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Lech Walesa
"Democracy must be practiced," said the former president of Poland, Lech Walesa. "Compare it to swimming where there is only one way to learn, enter the water.
A man whose leadership and heroics earned him a place in history as one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century, Walesa had much to share with the crowd who gathered to hear him speak at the Fall Schooler Lecture in October 1998.
Walesa was named Man of the Year by Time magazine and as Mount Union College President Harold M. Kolenbrander said, "is a symbol of trium-phant struggles that have changed the world."
The focus of Walesa's speech was his belief that the U.S. is the only superpower left.
He said that at one time countries like Poland counted on the American dollar and American soldiers for protection, however, now it is time to expect something different from the U.S.
He believes that the job of the U.S. now is to provide the world with solutions to its problems and said today's generation has the perfect opportunity to do this by stressing the ideals of democracy and the importance of voting.
"When I observe so much injustice and suffering in the world, I consider all this an obligation in order for future generations to have a better world," Walesa said.
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