FULTON, Mo. - With a call to the student body of Westminster College, and after their resounding response of applause, Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson proclaimed himself to be a student of history and pulled heavily from the inspiration of Harry Truman's 1954 lecture entitled, "What hysteria does to us."
In that vein, Johnson returned to moments in American history when overreaction to a situation either lead, or could have led, to a much worse outcome.
A recent example was the case of the spreading Ebola virus. Johnson said his first reaction was "to limit the issuance of travel visas from West Africa to the United States." He then said his "second, better reaction," was more tempered and informed, therefore being less reactionary and more considerate of the United States' leadership in the world.
"Had we suspended travel from West Africa at the height of the Ebola crisis, other nations would have followed our lead. This would have had the effect of isolating these small African countries from the rest of the world when they needed us the most," he said. Thus, Johnson said, health care assistance was allowed to move forward and helped end the rampant spread of the virus. "The United States led, and acted in a manner that should make all American's proud," he said.
Delivering the 56th Green Foundation Lecture, Johnson rounded out a two-day symposium entitled Security vs. Liberty: Balancing the Scales of Freedom. Before his lecture he was bestowed with an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Westminster President Benjamin Akande.
Johnson was sworn in as U.S. Homeland Security secretary in December 2013. Before joining DHS, he served as general counsel for the Department of Defense, according to the Department of Homeland Security website. There he was part of the senior management team leading the more than 10,000 military and civilian lawyers. He was also general counsel of the Department of the Air Force from 1998 to 2001 and had spent several years in private law practice.
In his speech Wednesday, Johnson also outlined the immensity of today's Department of Homeland Security, stating it is the third largest department of the government with a "total spending authority of about $60 billion a year." Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, FEMA, the Secret Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
"DHS is also the agency of the U.S. government with which the American public interacts most," Johnson said.
"I know we must guard against the dangers of over-reaction in the name of homeland security. It's not simply a matter of imposing on the public as much security as our resources will permit. Rather, both national security and homeland security involve striking a balance between basic, physical security and the law, the liberties and the values we cherish as Americans," he added.
In his final remarks, Johnson again spoke directly to the student body when he called on them to "consider a career in public service." He spoke of the need for talented, intelligent young people to step forward to serve their communities on local, state and national levels. He also told of the rewards and satisfaction he has felt during his time in public office. Then he closed with a quote from the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."