WESSON – Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Arthur Eavescharged young leaders to dream big in a speech Monday at AmericanLegion Boys State at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

“Mississippi needs for you to feel the desires of your heart,”he said. “The era of low expectations is over. Your generation isan essential part of that.”

Eaves said the accomplishments of the state’s great people werea direct result of their aiming high.

“We have accomplished things because Mississippians havedreamed,” he said. “Walking in faith, we will succeed.”

Eaves toed the line between speaking and campaigning, steppingover it in several places when he brought up what he considered tobe failures by current Gov. Haley Barbour’s administrationfollowing Hurricane Katrina. He called on the young men of BoysState to step up and take leadership roles in the state’sgovernment.

“We must focus on the Goliaths of ignorance, poverty andpowerlessness,” he said. “Those people in Jackson are no moresmarter than you are.”

To prove his point, he spent a considerable amount of his speechasking for volunteers from the audience to give their ideas on howto improve things like the state’s education system and theproblems left in the wake of Katrina.

“Despite being the poorest state, we have something no otherstate has,” he said. “Rich character, and pure souls.”

And he told delegates the failures he perceived in the vision ofthe state were correctable through the applications of basicvalues.

“What I’ve seen in Jackson has nothing to do with the goldenrule,” he said. “It’s more like, ‘He who has the gold makes therules.’ And I see our leadership telling us we’re asking for toomuch.”

Eaves said the state should not allow people on the coast to sitand wait for insurance help, and that it falls to the government tohelp them.

“I see my neighbors trapped in poverty, waiting to be rescued,”he said. “I’m tired of seeking adequacy in everything we do.”

But he told the boys he wasn’t afraid to dream big himself.

“When I was on the campus of Yale University, everyone there waswalking around with a laptop computer,” he said. “I dream that forthe high schools of Mississippi. I want to see every student inevery classroom working off a laptop.”

In closing, he promised the group their voices would be heard inJackson.

“I could spend all day listening to your ideas,” he said. “Andwhat you do here will be echoed in the state Capitol with myvoice.”

Boys State attendees said not only Eaves but the other speakersso far this the week had given them great insight into the state’spolitical climate.

“I’ve gathered some pretty valuable information from ourspeakers so far,” said Brent Adams, 17, of Holly Springs. “I’d liketo go into politics one day and I feel like the things I gatherhere are going to prove extremely valuable in the future.”

Brookhaven native James Dennis, 17, said he’s optimistic for thefuture of the state.

“Mississippi is a great state with good direction and leadershipin the capital,” he said. “We can surpass where we are today underquality leadership.”