiana. In the wake of the worst natural disaster in American history, we are rebuilding. From day one, we have rolled up our sleeves to help ourselves and each other.

And no matter how strong Mother Nature is, she could not destroy what we call the Soul of America. Our culture – our music, our food, our joie de vivre - it’s rooted in the heritage of our people, and it is passed down from one generation to another. With this great foundation of culture and people, we are rebuilding a place that will finally exceed its potential.

Hurricanes Katrina and Rita brought us to our knees. They were tragedies of epic proportions that raised the angels and the demons and a little bit in between.

The nation watched in horror as our friends and neighbors suffered at the Superdome and the Convention Center. This country had to look itself in the mirror and focus on a picture that we have long tried to ignore. Today, over 37 million Americans live in poverty.

Now, we in South Louisiana have an opportunity to put away the twin cousins of race and poverty and replace them with the siblings of opportunity and responsibility. All of us together can share the sacrifices for realizing the common good. That is what we have been missing.

And I know it’s possible because after the storms, I bore witness to the great American spirit of service. Let me tell you what I saw on the ground.

I saw neighbor helping neighbor. I saw young African American men bringing elderly white women to safety. I saw white men carrying young African American children from rooftops. We understood that we were all in the same boat. I saw our first responders and the Louisiana Coast Guard work back-to-back-to-back shifts for 15 days straight – risking their lives to save others. I saw wild life and fisheries agents and everyday citizens put their boats in the water and steer directly into harms’ way to save their fellow citizens.

In all more than 6,000 people were rescued from the floodwaters.

I saw volunteers manning emergency shelters. I saw citizens feeding the hungry. I saw people opening their homes. I saw church groups handing out homemade sandwiches to evacuees, waiting in traffic on the highway.

A volunteer was told to be careful – the people that were being bussed in from New Orleans had been trapped in deplorable conditions. With a possibility of disease, she was instructed to wear rubber gloves. She was told not to shake hands. And this woman said without batting an eye – we don’t shake hands in Louisiana, we hug. And she proceeded to hug each of her fellow citizens that got off that bus.

And now, we have been asked – why rebuild Louisiana? Chris Matthews asked me, “Why should a guy driving a taxi in Detroit care?”

There are two simple reasons.

One, rebuilding New Orleans is in the nation’s best interest.

There is a reason why Thomas Jefferson purchased this piece of property in 1803. And that was because of the mighty Mississippi River.

New Orleans is the busiest port in the U.S. – with 20% of all U.S. exports, and 60% of our grain exports, passing through the port. We are the gateway for the nation’s goods - that are shipped down the Mississippi to the world and moved up the river into the heartland.

The nation benefits from the oil and gas of South Louisiana’s energy coast. Louisiana’s offshore oil and gas supplies 20% of domestic oil production. We fuel this nation’s economy.

Simply put - the cost to rebuild New Orleans is dwarfed by the cost to the nation’s economy if we were to lose Louisiana’s port and energy.

But beyond economics and statistics, there is a second – even greater reason – to rebuild New Orleans.

The alternative is to let a major American city die. What would this say about our country? Our character? And our values?

In this country, we take care of our own. In this country, we build back better than before. Consider this great city. After September 11th, New York was cradled by the nation and New Yorkers rose to the challenge. And so, Louisiana’s rebirth will be moved along by those who occupy what Harry Truman called the highest office in a democracy — and that is citizen. Citizen service will drive our recovery.

To help make this happen, we’ve launched volunteerlouisiana.gov. This website and call center will serve as a clearinghouse for service opportunities in Louisiana. This is a team effort – made possible by my office, the governor’s office, the points of light foundation and hundreds of national and statewide organizations.

We have a Summer of Service Initiative. We are calling on young people and college students to spend their summer rebuilding Louisiana. Based on the number of students that spent their spring breaks giving back to our state, we expect this initiative to contribute significantly to our rebirth.

My Office has also put together what we call a Design Lab. We are bringing together the brightest minds in service from across the nation. The team is developing a master plan for volunteers to assist in the rebuilding of homes for our hospitality workforce.

Last year, we awarded City Year a start up grant to establish headquarters in Louisiana. This accelerated their ability to respond to the storms. Later, President Clinton’s Hurricane Katrina Fund granted CityYear Louisiana $1 million. I’d like to thank President Clinton for his commitment to our recovery.

Today, City Year has recruited 50 full time members. This service program is providing tutoring and mentoring to evacuee students. Many schools are overwhelmed with evacuees, and our youngest are struggling with new environments and the uncertainty of being displaced. City Year is providing an invaluable service to these youngsters.

The Louisiana Serve Commission, which I oversee, has increased their funding by $11 million over the next three years. As a result, the Commission will go from having approximately 250 AmeriCorps members per year to having over 700 per year.

With great need and great capacity, volunteerism is alive and well in Louisiana. As of the end of April, over 90,000 have volunteered in our state.

I think Americorps founder Eli Segal would be proud of what’s happening in Louisiana. No one embodied the spirit of service and volunteerism more than him.

Earlier this winter, when Eli passed away, it was a cause of great sadness and grief. But this spring, in an act of faith and gratitude and optimism, President Clinton and I joined City Year Louisiana volunteers to plant a tree in honor of Mr. Segal.

We planted that tree at Scotlandville Middle School in Baton Rouge, where City Year volunteers mentor young evacuees. At the ceremony, I thought of the Americorps pledge, which was read at Mr. Segal’s funeral. It says:

I will get things done for America - to make our people safer, smarter and healthier.
I will bring Americans together to strengthen our communities.
Faced with apathy, I will take action.
Faced with conflict, I will seek common ground.
Faced with adversity, I will persevere.
I will carry this commitment with me this year and beyond.
I am an AmeriCorps member, and I will get things done.

This is the spirit of service that has rekindled hope in Louisiana - the spirit of service that will fuel our recovery and allow a piece of American soil to stand itself up.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is what the spirit of service looks like in Louisiana. It is an honor to introduce to you the young people of City Year Louisiana.

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