Finally, and of deep concern, I believe that the abandonment of the mentally ill and the mentally retarded to the grim mercy of custodial institutions too often inflicts on them and on their families a needless cruelty which this Nation should not endure.  The incidence of mental retardation in this country is three times as high as that of Sweden, for example—­and that figure can and must be reduced.

Third, we need to strengthen our Nation by protecting the basic rights of its citizens.

The right to competent counsel must be assured to every man accused of crime in Federal court, regardless of his means.

And the most precious and powerful right in the world, the right to vote in a free American election, must not be denied to any citizen on grounds of his race or color.  I wish that all qualified Americans permitted to vote were willing to vote, but surely in this centennial year of Emancipation all those who are willing to vote should always be permitted.

Fourth, we need to strengthen our Nation by making the best and the most economical use of its resources and facilities.

Our economic health depends on healthy transportation arteries; and I believe the way to a more modern, economical choice of national transportation service is through increased competition and decreased regulation.  Local mass transit, faring even worse, is as essential a community service as hospitals and highways.  Nearly three-fourths of our citizens live in urban areas, which occupy only 2 percent of our land—­and if local transit is to survive and relieve the congestion of these cities, it needs Federal stimulation and assistance.

Next, this Government is in the storage and stockpile business to the melancholy tune of more than $16 billion.  We must continue to support farm income, but we should not pile more farm surpluses on top of the $7.5 billion we already own.  We must maintain a stockpile of strategic materials, but the $8.5 billion we have acquired—­for reasons both good and bad—­is much more than we need; and we should be empowered to dispose of the excess in ways which will not cause market disruption.

Finally, our already overcrowded national parks and recreation areas will have twice as many visitors 10 years from now as they do today.  If we do not plan today for the future growth of these and other great natural assets—­not only parks and forests but wildlife and wilderness preserves, and water projects of all kinds—­our children and their children will be poorer in every sense of the word.

These are not domestic concerns alone.  For upon our achievement of greater vitality and strength here at home hang our fate and future in the world:  our ability to sustain and supply the security of free men and nations, our ability to command their respect for our leadership, our ability to expand our trade without threat to our balance of payments, and our ability to adjust to the changing demands of cold war competition and challenge.