John Ensign: “Nevada's slogan is ``Battle Born.'' And Nevadans are proud to use that slogan. It is on our State flag. It reflects the…”

“Nevada's slogan is ``Battle Born.'' And Nevadans are proud to use that slogan. It is on our State flag. It reflects the firmness of purpose and the willingness to fight for what is right that is so much a part of the character of Nevadans. This is as true today as it was when our State entered the Union during the Civil War. I am humbled to stand here in this Chamber where many distinguished Nevadans have preceded me, giants like Pat McCarran, Alan Bible, Howard Cannon, Paul Laxalt, and the man I succeeded, Dick Bryan. None of them forgot the unique culture of the West and their Nevada roots. The nature of the challenges may have changed over the years, but not the nature of the Nevadans fighting to overcome them. In this era of globalization we are condemning our children, and our nation, to an uncertain future if we fail to confront a very different kind of threat--the intractable problems in our public schools. Let me share some troubling statistics with you. If you compare our children to their counterparts in other nations, the most academically advanced American high school seniors ranked 15 out of 16--second from the bottom--on an advanced math test and 16 out of 16 on an advanced physics test. This is unacceptable. Our public schools are failing our children. And unless we address this problem now--today--we will bear the consequences for a generation or more.”