 States. Thank you all very much and I want to welcome all of you members of the American Legion Auxiliary today and I see you've got some guests here among you. On the occasion of your awareness assembly and as I'm sure you know I had the opportunity to address the Legion Convention the day before yesterday and it's good to be with folks like you and the members of the of the Legion. I know we all share the same strong feelings about our our great country and believe me I appreciate what you're doing. We owe you a great debt of gratitude for your continuing service. I'm aware of your strong support for America's veterans. One of the ways that we Americans express our gratitude to those who serve our country in the military is by providing the care that they deserve. They obligated themselves to defend our country and our country has an obligation to keep its promises to them. This we will do. I note that the theme of your meeting is a call to action and that your commitment to our country is expressed in many ways in addition to your support for our veterans. Yours is the only veterans organization which has volunteers in every VA medical center in this country and I thank you for that. Volunteerism is something that's very close to my heart. We've had a task force working for a year on that very subject and most successfully. Americans freely giving to their neighbors in need is one of the qualities which has set us apart from most of the rest of the world. It's a unique part of our American personality. I also know how you feel about a resolution calling for an immediate nuclear freeze. I told somebody just this morning I said that Nancy and I were very happy living here with the 100MX's under in the basement but you're as concerned as I am about keeping the peace. But you and I also know that such an immediate freeze on nuclear arms at the present level would leave the United States in a very vulnerable position. So I'm happy to know that you are actively working against that resolution. The Soviet Union in recent years has built up its arms at such an accelerated pace that a freeze at the present levels would leave us very far behind. More I think than most people in America realize. You know weakened bargaining position also with them with regard to reducing such weapons. We're trying to halt their ongoing build up and I've initiated with the Soviets in Geneva the start negotiations. That's the strategic arms reduction talks to not only stop the build up but to actually reduce the number of nuclear weapons. And I think it's apparent that ours is a non aggressive nation. It's difficult for us sometimes to realize that all nations of the world don't share our views. We're not interested in ruling others or acquiring more real estate but the truth is there are nations in the world who are interested in doing those things. I don't believe anyone can experience quite as deeply as a mother the feelings of concern for the future of our country and for their children are going to be the people in this country and their children's children in the years ahead. The greatest inheritance we can bestow on them is peace and the security of a free nation. We must do all that we can to safeguard the future of our children and our children's children and I'm committed to that and grateful that you share in that commitment. I know you're concerned about the defense posture and there's a drumbeat as I said the other day in my speech of propaganda concerning our attempt to refurbish our defenses which had been allowed to deteriorate so badly. I know also though that you particularly must be concerned when you hear the attacks that defense spending is causing us to reduce what we should do for those people who must have help from the rest of us. Well I just like to share a few figures with you. I think a great many people don't know and need to know and you can be messengers about this. They've been confused by this drumbeat of propaganda. 1942 or 43 this year the aid for the poor in our budget is $46.9 billion or monument I'm sorry I got that backward it's 55.8 billion dollars 55.8 and I've given away the punchline in 1980 only two years ago it was 46.9 billion dollars. The whole budget for health and human services in 1980 was 195.1 billion dollars in this year of 1983 it is 274.2 billion dollars. As a percentage of the budget that is the highest percentage we have ever known in our history 36.2 percent of the entire budget for that one agency that runs the programs administers the programs that help our people. In 1980 it was only 33.8 but defense spending that is being so criticized and which was once normally half our budget or thereabouts is only 26.7 percent of our 1983 budget. Now what are we getting though for the buildup that we have started in these few years I'm so proud of what we've accomplished and what has happened only a couple of years ago they were telling us that the volunteer military wouldn't work that we would have to resort to the peacetime draft again. Well just between 1980 and 1982 the figures are better now but I don't have them compiled yet. Those enlisting in our armed services who are above the average in intelligence mental capability 1980 only 27 percent were in that group today it's 53 percent 1980 only 54 percent of the military were high school graduates today 80 percent the highest figure we've ever had and 1980 39 percent first termers reenlisted now 58 percent reenlist. Now I'm going to quit talking about the military though except to tell you that I hear from some of our service people every once in a while and their pride in the uniform their pride in doing what they're doing so shines through that I grow a little bit taller every time I read one of those letters but I just can't help the fact that we're gathered in here alone and not covered with a press today I just wanted I just want to I know they've got me booked for something else but I just want to say something on another issue that seems to have kicked up a firestorm and I want to say it to you because your wives and mothers you have heard I'm sure a great deal about the squeal regulation or rule this is the program in which you know that the government legislation that was passed is supposed to provide advice contraceptive advice and prescriptions and so forth to teenage underage girls who come there and they've been doing this and keeping any information from the families that their underage daughters are coming in for this these prescriptions or this advice the legislation that Congress passed has a clause that says that in administering this program they will maximize family participation and so not only to do that but because I happen to feel very strongly that in a time when we need the family unit more than we've ever needed it before and when it is deteriorated to a greater extent than ever before what business is that government have injecting itself in a conspiracy or collusion with our daughters and saying we will help you do this which I think has a definite moral connotation but and we'll do it and keep its away from your parents knowing we have decided that a regulation and this is what they're calling the squeal rule if you haven't heard about it will require that when an underage girl comes in for that kind of help and counsel her parents will be notified by the agency that's that's why I told you that I wanted I was curious as to what you would be for the life of me the American Civil Liberties Union and others I'm sure well-intentioned but worrying about illegitimate births and so forth defend this and say that we are interfering in the privacy of these young people well I don't think that is nearly so bad as interfering as I say in a family relationship and I spoke of letters before I have one letter that I have treasured from my days as governor and this had to do with the government doing the same thing with regard to abortions and keeping the information from the parents and this mother and forgive my language I'm going to quote as accurately as I can her words from the letter don't have it here with me but this mother wrote me a letter and she said who the hell do they think they are she said I have the right to carry my child for nine months to give birth then to carrier sometimes back and forth across the bedroom floor when she's ill and crying worried sick I have the right to love her when she's a tiny little girl to the place that I could squeeze her to death and she said then they tell me that one day a 15 year old young lady can stand before me in terrible trouble and I'm not supposed to be able to know she said I repeat who the hell do they think they are well next time you hear that I'm interfering with the privacy of the people and government is imposing on the people again with a squeal rule you tell them that it's more than a squeal rule it's a scream rule and I'm screaming because they're trying to do away with it well God bless you all for being here and thank you very much thank you you know of course that the orchestra out there playing so beautifully as a marine orchestra