Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.
At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical - and then there came a day of fire.
Are we sure this man isn't a preacher? "Sabbatical"? "Day of fire"? What's with all the drama?
We have seen our vulnerability - and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny - prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder - violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.
Let's see... " Ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder". I personally believe that most ideologies feed hatred and excuse murder, but that's my personal opinion. I assume you meant Muslims, but I'll remind you that your statement could also apply to Christianity with this quote from Adolf Hitler: "The work that Christ started but could not finish, I -- Adolf Hitler -- will conclude." (Hitler regarded himself as a Catholic until he died.)
We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.
Did Bush just outright say that we should conquer the world with our freedom? OMG!
America's vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation's security, and the calling of our time.
From the day of our founding in July of 1776 until 1920 women were not allowed to vote. From our founding in 1976 until the 1960's there was legal racial segregation in our great land! We are not the moral leaders of this world. There is, right now, a push to ban gay marriages. How can we ask other countries to see us as an example?
So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
Restating his desire to take over the world. It's almost ironic that Bush wants to force freedom on people...
This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.
This paragraph starts out well. Hooray! He's not talking about taking over the world. He's advocating that oppressed people rise up and fight for freedom themselves! Now this is a message I can support! But, if we look back on Iraq I have my doubts that he's not, in fact, talking about conquering non-democratic governments, choosing his supporters for an interim government, and then having them "make their own way". Hopefully we're not too naive to believe that Iraqi's are choosing their new form of government when the people making those decisions, running the elections, etc are all people hand-selected by our government!
The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America's influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America's influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom's cause.
Back to conquering, I mean "persueding", other countries to conform to "freedom". Why do I hear Bush in a back room saying "We'll give 'em an offer they can't refuse"?
My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America's resolve, and have found it firm.
I have no doubts that we are well protected, but are we not also inviting more trouble by marching into countries -first to seek out weapons of mass destruction, but when they weren't found to "free the Iraqi people". Look what we've done to their land. Sure, Hussein is in jail -no one will say that's a bad thing, but at what cost? Could it have been less destruction and fewer casulties if we hadn't rushed in under false pretenses? We've fueled their hatred towards us instead of "winning their hearts and minds". How can they be thankful to the US for "freeing" them, when they've lost the little that they had in the process?
We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.
Interesting words coming from the man who bypassed the protections of our constitutions and decided to hold people (without charges) in Cuba for an indeterminate amount of time (so far, 3 years).
We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America's belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.
Let's solve our problems at home before we start "fixing" the rest of the world, shall we?
Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty - though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.
When Bush steps down from the Presidency in four years, I predict he'll start a cult. The "Freedom Cult".
Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you.
* Offer does not apply to those in Guantanamo Bay or Abu Ghraib.
Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.
The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: "Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it."
The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.
And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom's enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies' defeat.
They'd be inspiring words if they came from someone else's mouth. And as for the rally cry for our allies -who pushed them away in the first place? "You're either with us or against us"?
Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:
From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well - a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.
"The great liberating tradition of this nation". The nation may have a tradition of liberation, but we've lost freedom during Bush's term in office. I don't know how we're supposed to rally behind him in his crusade to "free" the peoples of other nations while our rights are being taken one-by-one.
A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause - in the quiet work of intelligence and diplomacy … the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments … the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives - and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.
Those people all put their lives on the line for whatever duty you deem fit to have them serve. I hope you really do understand the sacrifices they make, and never lead them into harms without weighing that first.
All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself - and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.
This sounds like something Bin Laden would say to recruit new martyrs! Bush must be noting the lack of new recruits for the armed services. Actually, the lack of new recruits is kind of suprising given the huge rise in patriotism following 9/11. The effects are still seen today with "Support our troops" bumper stickers on every other car. My own interpretation is that generally people support the troops, but not the war. No one wants to hand their kid over to Bush. I don't blame them.
America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home - the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.
At least he admits that we ourselves need work. Too bad his definition of freedom is the Patriot Act and Constitutional Amendments banning gay marriage...
In America's ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance - preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.
The above is a grand way of saying that he wants to offload Social Security and health care (Medicare, etc) back onto the people of the United States. It's well documented by independant watch dogs like FactCheck.org that the Bush administration is using scare tactics ( article1, article2 ) to push his privatization of Social Security on the American people. I'll admit, I'm interested in the idea of being in control of my own money for retirement, but I don't like the President's tactics. It makes me think twice about supporting the issue...
In America's ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character - on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before - ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
Tolerance toward others, huh? But not giving gays the right to visit each other in the hospital, share insurance, have the same inheritance rights as committed heterosexual couples. Empty words. Doesn't he know actions speak louder than words?
And the required mentioning of the Koran so no one can claim he's anti-Muslim...
In America's ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.
Who would have ever thought that a Republican President would utter the words "surround the lost with love"? Republicans can rest easy though, what he really meant was "bomb those Middle-Eastern f#ckers right outta the dessert!".
From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?
My question is: Is it our countries duty to "advance the cause of freedom"? I say no.
These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes - and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.
There's no doubt that the American people feel united in the face of attack, and will act together to lend a hand to victims of disaster here or abroad. And, luckily, we are judged as a whole at such times. Perhaps this will help heal the animosity that's directed at us because of Bush's rush to war with Iraq. The people on AppologiesAccepted seem to understand that at least half of this country's citizenship don't agree with our President's actions. I thank them heartily as I'm not quite as forgiving. -I just don't see how half of the country could cast their vote for another 4 years of this man's crusade....
We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner "Freedom Now" - they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.
Allow me to paraphrase this one for you: Freedom will eventually triumph, but it's not inevitable. Freedom requires wars, messy ones. Liberty is inevitable. (?)
When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, "It rang as if it meant something." In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength - tested, but not weary - we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.
Um. The Declaration of Indepenence seperated us from England's power. It did NOT promise liberty for "the world", it declared freedom for The United States. - Sometimes I wonder if Bush knows the difference between "the world" (which he does NOT control), "America" (which is our CONTINENT, not our country -remember Mexico and Canada Mr Bush?), and "The United States" (this is the one Buch controls, unfortunately.) Can someone go over this with him again, please?
May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.This article sums my feelings on the above quite nicely: "Where in GOD’S name is the separation of church and state?"
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