by Bill Clinton

About the author: Bill Clinton is the forty-second president of the United States.

Editor’s note: The following viewpoint was originally delivered as a speech to the graduating class of the University of California at San Diego on June 14, 1997.

Today we celebrate your achievements at a truly golden moment for America. The Cold War is over and freedom is now ascendant around the globe, with more than half of the people in this whole world living under governments of their choosing for the very first time. Our economy is the healthiest in a generation and the strongest in the world. Our culture, our science, our technology promise unimagined advances and exciting new careers. Our social problems, from crime to poverty, are finally bending to our efforts.

Of course, there are still...