Heroes Are Not Giant Statues Framed Against

Oregon Is An Inspiration. Whether You Come To It, Or Are Born To It, You Become Entranced By Our State's Beauty, The Opportunity She Affords, And The Independent Spirit Of Her Citizens.

You All Know I Have Terminal Cancer—and I Have A Lot Of It. But What You May Not Know Is That Stress Induces Its Spread And Induces Its Activity. Stress May Even Bring It On. Yet Stress Is The Fuel Of The Activist. This Activist Loves Oregon More Than He Loves Life. I Know I Can't Have Both Very Long. The Trade-offs Are All Right With Me. But If The Legacy We Helped Give Oregon And Which Made It Twinkle From Afar—if It Goes, Then I Guess I Wouldn't Want To Live In Oregon Anyhow.

You And I Shouldn't Claim We Love Oregon More Than Anyone Else, But That We Love Oregon As Much As Anyone. Our Thoughts Today, And Our Deliberations To Come, Must Spring From Our Determination To Keep Oregon Lovable And To Make It Even More Livable.

Oregon Is Demure And Lovely, And It Ought To Play A Little Hard To Get. And I Think You'll Be Just As Sick As I Am If You Find It Is Nothing But A Hungry Hussy , Throwing Herself At Every Stinking Smokestack That's Offered.

We Who Are Privileged To Be In These Chambers Today Can View The Challenges We Face As Opportunities, Not As Reasons For Despair. We Can Do This Only If We Blend Our Independent Spirits In Terms Of Reverence For The Life And Respect For Nature. Each Of You Might Suggest Different Words, But Our Goal Certainly Is The Same: A Better Oregon.