 the President of the United States. Thank you. Thank you very much. Attorney General Meese, Director Sessions, distinguished guests, and welcome to the White House. I know the White House across the street, but they call this the White House too. We're here today to honor some very special young Americans, the winners of the 1985 and 1986 Young American Medals for Bravery and Service. A few years ago, it was fashionable in the media and the universities to say that America had no more heroes. Heroism was a thing of the past, we were told, as old and dry as a fossil in Death Valley. Fashions often run together and this one galloped side-by-side with the death of God, Vogue. I seem to remember that the argument was that if God was dead, nothing anyone could do was important enough to be called heroic. Well, I've never believed that either God or American heroism is dead. This land of freedom was built and is still being built by men and women who, without chroniclers, without heralds, have brought a warrior's courage to the challenges of everyday life. America is a land of heroes. Today we honor six young Americans who have shown the physical, moral, and intellectual courage. Yes, the selflessness and concern for others that we call heroism. I thought I'd tell you something about each one of them. I mentioned moral courage, taking a stand out of the ordinary because that's what you believe is right. Linda Warsaw has that kind of courage. When Linda was 11, she began volunteering with her mother at the San Bernardino County Victim Witness Advocacy Program. Files that passed through her hands were like a window for her into the criminal justice system. Soon she was attending trials. Much of what she saw, child abuse cases, criminals going unpunished, she didn't like. She conceived of an anti-crime organization that would be run by and for children. Started two years ago, when Linda was 13, kids against crime now teaches hundreds of children and adults in Southern California communities how to protect themselves against molesters and others who may prey on them. Moral courage, that's also why Carla Swanson has been asked here today. Carla organized the Just Say No Club at her high school in Warwick, Rhode Island. She also directs a program to promote the idea that it's okay not to drink. These haven't always been popular causes at school. One of Carla's advisors has said she is a fish going upstream and everyone says she's going the wrong way. Her advisor adds Carla's direction and intention are clear and she is succeeding. Angel Rafael Juarez has another kind of courage, intellectual courage. The courage to pursue a new idea, to think in new ways, not to be bound by conventional wisdom. Angel developed as a science fair project an experiment to demonstrate how the growth of a type of cancer cell could be inhibited by broccoli. This experiment won in first place in the medical health category of the 37th International Science and Engineering Fair. Angel's prizes include an invitation to represent Puerto Rican youth at the Nobel Prize ceremonies in Sweden. Linda and Angel are the winners of the 1986 Young American Medal for Service. Carla is the winner of the 1985 medal. Linda and Angel and Carla, congratulations. Now three of those of us with today have displayed great personal courage. At moments when life and death hung in the balance they were ready to risk their lives that others might live. Just over a year ago, Denise Shattuck and four friends were driving home from a field hockey game when their car hit a tree. Denise was thrown from the car and hurt her head. The car's driver was alive but trapped behind the wheel with a mashed hip and the car was on fire. Denise ignored her own injuries, ran back to the burning car, pulled the driver out through a broken window, and dragged and carried her to safety. In March of 1986, Kimberly Rush, then 17, was babysitting for two toddlers when a truck with a 20 ton load lost its brakes, sped downhill, and crashed into the house she was in. As the floor collapsed beneath the truck, gas lines ruptured and a huge hole was left between the room Kimberly had been in and the room the children were in. Kimberly could have left the house. Instead, she crawled into the hole through the gas fumes and back up to the frightened children. Then she broke through a window to lead them out of the house. Finally, on a February night, two years ago, Mindy Clark was in bed when she heard her two-year-old brother Justin crying as he climbed the stairs. As Mindy got out of bed, she noticed the floor was hot. The house was on fire. Mindy gathered Justin, her other brother and sister together. After a struggle, she opened her window and led them out onto the plastic porch roof, only to realize that Justin hadn't followed. Back into the heat and smoke of the burning house, Mindy went and finally found Justin hiding in fear under her own bed. She carried him out to the roof, which was beginning to melt and led her brothers and sister to safety. Kimberly and Denise are the winners of the 1986 Young American Medal for Bravery. Mindy is the winner of the 1985 medal. You are young women of extraordinary courage and it's an honor to have you here today at the White House. I've heard talk from some in the press who ought to know better that this is the me age, everyone out to get his or hers. These young people and others like them are my reply to these commentators. There is a heart in America, a good deep loving and true heart. It's always been part of our land from the time the pilgrims first bowed their heads to thank the Lord for His bounty to this day. You only need eyes to see and ears to hear, for there are signs of the love, the courage, the hope, and the generosity of the American heart at every bend in every road. And there's the music of its song in every community throughout our land. To all of you, you awardees here today, let me say thank you for helping us see those signs and hear that music. Thank you and God bless you. Mr. President, it is a pleasure to join in this ceremony today along with you and Director Bill Sessions. Let me first present the 1986 Young American Medal for Service recipient Linda Warsaw. Next, the 1985 Young American for Service Award winner, Carla Swanson. Next, On Hell Refail Yeritoris, the 1986 Young American Medal for Service winner. The recipient of the 1986 Young American Medal for Bravery, Denise Shattuck. Another 1986 Young American Medal for Bravery winner, Kimberly Rush. And the 1985 Young American Medal for Bravery recipient, Mindy Clark. And Mr. President, out in the audience, we have the parents and some of the brothers and sisters of the award winners. And we also have many of the people who were involved in the rescues, who were the recipients of the outstanding bravery that has been recognized today. I thought some of you were looking awfully proud. Well, thank you all. God bless you. And this is one of the better things that happens to a president. Thank you very much.