Bill Bradley urges ophthalmologists to vote, become community activists

Former Senator Bill Bradley told AAO/PAAO attendees here that America should set an example for the world by being a pluralistic, democratic society.

ORLANDO, Fla. — In these times of rapid change, it is important for America to lead by example, said former Senator Bill Bradley. He delivered the keynote address at the opening session of the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.

Mr. Bradley said the example America can set for the world is that of a pluralistic, democratic society with an improving economy that allows a high standard of living for a large number of people. Ophthalmologists can contribute to this example by voting and by becoming community advocates, he said.

“At least vote. It seems to me that is a basic responsibility. But that doesn’t let you off the hook. You don’t have to be a party activist; you can be a community activist,” he said.

“Think of America as a three-legged stool. There’s the private sector, the public sector and our communities. This is where we worship our God, where we raise our children, where we interact with our friends, the PTA, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the Boy Scouts, the Sierra Club, etc. Make your contribution there if you don’t want to get involved in politics. But make the contribution,” he said.

Mr. Bradley said the current climate of tremendous change, especially after September 11, 2001, has created a great deal of insecurity. To deal with this insecurity in a rapidly changing world, Sen. Bradley said understanding the forces of change is better than the vain hope of trying to predict the future. He pointed to three areas of rapid change: globalization, technology and information technology.

“One only needs to walk through the exhibit hall to see how fast technology is changing,” Sen. Bradley said.

Using anecdotes from his days on the U.S. Olympic basketball team, his career with the New York Knicks and his 18 years in the Senate, Sen. Bradley gave his blueprint for individuals to effect positive change.

“The question now becomes, how should America lead in this world, not just how can we expand and extend our military power. We can lead by the power of our example. That example is of a pluralistic democracy with a growing economy that takes more and more people to a higher income.

“How are we doing with this? If you look at our economy things are in a little bit of a downstretch following 10 years of an economic boom. Unemployment has doubled in the last two years, we went from a $200 million budget surplus to an almost $200 million budget deficit, the stock market crashed and IRAs and 401ks lost about 30% of their worth in the last year and a half, and yet even though this is a difficult time, there still is an underlying consensus, believe it or not, between the two [political] parties, on the basic economic agenda. That is open trade, the free flow of capital, the lowest possible tax rate for the greatest number of people and major investments in education and research. I believe these forces will overwhelm any cyclical downturn and bring us back,” he said.

The goal, he added, is to have a higher quality of life for all Americans.

“Today there are still 42 million Americans without health insurance — 1.4 million more this year than last year … And yet those who don’t have health insurance today are interspersed among us, and are therefore seemingly invisible. It is an issue we are going to have to deal with if we’re going to be able to lead the world by the power of our example of a society whose quality of life is rich and full for everyone.”