Spring Break
Letters to the editor
Issue date: 1/23/09 Section: Ed-Op
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John F. Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
Those words resonate today as surely as they did almost half a century ago. In an age of cynicism, government and corporate scandal, terrorism and economic uncertainty, the call to public service rings louder than ever. In a career spent largely in public service, I can speak to the rewards - as well as the challenges - of serving the people. As students with all the idealism and energy of youth, I urge you to consider a career in politics or government.
We live in challenging times. By the middle of this century, our country will have no racial or ethnic majority. Industrial production will be redefined with advances in robotics and nanotechnology. Health care will enter a new era of organ replacement and stem cell cures. Information will be instantaneous and everywhere. Our stewardship of the environment will be tested as never before. Terrorism will remain an ever-present threat.
It will be up to government to address the challenges that lie ahead. My experience of serving in the Senate for the past 28 years shows how the legislative process can help change the world in which we live. In your hands will be the task of carrying on this nation's great experiment in democratic government, now more than 200 years old and still an inspiration to millions of people around the globe.
These are exciting times. Science and technology have given us more tools for hope and progress than ever before. It will be up to your generation to apply these tools, and what better place to do so than through a career in politics or government? I urge you to take a good look at the opportunities in public service. I am sure you will discover, as I have, that there is no more rewarding experience.
For more information and for a list of regional and district offices, I invite you to visit my web site at specter.senate.gov or call Jake Digel on my staff at 202-224-8823.
Arlen Specter
U.S. Senator, Pennsylvania
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