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I want to start out and say first of all, to the class, congratulations.
This is a remarkable accomplishment,
and I mean that very sincerely. It’s an accomplishment that you,
your families,
and really future generations of your family will be proud of. People will be talking about
long after you've left that ‘so and so in my family
was a member of the Highway Patrol.’
That's because the Highway Patrol in Kansas does have a rich history, as we heard about
in the prayer.
We have a really interesting history. We started out as a result of the
bank robberies and sort of lawlessness that started in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
And some smart people got together and said ‘you know what we need to figure out
a way to combat that,’
and it worked.
From that
interesting beginning has developed
and the agency does much more
than deter crime and stop crime.
It’s become an important service agency and sort of planning agency for the entire state.
One of the things that I think about with the Highway Patrol and with Colonel Maple is
the impact that you've had -
that the Highway Patrol's had on highway safety.
By lobbying for important public policy measures,
by protecting people out on the roads, the Highway Patrol has literally saved thousands
of people and I mean that.
Thousands of people in this state.
You are also joining
a wonderful fraternity of people.
I have had the chance of to work with members of the Highway Patrol every day,
but because I’m in other states,
I’ve had the chance to work with members of the Highway Patrol in all these other states.
And I will tell you, you are joining a group of top notch people.
And the other reason you should be congratulated on is that you are a member of
a select few.
Hundreds of people applied
for these positions,
and unfortunately because of budget constraints, we can’t select all the people that are qualified.
We can only select the people that are super qualified.
The 20 of you are members of that very
elite group. So the first thing I want to say is congratulations.
The second thing I want to say is
we need you. This is a great day for Kansas.
Budget constraints in Kansas and virtually every other state have forced us to cut
everything, not just cut waste in government. We've had to cut to the bone. We’ve had to
cut things that in normal times we would never cut.
Unfortunately, we have not been able to have a training class
since 2008.
The good news is that the Recovery Act came along - the federal Recovery Act.
We were able to apply
for a grant
that authorized this training, then authorizes the salaries for the next couple of years. Without
the Recovery Act,
the 20 of you that are graduating and the safety of your provide across the state
would not exist.
So,
we need that. The work that is done by the Patrol across the state is vital, and the thought of
getting 20 more of you out
across Kansas is very gratifying to me.
Finally, I want in courage the 20 of you to be heroes.
What I mean by that is this:
We live in a society that I think from time to time has misplaced priorities. I have long
felt
that the heroes of our society
are not the movie stars, or the sports figures, or people that gain fame in some odd, contemporary
way.
The heroes of our society are the people that quietly
and heroically do the work
to keep our state and our country going,
to help people when they don't think that they'll get any recognition from it at all.
It’s our firefighters; it's our police officers;
it's our teachers.
It’s people that work in nursing homes
from 11 at night to 7 in the morning for ten or twelve dollars an hour.
To be a hero
is a great thing. You now have that opportunity.
You have the opportunity to
help people in need; to prevent
senseless injuries and fatalities; to be there when society needs you the most.
What you need to do with the power that you now have this just do the right thing. Use
good judgment.
Just use common sense, do the right thing and you'll be a hero.
And just as important,
we want you to be at this for a very long period of time.
The greatest sacrifice that someone can make
for their state and for their country is the sacrifice of their life. We’ve had ten people
that have given that ultimate sacrifice in the Patrol. We don't want to add you or anyone
else
to that list. So,
I know you’ve received all sorts of training on how to prevent
that from happening and how to be safe, and I just encourage you
to think about that every single day because my hope is that
40 or 50 years from now
the then Kansas governor - is probably some kid running around, playing right now outside -
that 40 or 50 years from now that you're getting a 40 or 50 years service pin
for decades of great service that you've given to the state.
So congratulations. This is a great day for the state and I know you're going to do tremendous
things for our public. Thank you very much.