Sec. Kerry delivers first speech at UVA

Nearly two hundred years ago the first American Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, established the University of Virginia in his beloved town of Charlottesville. It is fitting, then, that John Kerry, the recently appointed Secretary of State, chose to deliver his first major policy speech at this historic university on Wed., Feb. 20.

But, while the Jeffersonian connection was referenced more than a handful of times, the real focus of Kerry’s speech was that what happens within America’s borders is increasingly tied to what happens beyond them. “Why is it that I am at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains instead of the shore of the Black Sea? Why am I in Old Cabell Hall and not Kabul?” he asked the audience, pausing a moment for the laughter his pun had invoked to subside. “The reason is very simple. I came here purposely to underscore that in today’s global world, there is no longer anything foreign about foreign policy.”

For almost a full hour, Kerry went through a laundry list of agenda items including climate change, gender equality, aid to impoverished nations, and the necessity of a strong global economy. He chose not to dwell on the difficult policy decisions he will undoubtedly face while in office, such as how he will deal with the bloody civil war currently raging in Syria, instead emphasizing the importance of strong, positive foreign relations.

The audience, which was composed primarily of UVA undergrads, seemed to agree with most of the Secretary’s points. Lines like “deploying diplomats today is much cheaper than deploying troops tomorrow” and “[protecting the planet is] the most sacred trust we keep for our children and grandchildren” were greeted with boisterous applause.

During one such moment, Kerry took the opportunity to reach under the podium for a glass of water, setting it down just as the room began to quiet down; Twitter erupted with amusement at this move, praising Kerry on his smoothness compared to Sen. Marco Rubio’s now infamous water bottle incident during the State of the Union response.

Kerry ended his speech by reminding the audience that while foreign policy gets little more than one cent of every dollar in taxes, it is one of the most vital investments America can make. He reiterated the role America plays on the global stage and urged those listening to view this role not as a burden, but a blessing: “We will continue to lead as the indispensable nation, not because we seek this role, but because the world needs us to fill it. Not as a challenge, but as a charge. Not because we view it as a burden, but because we know it to be a privilege.”