Ethiopia RPCV John Garamendi takes oath of office as California Lt. Governor
Ethiopia RPCV John Garamendi takes oath of office as California Lt. Governor
"Will history judge that we—in the early days of the 21st century -set the stage for the 22nd century California by design, or by default? Will our descendants honor our stewardship or regret the opportunities lost by short-sighted policies and selfish consumption? We can’t imagine the economy of the future. None of us can define the dimensions of the frontiers that will be conquered in the next ninety years or anticipate all the challenges to be faced. But the essential foundations of prosperity are no different today than they have been at any time in California’s past."
"We must begin with mother earth. The California we envision depends on our deciding today to reverse the environmental trajectory on which we have placed our planet. Just as miners of the 19th and 20th century gnawed at and destroyed the land, the flawed energy policies of America and other advanced economies threatens to create an “Inconvenient Truth”. Now it is abundantly clear the that human activity is changing the climate of our world and foisting upon the next generations a far different environment and climate with challenges and effects far greater and more serious than any we have endured."
"We all share deep concerns for our current state of affairs, However as Martin Luther King, once said, “The arc of history is long, but it trends toward justice.” Dr. King had occasion to see the worst instincts of the human heart, but he woke up every day with the confidence that the progress of human history was moving towards a better day."
"Our Peace Corps experience in Africa many years ago taught Patti and me that we must row our small boat of hope against what appear to be overwhelming odds. If our effort could create one wave for peace and justice in this world, that wave might reach far and on some distant shore bring hope. I expect that Dr. King’s hope was rooted in the assurance of God’s amazing grace…an assurance kindled by the community who stood together, who marched together, and who believed together that justice would one day roll down like a river and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
Caption: Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, center, is sworn in by State Supreme Court Justice Ronald George, left, as Garamendi's wife Patti, right, looks on during ceremonies held at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif., Sunday Jan. 7, 2007. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
