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001. draft
President William J. Clinton Inaugural Address, 11:15 pm draft (5
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January 14,
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002. draft
President William J. Clinton Inaugural Address, 11:00 pm draft (5
pages)
1/9/97
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President William J. Clinton Inaugural Address, 11:15 pm draft (9
pages)
January 14,
1997
P5
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President William J. Clinton Inaugural Address, 4:30 pm draft (13
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1/17/97
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President William J. Clinton Inaugural Address, Midnight draft (6
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1/18/97
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�I
�THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
January 20, 1997
INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
U.S. Capitol
12:05 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow citizens:
At this last presidential inauguration of the 20th century, let us lift our eyes toward the
challenges that await us in the next century. It is our great good fortune that time and chance
have put us not only at the edge of a new century, in a new millennium, but on the edge of a
bright new prospect in human affairs — a moment that will define our course, and our character,
for decades to come. We must keep our old democracy forever young. Guided by the ancient
vision of a promised land, let us set our sights upon a land of new promise.
The promise of America was bom in the 18th century out of the bold conviction that we
are all created equal. It was extended and preserved in the 19th century, when our nation spread
across the continent, saved the union, and abolished the awful scourge of slavery.
Then, in turmoil and triumph, that promise exploded onto the world stage to make this
the American Century.
And what a century it has been. America became the world's mightiest industrial power;
saved the world from tyranny in two world wars and a long cold war; and time and again,
reached out across the globe to millions who, like us, longed for the blessings of liberty.
Along the way, Americans produced a great middle class and security in old age; built
unrivaled centers of learning and opened public schools to all; split the atom and explored the
heavens; invented the computer and the microchip; and deepened the wellspring of justice by
making a revolution in civil rights for African Americans and all minorities, and extending the
circle of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.
�Now, for the third time, a new century is upon us, and another time to choose. We began
the 19th century with a choice, to spread our nation from coast to coast. We began the 20th
century with a choice, to harness the Industrial Revolution to our values of free enterprise,
conservation, and human decency. Those choices made all the difference. At the dawn of the
21st century a free people must now choose to shape the forces of the Information Age and the
global society, to unleash the limitless potential of all our people, and, yes, to form a more
perfect union.
When last we gathered, our march to this new future seemed less certain than it does
today. We vowed then to set a clear course to renew our nation.
In these four years, we have been touched by tragedy, exhilarated by challenge,
strengthened by achievement. America stands alone as the world's indispensable nation. Once
again, our economy is the strongest on Earth. Once again, we are building stronger families,
thriving communities, better educational opportunities, a cleaner environment. Problems that
once seemed destined to deepen now bend to our efforts: our streets are safer and record
numbers of our fellow citizens have moved from welfare to work.
And once again, we have resolved for our time a great debate over the role of
government. Today we can declare: Government is not the problem, and government is not the
solution. We ~ the American people - we are the solution. (Applause.) Our founders
understood that well and gave us a democracy strong enough to endure for centuries, flexible
enough to face our common challenges and advance our common dreams in each new day.
As times change, so government must change. We need a new government for a new
century — humble enough not to try to solve all our problems for us, but strong enough to give us
the tools to solve our problems for ourselves; a government that is smaller, lives within its
means, and does more with less. Yet where it can stand up for our values and interests in the
world, and where it can give Americans the power to make a real difference in their everyday
lives, government should do more, not less. The preeminent mission of our new government is
to give all Americans an opportunity ~ not a guarantee, but a real opportunity - to build better
lives. (Applause.)
Beyond that, my fellow citizens, the future is up to us. Our founders taught us that the
preservation of our liberty and our union depends upon responsible citizenship. And we need a
new sense of responsibility for a new century. There is work to do, work that government alone
cannot do: teaching children to read; hiring people off welfare rolls; coming out from behind
locked doors and shuttered windows to help reclaim our streets from drugs and gangs and crime;
taking time out of our own lives to serve others.
Each and every one of us, in our own way, must assume personal responsibility ~ not
only for ourselves and our families, but for our neighbors and our nation. (Applause.)
Our
greatest responsibility is to embrace a new spirit of community for a new century. For any one
of us to succeed, we must succeed as one America.
�The challenge of our past remains the challenge of our future ~ will we be one nation,
one people, with one common destiny, or not? Will we all come together, or come apart?
The divide of race has been America's constant curse. And each new wave of immigrants
gives new targets to old prejudices. Prejudice and contempt, cloaked in the pretense of religious
or political conviction are no different. (Applause.) These forces have nearly destroyed our
nation in the past. They plague us still. They fuel the fanaticism of terror. And they torment the
lives of millions in fractured nations all around the world.
These obsessions cripple both those who hate and, of course, those who are hated,
robbing both of what they might become. We cannot, we will not, succumb to the dark impulses
that lurk in the far regions of the soul everywhere. We shall overcome them. (Applause.) And
we shall replace them with the generous spirit of a people who feel at home with one another.
Our rich texture of racial, religious and political diversity will be a Godsend in the 21st
century. Great rewards will come to those who can live together, leam together, work together,
forge new ties that bind together.
As this new era approaches we can already see its broad outlines. Ten years ago, the
Internet was the mystical province of physicists; today, it is a commonplace encyclopedia for
millions of schoolchildren. Scientists now are decoding the blueprint of human life. Cures for
our most feared illnesses seem close at hand.
The world is no longer divided into two hostile camps. Instead, now we are building
bonds with nations that once were our adversaries. Growing connections of commerce and
culture give us a chance to lift the fortunes and spirits of people the world over. And for the very
first time in all of history, more people on this planet live under democracy than dictatorship.
(Applause.)
My fellow Americans, as we look back at this remarkable century, we may ask, can we
hope not just to follow, but even to surpass the achievements of the 20th century in America and
to avoid the awful bloodshed that stained its legacy? To that question, every American here and
every American in our land today must answer a resounding "Yes." (Applause.)
This is the heart of our task. With a new vision of government, a new sense of
responsibility, a new spirit of community, we will sustain America's journey. The promise we
sought in a new land we will find again in a land of new promise. (Applause.)
In this new land, education will be every citizen's most prized possession. Our schools
will have the highest standards in the world, igniting the spark of possibility in the eyes of every
girl and every boy. And the doors of higher education will be open to all. The knowledge and
power of the Information Age will be within reach not just of the few, but of every classroom,
every library, every child. Parents and children will have time not only to work, but to read and
�play together. And the plans they make at their kitchen table will be those of a better home, a
better job, the certain chance to go to college,
Our streets will echo again with the laughter of our children, because no one will try to
shoot them or sell them drugs anymore. Everyone who can work, will work, with today's
permanent under class part of tomorrow's growing middle class. New miracles of medicine at
last will reach not only those who can claim care now, but the children and hardworking families
too long denied.
We will stand mighty for peace and freedom, and maintain a strong defense against terror
and destruction. Our children will sleep free from the threat of nuclear, chemical or biological
weapons. Ports and airports, farms and factories will thrive with trade and innovation and ideas.
And the world's greatest democracy will lead a whole world of democracies.
Our land of new promise will be a nation that meets its obligations — a nation that
balances its budget, but never loses the balance of its values. (Applause.) A nation where our
grandparents have secure retirement and health care, and their grandchildren know we have made
the reforms necessary to sustain those benefits for their time. (Applause.) A nation that fortifies
the world's most productive economy even as it protects the great natural bounty of our water,
air, and majestic land.
And in this land of new promise,
we will have reformed our politics so that the voice
of the people will always speak louder than the din of narrow interests ~ regaining the
participation and deserving the trust of all Americans. (Applause.)
Fellow citizens, let us build that America, a nation ever moving forward toward realizing
the full potential of all its citizens. Prosperity and power ~ yes, they are important, and we must
maintain them. But let us never forget: The greatest progress
we have made, and the greatest progress we have yet to make, is in the human heart. In the end,
all the world's wealth and a thousand armies are no match for the strength and decency of the
human spirit. (Applause.)
Thirty-four years ago, the man whose life we celebrate today spoke to us down there, at
the other end of this Mall, in words that moved the conscience of a nation. Like a prophet of old,
he told of his dream that one day America would rise up and treat all its citizens as equals before
the law and in the heart. Martin Luther King's dream was the American Dream. His quest is our
quest: the ceaseless striving to live out our true creed. Our history has been built on such dreams
and labors. And by our dreams and labors we will redeem the promise of America in the 21st
century.
To that effort I pledge all my strength and every power of my office. I ask the members
of Congress here to join in that pledge. The American people returned to office a President of
one party and a Congress of another. Surely, they did not do this to advance the politics of petty
bickering and extreme partisanship they plainly deplore. (Applause.) No, they call on us instead
to be repairers of the breach, and to move on with America's mission.
�America demands and deserves big things from us ~ and nothing big ever came from
being small. (Applause.) Let us remember the timeless wisdom of Cardinal Bernardin, when
facing the end of his own life. He said: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time, on
acrimony and division."
Fellow citizens, we must not waste the precious gift of this time. For all of us are on that
same journey of our lives, and our journey, too, will come to an end. But the journey of our
America must go on.
And so, my fellow Americans, we must be strong, for there is much to dare. The
demands of our time are great and they are different. Let us meet them with faith and courage,
with patience and a grateful and happy heart. Let us shape the hope of this day into the noblest
chapter in our history. Yes, let us build our bridge. (Applause.) A bridge wide enough and
strong enough for every American to cross over to a blessed land of new promise.
May those generations whose faces we cannot yet see, whose names we may never know,
say of us here that we led our beloved land into a new century with the American Dream alive for
all her children; with the American promise of a more perfect union a reality for all her people;
with America's bright flame of freedom spreading throughout all the world.
From the height of this place and the summit of this century, let us go forth. May God
strengthen our hands for the good work ahead -- and always, always bless our America.
(Applause.)
END
12:30 P.M. EST
�DRAFTS
�January 14, 1997 11:15pm
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
Fellow citizens:
We gather at the last American inauguration of the 20th Century, exactly 200 years after
George Washington said farewell tolhis office and his fellow citizens, having launched his new
country on the Great Experiment that has brought us to this time and place.
At this moment of consecration and dedication, we come together to recall the greatness
of our past, understand the progress of our present, chart me- potential of our future.
By the grace of God and the labor of our people, we enjoy the blessings of peace and
prosperity. Yeyhough we are free of war and depression and social unrest, this, too, is no
ordinary time. For we stand on the threshold not only of a new century^a new millennium, but of
an Age of Possibility
a-time when more people at home and throughout the world will have the
chance to live their drean^than ever before.
But first, we jnust do our duty. The dcmondc of our time arc great, ore different. Of us thVy
mnr.h, fonwftic Amui^arts.
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oach one of us •• thVV ask muctb-But they cannot ask too miir.h, forVv^ic Aiucti^afts. We must
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together, rests the promise of America.^ 'fiMMlXTftTft^w-—
�^ America was founded on the^idcalo «f life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness iH the 18th
•CLifl-Ttiy.^Our nation spread across the continent, preserved our union and abolished the awful ^ VjVg^Lutv^
scourge of slaverytf5fii6~Tfll> deigug'j. A«d we exploded onto the world stage, in turmoil and
triumph, to make this the American century.
In this century, Amenca built the world's greatest industrial power, won two world wars
fen^freedom and^oace, waged a long cold war to defeat communism, built institutions to advance
peace and prosperity for the world, and time and again, reached out a helping hand to diixtuaBy'' ^
oeuntfi&s who longed for the blessings of liberty ikat we hawe ooige to take for granted.
In this century, our people built the great American middle class; lifted the elderly out of
poverty; provided health care and nutrition to poor children; worked to restore and preserve our
environment and publictends;provided for public education to all our children and built the
world's greatest system of universities!, brought breathtaking advances in science, technology and
the arts^advanced equality for African-Americans and other minorities* and extended the circle
of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.
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Thirty-four years ago, the man whooo birth and life we celebrate today spoke to u^in
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words that rnnc nnt arrnm thii \rry mnll ' Mnrtin I nthfir Kinci-Ir told of his dream - deeply
rooted in the American dream ~ "that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be^self evident; that all men are created equal.'"
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�Br. King gavc^ft life for that dream co that otnera might livodt. j^uiiuiui-L the constant
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^Vnovemoiit tuwaid 1-mngout our true creed. The-faturc is built oiwiur dreams and mt- labors."^
is oui-idcals and the striving to make thcn%-feaK4hal made this hundred years the American
century. And it is out of «u* dreams and BBP labors that we will build our bridge to the 21 st
century.
Already,
wo look, we can see the fine lines of that new century - dramaticoU.^
e^a^^i\he way we work, the way we live, the way we relate to one another. Four years ago,
only a handful of physicists had heard of the World Wide Web. Today, millions of
schoolchildren use it to explore the vast world of knowledge. Scientists are decoding the
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blueprint of human life^ 100 ycars-agojjnr forbears worked on-farms; 50 ycoro again factories.
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^iifce ethnic and religious hatreds take on new and dangerous dimensions. Science and technology
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can be used for evil as well as good ~ brandished by rogue states, terrorists, drug traffickers, and
organized criminals who exploit the veryj^ppenness we cherish.!^ .
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—Out veiy ijieps seem to quioken-as we-apptoach the new c6ntury. ' Bgtfour years ago, our
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-tuumphant march Had seemed to falter.
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�Qn another short day oi winter, we gathered in hope,featstood in the shadow of drift and
division. Together, we vowed to change our course, to force the spring, to renew our nation —
secure in the knowledge that what was wrong with America could be cured by what is right with
America.
Since that day, with the stands we have taken, the battles we have waged, and the
progress we have built, we have begun (together to renew America. Where once the ground
seemed to shift beneath our feet, we have found a new center, and-that center can hold.(X>Jid
Once again, America stands strong as the world's indispensable nation. For the first time
in history, more citizens of the earth are living under democracy than dictatorship^rom the
snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets of Belfast^those who ' HtuJtA.
love peacfylook to America for inspiration and for HPfc.
Once again, America's economy is au unrivaled Aiginc of opportunity far oui people.
We have brought down oW dcficiVevcn as we have incrcofcd investmont ano promoted
pioapcrity • • and made our economy the strongest on earthr
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Once again, we have put family and faith and community at the center of our concems.
Our most urgent social problems, which seemed destined to deepen — crime, welfare, poverty,
inequality among working people ~ all are bending to our efforts. ~Qmiu, wu dimbtcd ouraclvea
-an<pm^ftb^ly44HTia^tiies^iiiiicsr4tHtery, witfrevery^step weotdt-^ Lvti.y Uulluigc wo-niua.
�our conrioonct\iPirootored. \
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gcivcumient. . . let us aunimon a IILW
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I'cupuiiMbilil.y . . . let us establish a now apfrit of
-under standing.
We need a new government for a new-century.
,
Wo have proved, in thfsr last four yparsrthat^we-can-iravc^bcyopd the competing
philosophies that threatened our progress. Today we can declare: Government is not the
problem; government is not the solution. We, the American people, are the solution.
"GuVBUUHUlt immul bolt
jirnhlMiinrfiir-rra- it r a n n n l y oivp US the tools tO
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Where it can stand up for the values and interests of ordinary Americans and give them
the power to make a real difference in their everyday lives, then our government should do more.
not less. Helping citizens to keep their streets safe from gangs and drugs. Helping communities
protect the environment God gave usi Helping parents to protect their children from harmful
outside influences. Challenging every student with higher standards andiexpectationsf It must
offer the opportunity that the Bill of Rights jguarantcoc to uo all; it mast bring out the bost in u^,
s. in) fO-VJnK^ruiA).
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'MA?
Draft l/f/97 11:00pm
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
Fellow citizens:
This day, in the presence of Almighty God and before all of you, my fellow Americans, I
have sworn a solemn oath. I have pledged to be your servant and to be trustee of our common
dreams. But the meaning of this oath, as old as our history, is not the province of Presidents
alone. Every American shares this solemn obligation — to preserve, protect, and defend the
ideals upon which this nation was founded. In our hands, together, rests the promise of
America.
In these short days of winter, we cherish the light. Let us take this day to remember the
kind of country we are and must always be. Freedom, equality, opportunity, the belief that the
future could be better than the past, and that each of us has a duty to make it so ~ for 220 years,
these ideas have defined America. They have not always been perfectly realized; but the course
of American history is the steady march of a nation striving to live up to theml^In times of peril
and promise - through civil war and world war, settling the frontier and building the American
century -- these ideals sustained us, challenged us, summoned us to do better. They are the
wellspring of our greatnessN^
The challenge of our time is to take this precious moment^gjvkn to fow gonjaratiogSr-afei
to build an America in a new century that will be a light unto the world. The education of our
�children; the strength of our families; the safety of our streetsf^therorceof our freedom: These
are not the challenges of one family, one neighborhood, one community, one city — these are the
challenges of one nation ~ and we must meet them as one America. For in America, the
challenges of one are the challenges of all.
Four years ago, we gathered in hope, but stood in the shadow of drift^ division,
djspaxr. Awrort^ seemed to^mbitfttoward that new century wrthHincertain steps. That day,
and In The daytj to^ume, we called un um inusLfuiidaiiieiaarvaWk. Our hope became action,
and Our action became fa^thrAnd^ the stands we have taken, the battles we have waged, the
progress we have built, we hav&>beguyo renew A m e r i c a . ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
S W N
^^^
America once again stands strong und uluuu as the world's indispensable nation. For the
first time in history, more citizens of the earth are living under democracy than dictatorship.
From the snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets ofBelfast,
those who love peace look first to America for inspiration and for hope.
America's economy once again is an engine of opportunity for our people. We have
brought down our deficit, we have increased prosperity, we have made economy the strongest on
earth.
HohCgur most urgent social problemSjSeemed only to get WOPCP, \ji&5i&ve
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begun together mend the torn and fraying threads of-euE-seeiaHakfic. Crime, welfare, poverty.
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inequality)^-- all are waning. M o n families are staying togethen; tfewer children are having
g. More
children, f m u j ^ ^ ^ u * ^
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Where once ttfe ground seemed to shift beneath our feet, we -have found a ne\^ cenfer, and
that center can hold. We havB^igec ^ new viaion^^^s^ed a new consemus^a^^r^in
our oldest values, aimed at our newest challenges - to realize the promise of America. ^
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Today, let us use^w/vfsion \o imagine the America that we can be. Letjasfinish the
unfinished business of this centuryA^fii^rj^s^tft^
that .lies
We are living through a time of change as profound as any in our history. The-vefy^toje
ef knowledge doubli^and^c^wbles before our eyes. A chip as small as a thumbnail sparks an
information revolution. Scientists unlock the very mysteries of life. ^BeeJOO years ago our
forbears worked on farms^-wwl 50 years agoj^in factories Jlomorrow our children will work in jobs
that have not been invented, in enterprises we cannot yet imagine.
The government that we Americans built over the past century achieved great things:
Being old no longer means being poor. Our environment is cleaner. Millions of men and women
who served their country earned the chance to go to college. But too many of the old ways of
�government of the past half century have run their course; in their time, they served us woll,-frut
thgir time isjione.
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America was built on challenges, not promises. The strength of our country depends on the spirit
of our people, and the spirit of our people depends on the responsibility of each citizen.
Government cannot — andiiniM twmv mjnin to_;to do for Americans what Americans can only
do for themselves^N^
The lesson of our age is clear: Government cannot solve our problems for us; it can only
give us the tools to solve our problems for ourselves.
•While government must not grow, it must act.-Qur new govemmentjrnust challenge our
people; must stand up for fair play and saflty^feiust bring out the bestnn us, not the worst.{
T l t r r i l l i H l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l l III l l l M ' t ' * f i f r - i X l » m l i " m r
ATTTmrnni Our nati^" ^
n n l
y ^
c
r n n t
R n t i v n okr>nlH P v p p n t m-pat t h i n g ' ;
frfffry
r
^ thp g^?tness we inspirejn 0" p^nple Fonnot in
r
the nairrow halls of government, but out across the great sweep of America, in IwjiQQO towns and
neighborhoods and homes,JtegStfor we will forge our destiny.
So when business and community leaders join forces to provide jobs for welfare
recipients - we must be there. When parents and teachers and civic leaders demand the toughest
�standards for our schools - we must be there. When communities band together to bring values,
discipline and hope to their children, we must be there - we must be there, wo will bc^hor^l^
My fellow Americans, the demands of this particular time are great, are different. Of us each one of us ~ they ask much. But they cannot ask for too much, for we are Americans. We
must be strong, for there is much to dare. We must be bold, for there is much to do. Let us
imagine the America that can yet be, and make it so.
C
^\_X\^Jb~^\
^
5 6 6
'^
m e r
'
c a
e n t e r s
this
n
e
w
century with its promise alive for all our children,
where every citizen is a part of our national community, and where our dream of freedom spreads
•^"^
— throughout the world.
I see an America in which our children leam their lessons not on the streets, but in the
world's best schools.
I see an America in which millions rise from the dependency of welfare to the dignity of
work.
I see an America whose inner cities are not trembling with fear but teeming with
commerce.
I see an America in which we help parents be parents, and children not have children.
�I see an America in which our politics serves the people and not the powerful.
I see an America that leads the world by the example of its power - and the power of its
example.
This can be the America toward which our journey carries us in the new century. And we
will only make that journey if we make it together.
Long before we were so diverse, our nation's motto was E Pluribus Unum, out of many,
we are one. We must be one, as neighbors, as fellow citizens, not separate camps, but family,
white, black, Latino, all of us, no matter how different, who share basic American values and are
willing to live by them. This must be the America that we imagine, that we make real.
Today, I pledge to you, the American people, to use every ounce of my strength and every
power of my office to prepare our people for the century ahead. I ask the Members of Congress,
on this platform beside me, to join in that pledge. The American people, with eyes open,
returned to office a President of one party and a Congress of another. They see, as we must, that
we must work together. We will have our differences - Democrats and Republicans, the
President and the Congress. But we are taught: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time
given to us on acrimony and division." We must not waste the precious gift of this moment. Let
us reach out across the lines of party and philosophy, let us work to balance our budget and
balance our values, and let us make this a time when we work together for the American people.
�My fellow Americans. 34 years ago, the man whose birth and life we celebrate today
spoke to us in words that rang out across this very mall. Martin Luther King, Jr. told of his
dream ~ deeply rooted in the American dream ~ "that one day this nation will rise up and live
out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are
created equal."
And we will. Like him, we are dreamers — and more. We are the builders of bridges. It
falls to us to finish the job of building our bridge to the 21st Century - a bridge built on our
sturdiest ideals, a bridge wide enough and strong enough to carry all Americans across, a bridge
that connects our oldest values to our newest challenges.
As we look out upon the monuments to America's greatness, to Washington, Jefferson,
and Lincoln, to those who have fallen in service to our country, we must remember that they
bridges to an America not yet within their reach. They built their bridges not so much for
themselves, as for those who followed. Let us, like them, sacrifice and build, so that some day,
in an age we will never live to witness, Americans whose faces we will never see can have
America's ideals made real in their lives.
And so, my fellow Americans, let us heed the words of Scripture, and "strengthen our
hands for the good work"ahead. For us, in this place, in this moment, the dream lives on. Our
journey continues. It is our time to build.
[Alternate ending: Tony Campolo suggests using the passage from Hebrews, "let us run
with patience the race that is set before us. "]
�#2.
January 14. 1997 12:30PM
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
Fellow citizens:
We gather at the last American inauguration of the 20th Century, 200 years akaaafateUhe
do? after George Washington
•^rtWwp*iiiw*» recall the greatness of our past, A understand the progress of our present.
i chart the potential of our future.
But thir
K of peace and prosperit^is no ordinary time
A
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" T rt r ' * t -f r'j t l f ^ i nr^
«fpm«iiMf. We must use this moment in our history to seize hold of the age of possibility
before us. Here, after the great American triumph of the 2(Jth Century, our time has come to
prepare for the J1 st Century, feu-v-j
^ v n M l M i was founded on the ideals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the
18th CenturylOur union was preserved and our unity deepened in the 19th Century. And we
exploded onto the world stagejmihic, th^ American Century.
�J P built the world's greatest industrial
^S
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^
m m i
j
t l l
^
W«Mw»n^two worid war^ We waged a long
Cold War to defeat the feu'aeamf communisny i^uid nL lraio iiuyud pwuL-L iirticjpjprtj^y^
t
Here at home, wMMladrfiMPMl
t i i M i M t a i i i l H i H H W i i w . Our people built the great American middle class. We lifted the
elderly out of poverty^wg«!*«to restore and preserve our environment; extended the circle of
jnment; extended the circle ot
,
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im
Thirty-four years ago, the man whose birth and life we celebrate today spoke to us in
words that rang out across this very mall. Martin Luther King, Jr. told of his dream ~ deeply
rooted in the American dream — "that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal.'"
V f c ^ ^ U u U^^tVjdr 6^JL4JJJ. k^tUAJt t.V\JUUU K J ^ T ^ u « t
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�Four years ago, rmmm+mamumJmmiiJlmi. our triumphant march^wnM falter i
.
approached century's end.
On that short day of winter, we gathered in hope, but still in the shadow of drift and
division\Wefianrtifipmnnrnn >itm*™t tn nhnngp^ ^ pratr »n w/iih-^ courseIrequired by our
mn
challenges, conoiotcnt with our enduring values, demanded by our proud heritage. Together, we
vowed to force the spring, to renew our n ilimi in 'iim iii
II'II
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f i lini^i
Since that day, irr thr stands mdtwe taken, tfe battles we haw; waged,
1111 to'Hx.^
progress we
•feaye built, we have begun together to renew America. Where once the ground seemed to shift
beneath our feet, we have found a new center, and that center can hold.
Once again, America stands strong as the world's indispensable nation. For the first time
in history, more citizens of the earth are living under democracy than dictatorship. From the
snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets ofBelfast, those who
love peace look r^m to America for inspiration and for hope.
Once again, America's economy is an unrivaled engine of opportunity for our people.
C^e have brought down our deficit, we have increased prosperity, we have made our economy the
strongest on earth J
Once again, we have put family and faith and community at the center of our concems.
�Our most urgent social problems, which seemed destined to deepen - crime, welfare, povert>^V
A
inequality among working people - all are bending to our efforts, f " * - ^ ^ v ^ v * tU.<Ltw«
Above all, once again we are putting more opportunity in the hands of individuals, and
demanding more responsibility in return, changing the relationship between the people and their
government.
1
\
Four years ago, we doubted that we could cut our deficit even as we increase investment; 'L'klb
we doubted that we could prevent pollution even as we promote industry; we doubted that we
^k^it
could ever tame the social cancers of crime and violence and dependency and decay, which grew
fi
and compounded for so long. Now we know that nothing is impossible when we work together
for our future.
For we have proved, in these last four years, that we can move beyond the competing
philosophies that threatened our progress. Today we declare: Government is not the problem;
government is not the solution. We, the American people, are the solution^Govemment cannot
1
sA^MJtjagJalfltafcAn uei U ean only give us the tools to Jul
uui prtltACMS'mmmmmimG.
We must build a new kind of government for a new century. Where it can stand up for
the values and interests of ordinary Americans and give them the power to make a real
difference in their everyday lives, then our government should do more, not less. Helping
citizens to keep their streets safe from gangs and drugs. Helping communities protect the
x<L,
SsQcA f^xs-v ^ v ^ x
A*
*
�environment God gave us. Helping parents to protect their children from harmful outside
influences. Challenging every student with higher standards and expectations. Protecting the
food we eat and the water we drink. It must offer the opportunity that the Bill of Rights
guarantees to us all; it must bring out the best in us, not the worst in us.
n n n j i i mum—I linn I shrink - but we tngpthpr n^nt nnrnir nhrinlffrnm our great national
challe«gesr The strength of our country depends on the spirit of our people; and the spirit of our
people depends on the responsibility of each citizen. It is not in the narrow halls of government,
but out across the great sweep of America, in the towns and neighborhoods and homes, that we
will forge our destiny.
So when business and community leaders join forces to provide jobs for welfare
recipients - we must be there. When parents and teachers and civic leaders demand the toughest
standards for our schools - we must be there. When communities band together to bring values,
discipline and hope to their children, we must be there - we must be there. We the people. All
of us. Together.
My fellow Americans, for four years, we have worked to finish the unfinished business of
this century, and to prepare our people for the demands of the next. We stand together, in the
closing years of the first American century, and on the leading edge of a limitless second.
Over the past four years, we have seen the new century's wonders.
f
�All around us we see dramatic change in the way we work, the way we live, the way we
?
relate to one another. An information revolution, sparked by a chip the size of a dime, allows
billions of dollars to cross the globe at speed of light... and children in their classrooms to
explore the world of ideas by logging on to the Internet. Scientists are decoding the blueprint of
human life. 100 years ago, our forbears worked on farms; 50 years ago in factories. Tomorrow,
our children will work in jobs that have not been invented, in enterprises we cannot even
imagine.
Our progress gives us great opportunities, but we also see its darker side. Ancient threats
like ethnic and religious hatreds take on new and dangerous dimensions. Modem technology
makes old demons even fiercer ~ rogue states, terrorists, drug traffickers, and organized
criminals who exploit the very openness we cherish.
My fellow Americans, the demands of our time are great, are different. Of us - each one
of us - they ask much. But they cannot ask too much, for we are Americans. We must be
strong, for there is much to dare. We must be bold, for there is much to do. In our hands,
together, rests the promise of America.
It falls to us to make the most of this age of possibility, to push back the forces of peril, to
, connect our oldest values to our newest challenges. It falls to us to choose the future we believe
in, and step by step, to build our bridge to the 21st Century.
�We must build an America for the 21st century where the American promise is alive for
all our children, where every citizen is a part of our national community, and whose dream of
freedom spreads throughout the world.
An America that leads the world in the next century as it has in this one ~ promoting
peace, opening trade, and fighting the forces of destruction. If we want the benefits of
leadership, we must shoulder the burdens.
We must build an America where we have connected all our schools to the Information
Superhighway, established the highest standards for learning in the world, and opened the doors
of college to all our people.
An America where anyone struggling to move from welfare to work can find a job, where
children aren't bom to children, and where all parents live up to their sacred responsibility as
parents -- where the problems of the underclass have become a thing of the past.
An America where familiar faces patrol our streets, criminals cannot buy guns, people
walk safely around the block at night, and send their children safely off to school each morning.
An America where parents have the chance to succeed at home and work, children can be
protected from dangerous influences like tobacco ads and television violence, and no child's
health is ever put at risk because a parent is changing jobs.
�An America where the miracle of science ~ with a cure for cancer, a vaccine for AIDS -extends our lives, and the wonder of technology fdls it with knowledge.
An America where the loudest voice in politics is the quiet voice of the voter, where a
smaller government does a better job.
An America where we have kept our obligations to provide health care to our parents and
a secure retirement for all generations to come.
An America where we set our course and achieve our purpose and balance our budget.
Just as important as what we do is how we do it. We never got anywhere except in the
right spirit.
Today, I pledge to you, the American people, to use every ounce of my strength and every
power of my office to bind us together as one nation and to prepare our people for the century
ahead. I ask the Members of Congress, on this platform beside me, to join in that pledge. The
American people, with eyes open, returned to office a President of one party and a Congress of
another. They see, as we must, that we must work together. We will have our differences —
Democrats and Republicans, the President and the Congress. But let us reach out across the
lines of party and philosophy, let us work to balance our budget and balance our values, and let
us make this a time when we work together for the American people.
�For we are taught: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time given to us on acrimony
and division." We must not waste the precious gift of this time.
My fellow Americans, the education of our children; the strength of our families; the
safety of our streets; the sanctity of our environment; the power of our science and technology;
the force of ourfreedom:These are not the challenges of one family, one neighborhood, one
community, one city - these are the challenges of one nation ~ and we must meet them as one
America. For in America, the challenges of one are the challenges of all.
Long before we were so diverse, our nation's motto was E Pluribus Unum, out of many,
we are one. We must be one, as neighbors, as fellow citizens, not separate camps, but family,
white, black. Latino, all of us, no matter how different, who share basic American values and are
willing to live by them. This must be the America that we imagine, and then make real.
For we are not just dreamers ~ we are the builders of bridges. It falls to us to finish the
job of building our bridge to the 21st Century -- a bridge built on our sturdiest ideals, a bridge
wide enough and strong enough to carry all Americans across, a bridge that connects our oldest
values to our newest challenges.
As we look out upon the monuments to America's greatness, to Washington, Jefferson,
and Lincoln, to those who have fallen in service to our country, we must remember that they vH/J^T"
bridges to an America not yet within their reach. They built their bridges not so much for
�themselves, as for those who followed. Let us, like them, sacrifice and build, so that some day,
in an age we will never live to witness, Americans whose faces we will never see can have
America's ideals made real in their lives.
And so, my fellow Americans, let us heed the words of Scripture, and "strengthen our
hands for the good work"ahead. For us, in this place, in this moment, the dream lives on. Our
journey continues. It is our time to build.
10
�Draft 1/15/97 7:00PM
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
Fellow citizens:
We gather at the last American inauguration of the 20th Century, exactly 200 years after
George Washington said farewell (i.Tlliiii i.iffuiw uml his fellow citizens, having launched hnrraw
oaimliyon the Great Experiment that has brought us to this time and place.
Js;u
At this moment of consecration and dedication,
~V
sthexko recall the greatness
of our past, imderstand the progress of our present;
By the grace of God and the labor of our people, we enjoypfe©CTessingsof peace and
prosperity^ Yet, though we are free of war and depression and social unrest, this, too, is no
ordinary time. For we stand-on the threshold not only of a new century in a new millennium, but
of an Age of Possibility^^ we do our duty^morepe^
throughout the world will
have the chance to live out their dreamsjthan ever betbrdj
k
)-Dut fll^l. Wti
dl) Ulu duty. fUmjiniow. this luu&itninh ,l.u x nnt ,/„ *.mmlh~t«.
vnipfiMuc a Lentml point of thjtypeceh: This is a mor^entqfrat^opportunity
and responsibility
\iijmiSM)Hp*y
but by generations,
us,
1 We^xust
7
\ ^
�be strong,
•60 not ack too-mucb-ef us, for
jhadh Fo^ in our hands, Ogg&bgt, rests the eternal promise of America. [Ifyou make this-change, ^ i ^ .
some of these sentences could be moved to the end of the address.]
<JyjJr6l
In the 18th Century, America waa bom undofr the bold conviction that a l h ^ « are created
equal, endowed by God with inalienable rights: life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness^ In tho
rpnp^, Air natirm spread across the continentjpreserved ««runion and abolished the scourge of
slavery. Then ^exploded onto the world stagey in turmoil and triumph, to make this the
^9^^.^^^
American century.
XT
What a century it has been. America became the world's ^featest industrial power? won
two world wars against tyranny, vtegi&a long cold war to^defcat communism,' buill iiutiluUuns
4o advanedkpeace and prosperityfef-tlrcworld,'and time and again, reached out a helping hand to
milliono-in every part of the globe whojjjonged for the blessings of liberty
(WW,
y, our people built the great American middle class; lifted the elderly out of
poverty; provided health care and nutrition to poor children; woriwri te restore and preserve our
OjjAujrvi^
1
environment^and\Jmblic health; provided public education to all our children and built the
world's greatest system of universities; brought breathtaking advances in science, technology and
the arts; explored the heavens; advdh&d equality for African-Americans and other minorities,
and extended the circle of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.
�Thirty-four years ago, the towering spirit whose life we celebrate today spoke to tis on
this very mall in words that moved the conscience of the nation. He told of his dream — deeply
rooted in the American dream ~ "that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self evident; that all men are created equal.'"
1
Too soon thereafter, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his life •foi thnt dronm so that his fellow
Americans might live feAxjjk6'UjlAA^,
His story is the story of America, ihtaaimq of the constant dream-driven striving to live
out our true creed. Our future has ever been built on such dreams and labors. Dreams and labors
made this hundred years j^eAmerican century. And it is out of dreams and labors that we will
is
build our biiOtMe dm 3Int asntury. ^
n
gL ( V ^ ^ ^ ^ k ^ ^ ^ .
^
Already, we can see thefinelines of that new century ~fcantAiirxUyi.lMngiwffihi •way
we work, tlic way-we live, Jiu wty vte relate to one another. Four years ago, uul) a huiulful uf A
WikT^^jtn
n in'in111\\iiiiV|iti^iu^.tbftA^vg^f
k
physiciata had heard of the World Wide WebK Tedayj^nillions of schoolchildren;"^'''
ihe vaet world of lenowledge. Scientists are decoding the blueprint of human life. Cures
eestec^f^SS, spinal cord injufies seem within reach. In thir inntnry, w .have fiuuii-liw^wiimuf
t
factory to computers^Tomorrow, our children will work in jobs that
•BHf work shiftfromfarm to factory to compui
have not been invented, in enterprises not yet imagined.
• ^Ste-world ts no longer divided into two armed camps with the capacity to destroy each
�other^'Inotuudt Hiw^i owing connecAons of commerceiaofB^aTlfefdjjiX. gi\
wiort; Bn,r<r8iUf vfSm-an
Ppresperity.
uiipiccedoAtod chonoo for bOTh peace ancflproupcrity.
0
Stwh advances^herald the dawn of the Age of Possibility. But there is a darker side to this
moment. Ancient ethnic and religious hatreds take on new and dangerous dimensions. Science
and technology and global interdependence can be used for evil as well as good --irasdisfaDd by
rogue states, terrorists, drug traffickers, organized criminal^who exploit the
prngrqjiaanH
openness we cherish to advance their ^e^c designs. V>\c'
'^Bt^^ough w^gathered here in hope,
stood intRe shadow of^riftjnii^iwki^n
TDgrtliri, wr vowcil lo oh.mgr, nnr rnnrsej to foroo the spring, to renew our nation ~ secure in
the knowledge that what was wrong with America could be cured by what is right with America.
Since that day, with the atanda wo havo taken, the battles wc liavi wagcdrttnd the
imiLi
liTTIiliill
lin"'n In I'lin hunllim
seeHicd tu .sliift beneath our feel,
IM nn
''IIIII
iii i Whoro once the gronind
havi fobgJ^awr^arter, ^ i ^ u ^ c t ^ j ^ t fel5d,"tg3t^ei
"fin uui HiuloTio mioaion.
f*
y
w^_4v
�Once again, America stands strong as the world's indispensable nation. Tor the first time
in hiijluiy, more citizonG of the earth are living unda democracy than dictatorship. The nuclear
threat has been reduced. Commerce among nations has expanded to record levels. And from the
snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets ofBelfast, to the
sunny shores of Haiti, those who love peace and freedom look to America for inspiration and
support.
U K S V ^ V M "Hv MJLK
M kL .
O
Once again, America's economy is the strongest Qn earth, efOating-mina jub\ iifc»4our
^waVpi than pyerbefore.ihc-smallctil deficit ufouv iiiajui ecuiiumv. and at long loat. rismg
incoTnes lur-wuiUng-kmUlits.
Once again, we have put family and faith and community at the center of our concems.
JuOur most urgent social problems, which ooomod destined to deepen ~ crime, welfare, poverty,
/
inequality among working people ~ all are bending to our effort^ Families are receiving support
^xintheir efforts to succeed at home and at work, and in raising children in a culture too often at
odds with their values
Once again, we are moving forward toward a genuine American community, founded in
mutual respect, exalting citizen service, resisting the use of race, religion and politics to sow
_
.
hatred,-dividc us. and threaten ounown union, even as theseiforces destroy the lives and hopes of
millions around the world.
�Once again, we have resolved for our time the age old debate of the role of government in
our common endeavors, moving beyond the competing philosophies that threatened our progress.
Today we can declare: Government is not the problem; government is not the solution. We, the
American people, are the solutioi^vGovernment's role 4 to give us the tools to make the most of
&
our own lives.^ocC^acUi
\
v .
To du lhafr, we\need a new government for a new centumfWlicH iPjJUiTILi,4o owroimiwn dialLiigLa, i\morican3 oonnot beLft un diciijuwr^AWhereit can stand up for the values ( M ^
and interests of ordinary Americans and give them the power to make a real difference in their
^veryday lives, then our government should do more, not less. Helifliljg LitizcfirKakccp their
/ > O W \ / streets cafe fropi-mtn'u uAd di\m^. I&lblim CoiilLiAunltl6s proiect die eiivhumhcut Pud nave us
Helping parents to gfotect their rhildren from harmful influcncteo. Challenging cvory ottklbnt
•Avith highVr• gt^HoVH ] ^gfflr rynf^tntionsJ Openin(T thp dnr»r<; nf r.nllegft tn n11\ Rrinpinfthe
hiphpr standaVd^
s m
(
1
benefits uf suieuce and ledmulugy. Suimnumiig citizeiis tu icaponaibilfty and citizen J>CI vice.
^mvidiiig die cuuditiuns uf giowtfe^mpoor areas, and opportuni^ for people to move from
r
elfare to \*THk. Cdlliug forth the best in us, and standing firm againot tho worotr*
vJbik. CdllillgJ
Beyond j^at, my fellow citizens, the future is up to you.J^We need a new sense of
responsibility for a^iew century. After our Constitution wa^foundod, Benjamin Franklin was
asked about what had been created. He replied: "A republic ~ if you can keep it."
For 200 years, Americans have kept our republic, meeting every challenge by moving
t^xmu^
t^H->
�toward a more perfect union. Our troubles have come only when we denied our shortcomings, or
( U KtdC
MX
rested on our laurels. I am determined that we eannot rest.
W!>puiisiUlliLy to keep OW ffepubhc m the 21^t-€efttwy,
Business and community leaders must provide jobs for welfare recipients. Parents and
teachers must demand the toughest standards for our schools. Young people m u s t ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ s ^
A W pu* >51*vmfc*A (^jA^ftu t l u V ^ i 4 t m x u i ^ U L ^
-ntny tn nrhnnl, laam right frnm "Tnnq^' Families, neighbors, communities, must band together
help parents bring values, discipline and hope to our children^ Each and every one of us^tnust
rcoogmac «Sf responsibiliW^-- not just for ourselvesA but for all those-aQjttnd-u&
We must affirm that ours are no^tiro cnallenges o^one family, one neighborhood, one
communis, one city^- these are the challenges of e»e nation ~ and we must meet them as one
America. Fin in Aiftnil ''i"^^"^"^
"
f
ni-nii-•,,„^ .•.c^u.
-Above all, wc need a new iLiiJ,c of cmnmunity for a new oonftuy.
We must understand that our rich texture of racial and ethnic diversity, deeply held
r r e l i g i o u s convictions, and widely different political philosophies is a Godsend for the 21st
G^"
jfer
^'
e n t u r
y wortd^Wo Imow of the dark impulses that lurk in thel regions of the soul everywhere.
-kr*****^^
i
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UM*
^
^fliey have iKJUiJltcil-aMad nearly destroyed us in crapfem pastlThey way tempt us again in *m
future. And we aooithftm ilkmc lives of tap many people around the world. We l!6te must hare
e
7 fr^rftft-m [dCjujLWJUuuj^ib^ ,
\
�the generosity of spiri^to repress utooo impula^s, «w4j^roytahc Ai^gridgjur aitrefeilLT^te-noJ
atflHtssfaysTfhey slieuglheii
1
fui thb work ahead? in a world ofwor more opon-interactwm
rgsumi-e, waiting to bo tappedi Let UJ always remembw. uui iidliuii- impuAcyno teot of orood or
idigiun ur raoo. Wo^ay: if you believe in the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the
Bill of Rights, you are aa Amefic
•fctaeehi said,
Qui ca^C h mw, wo must thiids. anew, and act anew. As we imirtc^a;
this itew ueutiuy, let us think anew and act antw fui um new thnes.
With a new government, a ne>v sense of responsibility, a new spirit of community, we can
build oui^jiidge tu the 3lot Centuryi Qn tlie^wR aidc,Va will fiiii3irdRrimllHB.hul buajiicaa uf
Aie
^fltf'^r
H n t h n r ll
niili
m L y i l l IJHJ I III- I I
llithTSnr f n r n n
pw»otjT|l A l l l l . l i . J l -
«
^
— anjAmerica that leads the world in tho nc;tt contuty -^-promoting peace and freedom,^iUb^j(Jt*
fightingfarefgrccs^f destruction,-€xpanding-fair and open commeroo-. TliJi i^i ttioiu
UIMA
Tr | in il ilil ' il i 11 rirrlrrr nppnTtiini^' VHllhi ul ifr^iiiflriit •ftnttf r r VmnTitb) benefits of
leadership, w6 maot shoulderthe burdens, ti»4 pay^ur way.
1
~ An America with thu mld'o'fmoDt education, withj^aU-em .iaheols-conncctcd to tlie
Information Superhighwaypthe highest standards^br learning i
college open to all our-poopic.
and the doors of
�1
— An America where anyone struggling to move from welfare to work can fmd a job,-
where children aren't bom to children, and where all parents live up to their sacred responsibility
as parents A- where the problems of the underclass have become a thing of the past.
(QAM-
|
i)-i\Ji.uiiaiLdA dJjiU'j'UiJ l u f p ' i 11 in
fl'ijU'iM
1
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1 1
'i
1
- An America where familiar faces patrol our streets, criminals cannot buy guns, people
walk safely around the block at night, and send their children safely off to school each morning.
- An America where parents have the chance to succeed at home and work, children can
be protected from dangerous influences liln lubauu ado andtolmviaioiivfoToBfcc, and no child's
health is ever put at risk for lack of health care or^uKTmi^^irlin^kinfl.
- An America where the miracles of science extend our lives, and the wonders of
technology fdls them with knowledge and power.
- An America where our politics respond to the national interest and not narrow interests,
where a smaller government does a better job.
~ An America where we have kept our obligationsHto provide health care^to our parents
and-a-gecure retirement for^fi generations to come.
*
— An America where we balance our budget and invest in our future.
�Today, I pledge-M
tu mii every omico^f my strength and every power of my office-*)
llli 11 nlm. ahead. Like you, I cannot do this alone.
I ask the Members of Congress, on this platform-beside-HW, to join in that pledge. The American
people, with eyes open, returned to office a President of one party and a Congress of another.
Surely, they did not do this to advance the politics of petty bickering and personal destruction
-Uw.
^
^
they plainly deplore. Mwv, they have asked us to honestly debate our differences, then work
togetheij^in a spirit of mutual respect. America demands and deserves big things from us.
Nothing big ever came from being small. Let us remember the timeless wisdom of Cardinal
Bemadin, just weeks before the end of his life: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time
given to us on acrimony and division." We must not waste the precious gift of this time.
All of us are on that same journey of life, Irhish must surely come to an end. But the
journey of America must go on. Asd itjwill ~ if we do our duty.
And so, my fellow Americans, let us run|the race that is before us witli patience anddetermination, with mercy and charity. With our dreams and labor, let us build our bridge to the
21st Century ~ wide enough and strong enough to carry all Americans across, capccially thosenn
^ncrafiona to comcTwhogc faoco wc will n o v ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
^ XX-k£5i\ ^Vj^jC^^ UXM^v^
Let ^-bc said of us that we led our beloved land into a new century with the American
Dream alive for all 4Fher children. With the American promise of citizenship a reality for all of
her people. With America's bright flame offreedomspreading throughout the world.
10
�And-so-, OJ wc CIUSL Q WQflTot one centuiyrAid begin tlic w«rlf nf A nnyjine, may God
m
UUW llmrr ivlm umuld build
"strengthen our hands for the good work ahead" -- and, always,
uuty Qutl bless our America.
11
�#15
January 14, 1997 11:15pm
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
Fellow citizens:
We gather at the last American inauguration of the 20th Century, exactly 200 years after
George Washington said farewell tolhis office and his fellow citizens, having launched his new
country on the Great Experiment that has brought us to this time and place.
At this moment of consecration and dedication, we come together to recall the greatness
of our past, understand the progress of our present, chart the potential of our future.
By the grace of God and the labor of our people, we enjoy the blessings of peace and
prosperity. Yeyhough we are free of war and depression and social unrest, this, too, is no
ordinary time. For we stand on the threshold not only of a new century^a new millennium, but of
^ ^ l ^M
an Age of Possibility
OU^V Q U L ^ N ,
a-time when more people at home and throughout the world will have the
chance to live their drean^than ever before.
1
Ttr-rmnii. fi i 1 1 mi "V n - *
1
i
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But first, wejnust do our duty. The demondc of ouf time arc great, are differeftt. Of us ~
twh nnp nf us - thVy ask imirhr- But thpy cannot ask \
nnr r
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rt i fn
n n
mnrh, frirHveVir Aiitvrii
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be sll'Uiig, fui theic-io much to dare. "We muotba bold, fnr thru
u
We must
U*tiA CS^
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U*tiAcs^fo^ol^ifruA
/
/
j i mmili In yli In our hand%
together, rests the promise of America:^ 'SMI^J^CT^C^VA/-- —
but
�^ America was founded onthe^idealo of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in Um 1
•Ceirtaiy.^Qur nation spread across the continent, preserved our union and abolished the awful ^ VjA^Lufcvtjji
scourge of slavery-jiiffifrT^ilnfflgy. A«d we exploded onto the world stage, in turmoil and
triumph, to make this the American century.
In this ciMituiy, America built the world's greatest industrial power, won two world wars
forfreeaomand ^caoe, waged a long cold war to defeat communism, built institutions to advance
peace and prosperity for the world, and time and again, reached out a helping hand to tji&Hwffi ^
oeuntries who longed for the blessings of liberty tfeat we ha¥©-eeB»e to take for granted.
In this century, our people built the great American middle class; lifted the elderly out of
poverty; provided health care and nutrition to poor children; worked to restore and preserve our
environment and publictends;provided for public education to all our children and built the
world's greatest system of universities^brought breathtaking advances in science, technology and
the arts'advanced equality for African-Americans and other minorities* and extended the circle
of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.
T\y>%u^LvwO^fc**-
V & I M V M J ^ MJUHU
Thirty-four years ago, the man whooo birth and life we celebrate today spoke to u^in
He
words that rang out across this very mall A Mnrtin T nthor Kmg)4r. told of his dream ~ deeply
rooted in the American dream — "that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true
meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be^self evident; that all men are created equal.'"
�Dr. King gavc hn; life for that dream co that otncrsmight live jt. j^miuiui'L the constant
^Vpiovemoiil luvvjid living out our true creed. The-feturc ie bunt ott'our dreams and #**f labors."^
is tm- ideals and the striving to make thcm-real4hal made this hundred years the American
century. And it is out of ent dreams and
labors that we will build our bridge to the 21 st
century.
Already, evetywhere wc look, we can see the fine lines of that new century ~ dramaticoJjuj
e&aftge^foW way we work, the way we live, the way we relate to one another. Four years ago.
only a handful of physicists had heard of the World Wide Web. Today, millions of
schoolchildren use it to explore the vast world of knowledge. Scientists are decoding the
blueprint
Of human
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Tomorrow, our children will work in jobs that have not been invented, in enterprises wonoahnot
^imagin^V^ " ^
M
W V ^ ^ ^ U f i , 0 ^
^
T ^ ^ D
Onr prnflir , jiji i , lln tjrfiilt nppTnTTTrritin hut wg-also soo its darkcrpde. Ancient tlgsgts ^
^4ifce ethnic and religious hatreds take on new and dangerous dimensions. Science and technology * ^ <^xa
can be used for evil as well as good ~ brandished by rogue states, terrorists, drug traffickers, and
organized criminals who exploit the veiylopenness we cherish.!^ .
>
.
,
^'
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..
-Om vuy steps seem to quicken-as we-approach the new century .^Bst four years ago, our
^K^LXAIV "fbtUA ktxjau.v /UaMoi
-triumphant march md seemed to falter.
tJi^JaylK\T^^^^^i
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\
�Qn anothor abort day of winter, we gathered in hope, tet stood in the shadow of drift and
division. Together, we vowed to change our course, to force the spring, to renew our nation —
secure in the knowledge that what was wrong with America could be cured by what is right with
America.
Since that day, with the stands we have taken, the battles we have waged, and the
progress we have built, we have begun (together to renew America. Where once the ground
seemed to shift beneath our feet, we have found a new center, and-that center can hold.fXvXiK
Once again, America stands strong as the world's indispensable nation. For the first time
in history, more citizens of the earth are living under democracy than dictatorship^rom the
snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets of Belfastjthose who ^ HouJtA,
love peacfylook to America for inspiration and for ftppc.
Once again, America's economy is an unrivaled Aigine of opportunity foi oui people.
We-hftve-brought down o«r dcficiVevcn as we have incrcafcd investment-ano promoted
UO^OAJJU ^ U ^ v M o l s y ^SLUJ^S^
^
MSJI '
prosperity-—and-made-euf economy the strongest on earthr
Mrii
/VAi
Once again, we have put family and faith and community at the center of our concems.
Our most urgent social problems, which seemed destined to deepen ~ crime, welfare, poverty,
inequality among working people - all are bending to our efforts. TQIIIHJ,
HI
appbtcdawsekresi
^n^attf-abHity^^msl^^iese-tiiiiesrH^ wirtrevery-step WtuakiK eveiy UidHenge-wa-meet,
4
�Lijicol" said, as^our caoo ia now, WP
think nnp\v, nnd nrt finnvr AT :vr Mm tn.fnrf
4hi3 new leulmy, let us mink anew and act anew fui uui new Linus. Let us build-ajimt,
guvLimiiLnt... let ua summon a ULW stnao-ef rcflpuiisibilit)' . . . let us establish a now gpfrit of
nndwritanding.
Wo need a new government for a new century.
.
-We havo proved, in thpse last four yearsrtha^ wc can mov&boyopd the competing
philosophies that threatened our progress. Today we can declare: Government is not the
problem; government is not the solution. We, the American people, are the solution.
•Siiiiiviiiiui
i p f t t r r T t ^ m r p r M h l H r r i k ' - f h T ^ f r ^ T r n n l y givp US the tools til ^ j ^ l l T ^ l b l r m r
Where it can stand up for the values and interests of ordinary Americans and give them^
the power to make a real difference in their everyday lives, then our government should do more,
not less. Helping citizens to keep their streets safe from gangs and drugs. Helping communities
outride influences. Challenging every student with higher standards andteScpectationsf hmust
offer the opportunitjr that the Dill of Rights ^uarantcoc to uo all; it must bring out the beat in
�We-uctd a am Miust of responsibility for o new contury.
Tidlluiiiil clulluigtts.
1
Qui gftivcimupnt will smink - but you must^eHhrnilrfix
tl
Today more tliaii ever, wc mu&t dMi iiiuie of umsdves aiid expeOI mure fromftne
e anothef.
f
ft-in nnt in thr nrminv brills "Pifi-'^mTr^j k"* P" mmnn^h^ m-mt cw^p ^ f ^mi
du Ufwiu, .uid uelglibOiliuOdt, iwd liumm, QmrVe will forge btir degtHQ^.
v
^
»
toI prdVide j obs for welfare
Basiness and commlbity leaQks4iaven
>
recipients. Parents and teachers have a responsibility^ demand the toughest standards for our
schools. Young people have a rcsponoibility to stay off drugs, stay in school, leam right from
wrongVFamilies, neighbors, communities, must band togpthe^fo^mg^values, discipline and
hope to our children.^
each and every one of us must recognize our responsibility ~ not just
for ourselves, but for all those around us.
/
f
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
K Thwctffe not the challenges of one family, one neighborhood, one community, one city ~
ca?
these are the challenges of one nation -- and we must meet them as one A ™ ^ * ^ F ^ H ^ ^ ^ ^
111
1
Amerioa, tho olmlluiRLJ uf um OJ' lln ilnltogea^f aU.
^Above all, we need a heW^puut^fjmderstafidingTdiLajies^
[This needs to be rewritten. Long before we were so diverse, our nation's motto was E
C 7
T
�Pluribus Unum, out of many, we are one. We must be orf^as neighbors, as fefllb^citizens, not
separate camps,y5tttfamily,/vhite, blade, LatihQ^all of us, no mattfe^how different, who share
basic American values and are willing to live by them. This must be the^merica that wV-'
imagine, and then make real.]
[This section is unchangedfrom the last draft; we were not able to re
include
it i f ftime to
to us lb m&ke the moslt of this age\of
pop^ibili y
onnect'biir oldest values to our newest Challenges,
It falls\c us to choose the future we believe in, and step by step, to build otqj/ridge to the^^st
Century.
An America that leads the world in the next centuryuu, it htm in tlwa one ~ promoting
peace, opening trade, and fighting the forces of destructioni
wo,want the benefits of ^
leadership, we must shoulder the burdens^ d j d i ) j ^ t ^ U A ^ ^ ^ ^ •
J,
^.
Wc must build-an America^fhere we have connected all our schoolsto the Information
Superhighway,-established the highest standards for learning in the world, and opened the doors
of college^to all our people.
An Americajwhere anyone struggling to move from welfare to work can find a job, where
children aren't bom to children, and where all parents live up to their sacred responsibility as
parents ~ where the problems of the underclass have become a thing of the past.
�An America where familiar faces patrol our streets, criminals cannot buy guns, people
walk safely around the block at night, and send their children safely off to school each morning.
An America where parents have the chance to succeed at home and work, children can be
protectedfromdangerous influences like tobacco ads and television violence, and no child's
angerous miiuences nice rooacco aas ana television violence, ana no cnna
health is ever put: at risk oecaucc a parent is changing^bc.
An America where the miracl^of science ~ with a cure for cancer, a vaccine fui AIDS ~
extendi our lives, and the wondetfof technology fills 4* with knowledge.
An America where the loudest voice in politics is the quiet voice of the voter, where a ^ ^
smaller government does a better job.
An America where we have kept our obligations to provide health care to our parents and
a secure retirement for all generations to come.
An America where we act our oouroo and aohicvo our purpose and balance our budget
while we balance om values. ]
Today, I pledge to you, diu Aiuwwim pnuple, to use every ounce of my strength and every
power of my office to bind us together U Mm. ilJtiun and to prepare gar people for the century
U
ahead.J^I ask the Members of Congress, on this platform beside me, to join in that pledge. The
�American people, with eyes open, returned to office a President of one party and a Congress of
^ - ^ ^ j j ^ t ^ s ^ ^
MJ^
ancither. They aoo, ocwymuot, that ye must worktogothor.Nothing Dig ever camefrombeings
small. For we are taught: "It i^wjong to waste the precious gift of time given to us on acrimony
and division." We must not waste the precipus gift of this time.
^v
All of us hno today are on joilrney of life, which mustfromed^ycome to an end. But u p .
the journey of America must go on. And it will ~ if we do our duty.
My fcHow Amoricans, thefiitureis not a gift T it is an achicvcmont.
•We, wc Ameiiatfls, aic-netj^st drpfimprs ••, we are the-btrildcis uf biidges. It falls to us to
fimsh-fee job-of building our bridge to the 21 st Century - a bririge-bwlt on our stoeliest-ideabra
baige wide enough and strong enough to carry all Americans across, awidgc built n»t WQj«uch
fm ummlvusy^ fui UIUJU who will follow.
If w\ do ow-du^-ifjatc build ctraight and true, then oitfjotifhey will go on, lofwrardpnto
the 21st Ceirtui^. Tlicn uiu people wiU-cross-that-bridge with the American Dream alive for all
of ©«r children. With the American promise o^citizenship a reality for all of ©urpeople. With
heed the words o mptmyrand^siiciiglhui uui hands lui thegeodAVork" alicad. Foi"ns7m this
place, in tliis moment, the dicain lives un. Qur iournov oontinuos. It is-oui' time tu btfild.
'
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�2rInsert A: New Opening
We gather at the last presidential inauguration of the 20th century* and we em, pom the
height of this place and this moment, tiarialj&Matrfitfs^MttMfe- O
are blessed with peace and prosperity,
tmro3t,\hifl is no ordinary time. TluS is a precious moment of rare opportunity. A moment to
build an Age of Possibility in a future even brighter than our brilhant pasU where more people
than ever before can make the most of their own hves^We must not let this moment slip our
grasp.
Today, let us declare with one voice: As the great American triumph of the 20th Century
draws to its close, the time to prepare for the 21st Century is upon us.jJpsHw build at the end of
<t\jJ
A
l^0ua.UXiJL4ai3aA.tU«ur
one American century, so our children may thrive in the next^In our hands rests the eternal
promise of America.
�DRAFT 1/17/97 4:30p.in.
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
January 20,1997
We gather at the last presidential inauguration of the 20th century^actly 200 years after
?
fGeorge Washington said farewell to this office and his fellow citizens, having launched theGreat,
Experiment that has brought us to this time and place.
J
Wo gather at this moment of conaccration and Mrfrriicntiftn^rccall-thc greatness of cwr
past, understand the-progicss uf uur piesenl and chaii om tumse fui Ihe fliture.
America was bom in the 18th century out of the bold conviction that all of us are created
equal, endowed by God with inalienable rights: Life; liberty; the pursuit of happiness ~ and that
those rights could be mmae&ky realized only byfreepeople working together to form a more
perfect union.
In the 19th century, our nation spread across the continent, preserved the union and
abolished the scourge of slavery. Then, it exploded onto the world stage, wj^n, in turmoil and ' ^
in HnJ, fill! 20" ui.fr
OA
u
triumph, wo made tliia the Amciiumi ocntupy.
0
What a century it has been. America became the world's mightiest industrial power; won
�two worid wars i£fiinnti tliTnnnir and a long cold war againot iimihmnninm; advanced peace and
prosperity throughout the world, and time and again, reached out a helping hand to milhons
across the globe who ab^longed for the blessings of liberty.
At home, our people built the great American middle class; lifted the elderly out of
poverty; provided health care and nutrition to poor children; began to restore and preserve our
environment; dramatically improved pubhc health; provided public education to all our children^
snd built the world's greatest system of universities; brought breathtaking advances in science,
technology and the arts; explored the heavens; abuliihid legal bnniorp for African-Americans and
other minorities'and extended the circle of citizenship, opportunity and dignity to women.
Thirty-four years ago, the towering spirit whose life we celebrate today spoke to us on
this very mall in words thaiNmered the conscience of the nation, tc^gld UJ of Ho dream •• deeply
i
rooted in thu Anici'ienn CTream "ihnl out day lliia naliunj^ilWiGe up and hve out the true!
itytit
J
meming ef ito erc&O! we hold thc^jwilHATuue self c vidua, lhat all men aro oreated oqual."
Too soon thereafter, Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his life so that his fellow Americans
might live his dream.
USJJ^. U L tVu, k^xjJthj^&XSlAx^.
Mo
His story is the story of America, of the constant dream-driven striving to live out our true
creed. Our future has ever been built on such dreams and labors. Dreams and labors made this
g
ofyreafesr iflr our ceuit+ry >
hundred years the Amorican Century^Mid it is out of dreams and labors that we will build our new
*
�Age of Possibility in the 21st Century.
Already, we can see i^rfine lines^tf thai ULW Lciauiiy--^in the new ways we woric and hve
t
and relate to one another. Four years ago, the World Wide Web was the mystical province of
physicists; today it is a commonplace encyclopedia for milhons of schoolchildren. Scientists are
decoding the blueprint of human life. Cures for our greatest maladies seem close at hand.
Vtork has shiftedfromfarm, to factories, to computers; tomorrow, our children will work in jobs
that have not been invented, in enterprises not yet imagined.
•
The world is no longer divided into twoEffmi camps wilh tin, uipabity to destroy each
other. For the first time in history, more people are living under democracy than dictatorship.
Growing connections of commerce and culture give us a chance to lift the fortunes and spirits of
people everywhere.
Mrgr..
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^
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"-hrterbh o j f f t
Just four years ago, our march to this new future seemed less certain than today. Then, we
d JUjJJuu^lUiJr'v^ /^M*^A.S UJJAJJJEUU ^^^MrV» ,
1A
vowed to change our course, to force the spring,'to renew eur nation — secure in the Knowledge
thttt-wtul was wrong with Amerioa oould bo cured by what is right with America.
tc stands
Slnce that day, by the otands-wc havo taken, the battles wo have waged, the achicvemonts
wo havo made, the renewal of America has begun.
(Mj have reJucefJ
on^he
Once again, America stands strong as the world's indispensable nation. nuclear threat
�[sAHe- TMOOHT .OAJ P ( 1 € \ / M PAG e l
.
hao been reduced, eunimtwit ainun^ iialiaiu \\m htm tXpandcd lo muid luety Andfromthe
snows of Bosnia, to the sands of the Middle East, to the cobblestone streets ofBelfast, to the
shores of Haiti, those who love peace andfreedomlook to America for inspiration and support.
Once again, America's economy is the strongest on earth, with new jobs for our people,
discipline in our budget and investment in our future.
—
Once again, we hove put family and faith and community/at the center of our concerns dLj UJuM
—•yfraiuilin ail mililving aupport in thoif offorto te ouooood at heme and at worle, and in raising
childrei^in a culture too often at odds with their values. Our most urgent social problems — crime,
it poverty, welfare, inequality among working people ~ all are bending to our efforts^^
,
l
nrHng fn^"^'- t""rH n ^ • ru i*ir?rirn n iimiiiiiil
•
r
fi imiirii in
1
mutual rospecLexalting citizen service^ standing against the use of race, religion and pohtics to
sow hatred and threaten our unionVeMemaa llmsu V I fbl^ij dUSLiuy the livoo and hopec of •
U'
V
uiiliiuiuaiuuudiiiKwuiid. ->-^
^
oerrat^va.
And once again, we have resolved for our time the age eld debate of theroleof
fTttnj put ft. dnm/UiLhU y^mft
government in our oommon ondoavors, nie^ng boyqgdjthe^nipeth|^l^o^h^that
•our progress. Today we can declare: Government is not the problem. Government is
not the solution. We, the American people, are the solution. We have inotitutod govommont of tho
1—ijiiu'iiji 1 j
1
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p""p»y aa one aeqna by which, tagnther, we can meet the
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challenges of eaeh-new
fl/fr
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^ / i ^ e , oo our ^o^mv^J'
Though wo onjoy pffarp nmLprosperity, though we ar"frpf"
f
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tun, in nn nrriinniy^imr [Tiinnnln taught in, ivhtm run i J I i. nrr^ rrr mint Ihinli .mc w und ml
'anew.]
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lewigovemment for a new century. A government ttofris smaUe^and does
more with less. Nufftguvumuenl antgwk UllUUgll to try tu sulve um problcmu fui uu, but a—^
*^ge¥cmmont strong enough to give us the teolo tajntdm the must .of our own livec [or to solve our
problems for ourselves^ Where it can stand up for our values and interests in the world, m where
t
it can stand up for the values and interests of otdinoi^Americans at home, giving them the power
to make a real diflference in their everyday hves, then our government should do more, not less.
Beyond that chance, my fellow citizens, the future is up to you
new responsibihtyfora new cenftiry. Ailci uw- CuiiAtiluliuiimM
y-r
• kMi,i\ i^
u ifir\ ii^Di i rripu t ^ H -
-^'^
asked what had been ueated. Ho roplifld^ffepBblio, if you can keep.it
MU
4
'For more than 200 years, Americans have kept our repubhc, miinliii|_ i miii whullnitgi, liu UUUnui^
1
1
niovinti toward a more porfoct unien./Qui troublcaHiavt LUIIIL uidj whui tm deilied our
shortcomingsm rested on our laurels, in™ ?r^ \ .A ^
nrm nB
,^ii ^ ,
TPt
Business and community leaders must provide jobs for those on welfare. Parents and
�teachers must demand the toughest standards for our schools. Young people must study hard,
stay out of trouble and leam the joy of serving others. Famihes, neighbors, communities, must
band tugwtlwi io help parents bring values, discipline and hope to our children.
Qjotiu^^Jvui**
Each and every one of us, in our own way, must assume responsibihty — not just for
ourselves and our famihes, but for our neighborsJiS^our nation^flQaAia^j^N^P^^BfeiK-
Abovoiftll, wo need a new tmttrm community for a new century. VtEBBBBSta&m
otimroe not tho ohollongcijaf one pcraon^ oiiiLfnnul)i, nuifelibuihuud, unu iliji, um um tiurs
f m
Osvouuxi^Ayftx ri i,-Qj^>'^^»'*'«-»^' ^rrlrm ' ' " ( ' * " T " - " - '"Tftj1aiiX*i i,
•are the ohallongiD of ah ontira nation, and we muct moot thom mi one Amciiia. {Teg Iwo, the
1
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u
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p yi and nn Ampri^" °i^..n i,,.
n.i.riiuiij.u m ^luy i.... n^j.;^ j
J ' l n (iiiiitmiirfBfrlhT III'I i i i r " ! !^ nmytiuMVrtfB/iim
w
1 1
our rich texture of racial
^
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^
g
--
^
fyiZjt
j
*^>£r/i^M'
diversity, dcipljihcld
Ux.
religious oonviottona and widely dtffereiu political phtlosophieB ore Godsend* for the 21st Century
world. Great rewards will come to those who can live together, leam together, work togetherj^Wfe a^tt H
cannot give in to the dark impulses that lurk in the far regions of the soul everywhere. They have ^ J ^
engulfed the lives of milhons around the world. They have nearly destroyed us in the past. They
M-JUrtV.
havo raised their heads-again in and present. They will tempt us againthem^ftotUf**US^—
ouminbn the generosity of spirit the strength pf characteagto repress in the futura^We must
men the g
<
Th^^dde of race has been our constant curse. Hatred, cloaked in the pretense of
�[religious or political] conviction, is no better. mujl impose no false^toota uf tilinmulup. WFj^
We
must affirm tho surpaaaing strength in our divercity . It wil malco uo richor—and riehof in spirit if"
and the Bill of Rights, you are an American^[Our difTwciiuLA du net dinunijh uo. They must tx
1
i-that strfcWftensnifcf
fcsbead^
With a new government, a new responsibility, a new community, we can [form!
ion] and build a bridge to the world we seek and the America we
^(skMif/Hs -for peace ~ J l /Wr*,,
An America that remains the world's indispensable nation
—
:
S)
2_
^ - — . J ^ . ^ O ^
"isive puwm in^ A *$tu%t tto.
^ promoiinfl poaco, fojtci'ing demoemay, bringing the world together through fair and open
commerce, leading, thcjJEJXl-tU-iinglllltllU lilt! lluual
n f 11
\jg*J3it
;' iii , rVmril and wologiottl¥^oapenn -«•
r
reaping the benefits of leadership because we are willing to shoulder the burdens and pay our way.
. An Amenca that prepares her chUdren with-new skills thir rrill nnd in llir iitrct trontiiry
with world elaas public schools, the highest standards [and the doors of coUege open to all.
An America that puts the knowledge and power of the Information Age-kito the reach not
vUKJJ4UJ»>b^U<>0.
just of the few but of every school^everyWne and every child.
An America that keeps our economy the strongest in the world, yet jeateaslyflnmffiits
air^ water and land.
. •CNNMJUW-*. ldULM>- ^ • ' • y - r T T T ^ T T I I .. . l
r
| ) | M l |
fpnij
L
i
�from /nnnik,
/
shield
An America that pfoteetg our children give^parents the timathey need to bo good
and
An America that maintains the best health care system in the world, mine thn nrnndrn nf *
TPTu^^jftfto&u
reach ife every. r/Vy/c cA*'//'
Iirfiilil I III I H il [IIIIMIIIIII imri mnlrinr mirn nn rhiltl in rrrr Irfl n illimil modinl rf
n
rft
An America that meets its obhgations to our elderly by providing them with secure
retirement and health care and making the changes necessary to preserve those benefits for
generations who follow.
An America where our pohtical system is fair and open, responding to the national
* •
•
•
interest, not narrow interests, oaming the participation and trust of all her citizens.
An Amorica where eveiy pciaun wiU bo judged on only one basis, un hio or hor morits.
^ An America that restores balance to its budget, but never loses the balance of its values.
k
Today I pledge all my strength and every power of my office for the work ahead. Like
you, I eannot do tliis alone. I ask the members of Congress here on this platfornyojoin in that
pledge. The American people, with eyes wide open, returned to office a President of one party
and a Congress of another. Surely they did not do this to advance the pohtics of petty bickering
and personal destruction they plainly deplore. No, they have asked us to debate our differences
8
�honestly, then to work together^iii u npuit ^ i i n l i T
^^MUJUL^O-
u^tv^ AiauOA-.
America demands and deserves big thingsfromus. Nothing big ever camefrombeing
smaU. Let us remember the timeless wisdom of Cardinal Bemadin, just weeks before the end of
his life: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time given to us on acrimony and division." We
nasi n waste the precious gift of this time^
not
Rjv-All of us are on that same journey of life, and our journey, too, will surely come to an end.
But the journey of America must go on. It JUI i l ^ n ill
if n u du uui dulj. [It io our tima to
»-
build.]
And so, my fellow Americans, let us run with patience and a grateful and understanding
heart the race that is before us. With our dreams and labor, let us build our bridge to a new
century ~ wide enough and strong enough to carry all Americans across to the Age of Possibility"*^
A
ina/i>e 0f this »>Gr«e*t /stfo a
i*e COM, JLe prow* o-P-.
A/sfor*
Let those generations whose faces we will never seyay of us here that we led our
beloved land into a new century with the American Dream ahve for all her children. With the
American promise of full citizenship a reahty for all of her people. With America's bright flame of
freedom spreading throughoutythe world.
Ai Uie end ofune
d tho dawn eft
may God "strengthen our
�hands for the good work ahead" ~ and always, always bless our America.
[Alt Ending: And so, my fellow Americans, let us run with patience and a gratefulaifd
understah<Jing heart the race that is before us. With our dreams and labors,Jetus build our bridge
to the century ah^ad ~ a bridge wide enough and strong enough to cafiy all Americans across, a
bridge long enough and^traight enough to reach the time ofjhe Americans whose faces we will
never see. Let us build inone g^eat American century^^so that they may thrive in another.
Then, on another brilhant day, tjjtJ^Wy say of us: We led our beloved land forward with
the American Dream ahve for alljsdr children ~ wkh the American community strong for all our
people ~ with America's brightflameoffreedomspreading throughout the world.
Now, Iptus go forward, certain in the knowledge that God will bless all those who would
build ~ wiU "strengthen our hands for the good work ahead" — and will aTt^ays, always bless our
Api^nca. ]
10
�INSERT AFTER THE COMMUNITY SECTION (or near the end)
FiZ- v B. fZ
We have built the most prosperous nation the world has ever known But as we close out the
milennium that saw civilization emerge from darkness and the century that saw evil's vilest
moment crushed by good's finest hour, let us never forget: The greatest progress we have
made, and have yet to make, is in the human heart.
In America, we hear a higher calling. We will balance the budget, and secure 6UT promisgs^
to this century and the next. But in the end, a nation is judged not by what is/** it^^ooks
but by what lies within its citizens' souls. If you wish to change the world, a thousand armies
are no match for the decency of the human spirit.
�JOHN F. KENNEDY QUOTE
" I am certain that after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, too, will be
remembered not for victories or defeats in battle or in pohtics, but for our contribution to the
human spirit."
�Draft 1/18/97 Midnight
PRESIDENT WILLIAM J. CLINTON
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
U.S. CAPITOL
JANUARY 20,1997
We gather at the last Presidential inauguration of the 20th Century. From
this place and this time,tefrtw-feaolveto build wthe end of thii century^ oolb
giue in <uwww««»*>^B8*iopportunity Uiat Wings
luKt nmhimU tu yv* ut^uiuinuin i t j O T
thrive in
• vrith it a deep rcaponsibUityforthefiiture.We must make this moment
dtt-wghuby thdsA Who will lijUuw-wUrt-Uiis blessed land, (hum Pioo.)] For in our hands rests the
eternal promise of America.
Amenea was bom in the 18th Century out of the bold conviction that we are all created
equal. \ln the 19th century.our nation spread across the continent, pfwvwd the union, and
abolished the scourge of slavery."^hen, in turmoil and triumph, it exploded on the worid stage^T
^Tcmake this the American Century^
Uj^o^
America became the world's mightiest industrial power; won two world wars and a long
cold war against tyranny; and time and again reached out a helping hand to milhons across the
globe who longed for the blessings of liberty.
At home Americans produced&the great middle class; B^wMMMtLsecure old age;
>
^ < ^ atomic energy, the eewpnter, and the space prograni a revolution in
*
�civilrightsand an extended circle of citizenship, opportunity, and dignity for women.
new ways we work and live and relate to one another. Four years ago, the World Wide Web was
the mystical province of physicists; today it is a commonplace encyclopedia for milhons of
schoolchildren. Scientists are decoding the blueprint of human life. Cures for our most feared
illnesses seem close at hand. Already, work has shiftedfromfarm, to factory, to computer;
tomorrow, our children will work in enterprises not yet imagined.
The world is no longer divided into two hostile camps armed to destroy each other. For
thefirsttime in history, more people live under democracy than dictatorship. Growing
connections of commerce and culture give us a chance to lift the fortunes and spirits of people
everywhere.
Just four years ago, our march to this new future seemed less certain than today, it-mw*^
1^.
aftSUcu^-
-koNLuxuj
difficult timo, without a olem cowse. We voweifyo set tint course, in fun p lln inring tn fiinniT *
mir nation.
[Touched by tragedy, strengthened by achievement, exhilarated by the ohollong,* aud
possibilities ahead, we hm^oxac u long way on uui jouiney to ghany Amcrita'j oouiw toftt
�T^gy/^m^ira stands alone as the worid's indispensable nation. Teday, iwmiea'o •
economy is the strongest on earth. T^Jday, we are building stronger families, iifir •limri and a
cleaner environment - ft problems that once seemed destined to deepen now bend to our efforts;
And once again, we have resolved for our time, a great debate over the role of
government. [We have moved beyond old divisiono of the post which puitd falue, miuguided
ehoirf Bforth^-M""' ] Today we can declare: Government is not the problem. Government is not
the solution. We, the American people, are the solution. Self-government is simply the means our
Constitution provides for us to meet our common challenges^ Ils lule must be defined Ui evuy age
by What is uecessaiy to meet those challenges.
As times change, so government must change. We need a new government for a new
century - a government humble enough not to try to solve ail our problems for us, but strong
enough to give us the tools to solve our problems for ourselvesJA government that is smaller and
does more with less Where it can stand up for our values and interests in the world and where it
can give Americans the power to make a real difference in their everyday lives, our government
should do more, not less. In this way, all Americans will have a real opportunity - not a guarantee
-- but ihMaJ opportunity to build better Uves.
Beyond that, my fellow citizens, thefiitureis up to us. Our Founders woUundewtood that
the preservation of our liberty and our union depends upon responsible citizenship.'
�We need a new sense of responsibihty for a new century. There is work to do out there,
V0
)<
cannot do. Tiwn in n streets to be made safe. Thasteare jobs to be created
work that
Sr^eopie tcanwefromwelfare to work; higher standard^for our schools,farSstu^'^your
nhildrrp. ynnnc people AoWktpt off drugs, esmSfenty servicefcyon> aitaens
Each and every one of us, in our own way, must assume responsibihty - not-jwrfor
ourselves and our famihes, but for our neighbors and our nation.
our greatest responsibihty is to embrace a new spirit of community for a new
century. To succeed, we must be one America.
We dare not give in to the dark impuls^fchat lurk in the far regions of the soul
everywhere. They torment the Uves of milhons around the world. They have nearly destroyed us
in the past. They raise their vile heads in the present. They will tempt us again in the future.
Ihe dmde otjgynhasbeen qwRConstan^curse^tllaiiid,cloaked m the pretense of
" ,li<*liiteWneui
religious ocpolitinl rnmitftion, io no better. IS^robbothtt who are hated, and those who
lose
hate, of what they might become. VBh guiuusitji uf jpiiinmU Uiuiglli uf ttw etec^jsarmttst
> c mipuitjoti, oo that all hardworking, law abhliim iiWn mid w m w foul at homp. with
g
u u
TTt
uttJM
h<i
11
1
1
1
" * * r"
' " j " 1 ill yfIhirrtmlr. and mjny tho bliijjuuu uftibcrtir.
i
^xJL aJrljuertxjLi OJ\ tux oujLcfflJON.t. i
Our rich texture of racial, rehgious and pohtical diversity is, i
a Godsend in the 21st
�Century world.j^Great rewards will come to those who can live together, leam together, work
together, change together, create new ties that bind together.
With a new kind of government, a new sense of responsibihty, a new spirit of community,
we can build a bridge to the world we seek and the America we would leave to our children.
w
Let us build an America that remains the world's indispensable nation ~ standing ^'" JIlJjj4
peace andfreedomagainst the dark forces of terror and destruction; loading the effort te ehminatdo^
the threat of nuclear, chemical.and biological weapons; bringing the world together through fair
and open commerc^, reaping tne benems of leadership because we shoulder the burden and pay
our way.
Let us build an America that gives her children new skills for a new economy, with
universal literacy, the highest standards for our schools, the doors of college open to all.
Let us build an America that puts the knowledge and power of the Information Age within
reach of not a few, but of every school, every workplace, every home and every child.
Let us build an America that keeps our economy the strongest in the world, yet jealously
guards its air and water and land.
Let us build an America where everyone who can work does work, and the permanent
4k
�underclass is lifted into a vibrant, growing middle class.
Let us build an America that values the talents of every girl and every boy, and helps men
and women to meet their responsibihties at home and at work.
Let us build an America that shields our childrenfromviolence on our streets, in our
schools, in our homes, and offers them a culture that affirms and teaches timeless values.
Let us build an America that maintains the best health care system in the world, extending
its reach to every child, opening its doors to hard working people shut out today.
Let us build an America that meets its obligations -- by providing our seniors with secure
retirement and health care, and by making the reforms necessary to preserve those benefits for
generations who follow.
Let us build an America where our pohtical system is fair and open, responding to the
national interest, not the narrow interests, increasing the participation and earning the trust of all
her citizens.
Let us build an America that restores balance to its budget, but never loses the balance of
its values.
�Let us build an America that is always moving toward its promise of a more perfect union.
Thirty-four years ago, the man whose life we celebrate today spoke to usfromthe other
end of this mall, in words that quickened the conscience of a nation. Like a prophet of old, he
told of his dream, that one day America would rise up and treat all its citizens as equals before the
law and in the heart. Martin Luther King's dream was the American Dream. His story is
America's story , the constant striving to live out our true creed. Our history has been built on
\
such dreamsandi^jors. And it is out of dreams and labors that we will redeem the promise of
\
America in the 21 st Century.
^
WP haw huilland_wiU continue to buikTthemost prosperousandjogccfiil- nation-the
woit±iTa3^vc7knowH? But let us never forget: the greatest progress we have made, and have yet
to make, is in the human heart. In the end, all the world's wealth and a thousand armies are no
match for the strength and decency of the human spirit.
t, I pledge all my strength and every power of my officefortho worl
I ask
the members of Congress here to join in that pledge. The American people returned to office a
President of one party and a Congress of another. Surely they did not do this to advance the
pohtics of petty bickering and extreme partisanship they pjainly deplore. No, thgrwy^uB to
roftonodo our diflferonocs and work tugetliu fm ilicmjy
[They have called upon ua to repair the bleach and tu icstore-our i
�America demands and deserves big thingsfromus. Nothing big ever camefrombeing
smaU. Let us remember the wisdom of Cardinal Bemadin, juiTwcetto befefe the end of his life:
"It is wrong to waste the precious gift of time given to us on acrimony and division."
We must not waste the precious gift of this time. For all of us are on that same journey of
life, and our journey, too, will surely come to an end. But the journey of America must go on.
And so, my fellow Americans, with patience, gratitude, and dedication, let us shape the
hope of this moaMnt into 4 history of which we can be proud. Let us build our bridge, wide and
strong enough to carry all Americans across to a new American century.
May those generations whose faces we will never see, whose names we will never know,
say of us here that we led our beloved land into a new century with the American Dream alive for
all her children. With the American promise of a more perfect union a reahty for all her people.
With America's brightflameoffreedomspreading throughout all the world.
May God "strengthen our hands for the good work ahead" -- and always, always bless our
America.
�INSERTS
��01/13/97 3:15 PM
Over the last four years, we've seen the glimmer of the wonders the 21st century can bring. For
the first time in history, more people across the globe are living under democracy than
dictatorship. Scientists are decoding the blueprint of human life ~ with tremendous implications
for improving human health. An information revolution, sparked by a chip the size of a dime,
allows billions of dollars to cross the globe at the speed of light... and children in their classrooms
to explore the world of ideas by logging on to the Internet. 100 years ago, our forbears worked
on farms; 50 years ago in factories. Tomorrow, our children will work in jobs that have not been
invented, in enterprises we cannot even imagine.
This progress has given us great opportunities, but we also have seen its darker side. Ancient
threats like ethnic and religious hatreds have taken on new and dangerous dimensions. Modern
technology makes old demons evenfiercer- such as rogue states, terrorists, drug traffickers, and
organized criminals, who exploit the very openess we cherish, while seeking increasingly lethal
means to murder and destroy.
In this new age of tremendous promise ~ but also peril ~ blah blah blah.
*****
An America that has the world's strongest defense ~ and defends most stronglyfreedom'sflag
around the world; that draws on the power of our own diversity to help others beyond our
borders who seek to bridge their own divides; that keeps our children safe from terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction; that opens markets and widens trade; that upholds our
responsibilities in the community of nations by meeting our obligations to the United Nations.
Our destiny is tied to the rest of the world, but we remain the indispensable nation. We will not
walk away from 50 years of success. We will shape a more peaceful and prosperous world for the
21st century and beyond.
Version #2:
And a world of democracies that work together to meet our common challenges ~ where children
fear no war and terrorists find no sanctuary; where rights are protected and diversity is respected;
where open markets and open trade expand the frontiers of prosperity; where the talents and
energies of humankind can flourish in a climate of lasting peace. This is a world America, and
America alone, has the strength to inspire and to lead. We are the nation others turn to and trust - for the example of our power and the power of our example. But to build that world, and reap
the benefits of leadership, we must uphold the burdens of leadership ~ standing at the vanguard in
the struggle against new threats, meeting our obligations in the community of nations, maintaining
the strongest defense in the world, and safeguarding freedom's flame.
�GOVERNMENT INSERT
In this century, our government helped America achieve great things. Being old no longer
means being poor; our environment is no longer left to take care of itself; a public education
is nowtfiebirthright of every citizen. Those ideals changed America and enrich us still.
Now we face new challenges, as sweeping as any we have faced before, and the old
arrangements will not do.
We need a new government for a new century. At last, over the past four years, we have laid
to rest the old competing notions that government should do everything on the one hand or
nothing on the other. The course for our time is clear: Government has norightto try
solving all our problems for us; it has a responsibility to give us the tools to solve our
problems for ourselves.
A new government for a new century must be smaller, cheaper, less centralized and less
bureaucratic. But it is not enough to shrink the government. We must give it a purpose. It
is time to change Ihe relationship between the people and their government -- to put more
opportunity in die hands of individuals, and demand more responsibility in return. Where it
can stand up for the values and interests of ordinary Americans and make a real difference in
their everyday lives, this new government should do more, not less. Keeping the streets safe
from gangs and drugs. Preserving the environment God gave us. Arming parents to protect
their children from harmful outside influences. Challenging every student with higher
standards and expectations. If our government shrinks from these great challenges, our nation
cannot grow.
�Jan. 9 '97 22:10
1234 KONICfl FAX 150
This day, in the service of you, my fellow Americans, and in the presences
of Almighty God, I have sworn a solemn oath. I have renewed my pledge to
be the trustee of our common dreams. But the meaning of this oath, which
is as old as our history, is not mine alone to affirm. Every one among you
shares in this solemn compact -- to preserve, protect, and defend the
ideals upon which this nation was founded. The promise of America rests
in ajl of our hands.
Four years ago, we gathered together in hope - just as we do today. But
our hope was overshadowed by the recent memory of division, a sense of
aimlessness, even, for too many of us, a mood of despair. At that time,
America seemed to be edging toward the new century with reluctant
steps. Our people wondered if their was truly a place for them in the
changing economy, the unfamiliar world that was taking shape before
their very eyes. Even as history entered a new phase, many of us wondered
whether the sun was setting on the days of America's greatness.
But together, in the days that followed, we found our American stride. For
we called again on our most fundamental values. For 220 years, 5 values
have defined America: Freedom; equality; opportunity; the belief that the
future must be better than the past; and the certainty that each of us has
a duty to make it so. We have not always realized these values perfectly.
But American history is the record of a nation's steady effort to be as
good as the best of its beliefs. Whether in settling the frontier, our
building our great cities...through civil war and world war...in times of
promise and of peril alike - these ideals have sustained us. So, knowing
that, 4 years ago we had the courage to return to the wellspring of our
greatness.
So, our hope then became faith; and our faith then became action. And now,
by the stands we have taken, the battles we have waged, the record we
have built, we have indeed begun to renew America.
As a result of our commitment, after long years in which our most urgent
social problems seemed only to worsen, the American people have
patiently begun to mend the social fabric. Crime, welfare dependency,
poverty, inequality — all these evils are on the wane. More families are
staying togather. Fewer children are bearing children, [need one morel We
have begun to restore faith in our nation because we have begun to restore
faith in ourselves.
�Jan. 9 '97 23*12
1234 KONICP FAX 150
America's economy is once again an engine of opportunity. We have pulled
down our deficit. We have raised up the levels of our prosperity. And our
economy is the strongest on Earth.
Where once the ground seemed to shift beneath our feet, we have now
found a new center - and that center can hold. We have forged a new
vision by shaping a new consensus - one that is anchored in our oldest
values, but aimed at our newest challebnges: to realize the promise of
America.
And, finally, America once again stands strong in its proper role as the
world's indispensable nation. From the snows of Bosnia to the sands of
the Middle East to the cobblestone streets of Belfast, those who love
peace look first to America for their hope. And because of our leadership,
for the first time in history more citizens of the Earth are living under
democracy than dictatorship.
At the dawn of a new century, we now stand certain of ourselves and
ready. These are extraordinary times now that we are harnessing the
potential of their forces, rather than waiting at their mercy. We are
looking at a rebirth of American knowledge and ingenuity. The very store
of our wisdom doubles and redoubles before our eyes. A computer chip as
small as a thumbnail sparks and information revolution. Scientists unlock
the mysteries of life. Whereas a century ago our forebears worked on
farms, and 50 years ago in factories, our children tomorrow will work in
jobs that have not yet been invented and in enterprises we cannot yet
imagine.
But this new time rightly summons a new approach to our challenges. The
government that we Americans built over the last century achieved great
things, [rest of graph as is]...served us well.
But their time is done. Now, we must resolve that government cannot -and must never again try -- to do for Americans what only Americans can
do for ourselves. Let us change forever the relationship between the
people and their government, for the strenght of our country depends upon
the spriti of responsibility of our people. Let us never forget: The best of
America was not brought forth by promises to us, but by challenges of us.
[Challenges put to us; not promises made to us - trying to unpack this
line.]
P 1
.
�Jan. 9 '97 22:13
1234 KONICP FPX 150
While government must not encroach, it must perform. Our new
government must inist on safe practices and fair play; it must bring out
the tikst in us, not the worst.
[next 3 graphs as Is "We will attempt ...throughout the world, ADD: a light
unto the nations."]
Stet next 4 "I see an America.."
I see an America in which we support parents in their parenthood, and in
which we protect children in their childhood.
stet
I see an America that leads the world not by the example of its power, but
by the power of its example.
stet: This can be our Am in the new century.
The education of our children; the strenthgf of our families, the safety of
our streets; the force of our freedom - these are not the challenges of
one family, one neighborhood, one community, one city - these are the
challenges of one America. Long before we we so diverse, our natiuon's
motto was E Pluribus Unum...stet to "mke real." For in America, the
challenges of one are the challenges of all.
That reaffirmation of unity must extend from our neighborhoods to our
nation's capital, [stet this graph about working together in Washington]
ok thru end
P 2
.
�Children
"We have to take responsibility for the way the young people of this country look at the
world, how they define right and wrong; how they define their dignity. The greatest human
beings who have ever lived in the whole history of humanity were consistently abused by
others, and they were great because they did not lash out. What is this madness that our
children are being taught - that it is all right to take violent action against other people if they
do something you don't like?"
-- National Family Partnership Event, September 13, 1995
"You know, if you go in any classroom in America you see the infinite promise of our
country in a beautiful essay or a difficult math problem solved, or just an act of kindness
from one child to another. And you come face to face with the terrible challenges
confronting this country, in children who are old beyond their years because of what they've
had to endure, too tired or hurt or closed off from each other and the world to leam."
- Quest-American Federation of Teachers, July 28, 1995
"Let's give our children a future. Let us take away their guns and give them books. Let us
overcome their despair and replace it with hope."
- January 24, 1995
Choice
"Our own policy in the United States is that this should be a matter of personal choice, not
public dictation and, as I have said many times, that abortion should be safe, legal, and rare."
—National Academy of Sciences, June 29, 1994
Civility/Discourse
"We need to respect our differences and hear them, but it means instead of having shrill
\
voices of discord, we need a chorus of harmony. In a chorus of harmony you know there are\
lots of differences, but you can hear all the voices."
\
— Georgetown University, July 6, 1995
—
Common Ground
"I have felt in the last several months during my presidency that we often times get so caught
up in the battle of the moment, the heat of the moment — how are you going to answer this
charge, and make that charge, or deal with this difficulty ~ that sometimes we forget that we
are all in this because we are seeking a good that helps all Americans. There must be some
sense of common purpose and common strength...."
- White House Interfaith Breakfast, August 30, 1993
�"It is clear that our common mission, if we want to help people help themselves and
strengthen this country, must be focused on a relentless determination to see that every
American lives up to the fullest of his or her capacities. It is in our common interest."
American Association of Community Colleges, April 24, 1995
"A society is not a collection of people pursuing their individual, economic, and material selfinterests. It is a collection of people who believe that by working together they can raise
better children, have stronger families, have more meaningful lives and have something to
pass onto the generation that comes behind. That also is the purpose of education, and we
need it more than ever today."
-- Dartmouth College Commencement, June 11, 1995
"Finally, we somehow have to recover, each in our own way, a sense of personal stake in the
American community. We have to ask ourselves if we really believe we don't have a person
to waste; if we really think everybody's important; if we really think people who follow our
laws, no matter how different they are from us, should have a place at the American table."
-Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, October 9, 1993
"We have to make a partnership - all the government agencies, all the business folks - but
where there are no families, where there is no order, where there is no hope, where we are
reducing the size of our armed services because we have won the Cold War - who will be
there to give structure, discipline, and love to these children? You must do that. And we
must help you. "
— Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, Memphis, Tennessee,
November 13, 1993
"My fellow Americans, you gave me this job. And we're making progress on the things you
hired me to do. But unless we deal with the ravages of crime and drugs and violence; unless
we recognize that it's due to the breakdown of the family, the community, and the
disappearance of jobs; unless we say some of this cannot be done by government because we
have to reach deep inside to the values, the spirit, the soul and the truth of human nature:
none of the other things we seek to do will ever take us where we need to go."
- Mason Temple Church of God in Christ, Memphis, Tennessee,
November 13, 1993
"My fellow Americans, a tree takes a long time to grow, and wounds take a long time to hea
But we must begin. Those who are lost now belong to God. Some day we will be with
them. But until that happens, their legacy must be our lives."
-- "A Time of Healing" Prayer Service, April 23, 1995
"Our founders wisely selected as our motto, 'E Pluribus Unum,' out of many, one. And
Lincoln said that "A house divided against itself cannot stand." . . . Let us build an American
home for this century, where everyone has a place at the table, and not a single child is left
behind. In this world and the world of tomorrow, we must go forward together or not at all."
— Lincoln Memorial, January 17, 1993
�"Decisions command attention. Crises drive action. But it is only with an overriding sense
of purpose, drawn from their history and their cultures, that great nations canriseabove the
daily tyranny of the urgent to construct their security, to build their prosperity, to advance
their interests, and to reaffirm their values."
-- American Society of Newspaper Editors, Annapolis, Maryland,
April 1, 1993
Crime
"I made a commitment, a promise to put 100,00 more police on our streets, because there is
simply no better crime fighting tool to be found. And I intend to keep that promise."
-- February 11, 1995
"How would we explain it to Martin Luther King if he showed up today and said, yes, we
won the Cold war. Yes, the biggest threat that all of us grew up under, communism and
nuclear war, communism gone, nuclear war receding. Yes, we developed all these miraculous
technologies. Yes, we all have got a VCR in our home. It's interesting. Yes, we get 50
channels on the cable. Yes, without regard to race, if you work hard and play by the rules,
you can get into a service academy or a good college, you'll do just great. How would we
explain to him all these kids getting killed and killing each other? How would we justify the
things that we permit that" no other country in the world would permit? How could we
explain that we gave people the freedom to succeed, and we created conditions in which
millions abuse that freedom to destroy the things that make life worth living and life itself?
We cannot."
- Convocation of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis, November 13, 1993
"... Unless we deal with the ravages of crime and drugs and violence and unless we recognize
that it's due to the breakdown of the family, the community, and the disappearance of jobs,
and unless we say some of this cannot be done by Government, because we have to reach
deep inside to the values, the spirit, the soul, and the truth of human nature, none of the other
things we seek to do will ever take us where we need to go."
- Convocation of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis,
November 13, 1993
"We should not allow in city after city after city our police officers to go to work everyday
knowing that they will walk the mean streets of our cities with people who are better armed
than they are. Because this is the only country in the world where teenagers can have assault
weapons designed only to kill other people, and use them with abandon on the streets of our
cities. We can do better than that."
-- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,
October 12, 1993
�Economy
"Just as our security cannot rest on a hollow army, neither can it rest upon a hollow
economy."
-West Point, May 29, 1993
"We must do what no generation has had to do before. We must invest more in our own
people, in their jobs and in their future, and at the same time cut our massive debt. And we
must do so in a world in which we compete for every opportunity."
-- Inaugural Address, January 20, 1993
"The^enius^f_ourjlemoG^
capable
oLdifficult choices, capable of making the changes jha^each time demands. Through the
miracle of democracy, we are attempting to do just that today, to gain control of our
economic destiny, reduce our terrible budget deficit, invest in our future, and do it in a way
that is fair and that will work."
— Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 4, 1993
"This is a challenging time. It is an interesting time. Nation states have less control over
their own affairs than ever before. They have to cooperate with others to get things done in a
global economy. And yet the forces of the global economy are taking away their autonomy
at home. We in America, if we are going to do our job by our people, we have to face our
problems here and get our collective act together."
- Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, October 9, 1993
Education
"The right standard for America isn't whether we are better than we were, but whether we're
the best in the world. This can not be a Democratic or Republican concern - it must be an
American imperative. We know we have to expect more of our students and our schools.
/
We have to regulate the details less, but hold schools to higher standards and measure
whether our kids are really learning enough to compete and win in the global economy."
--University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, October 12, 1993
"Education is about more than making money and mastering technology, even in the 21st
century. It's about making connections and mastering the complexities of the world. It's
about seeing the world as it is and advancing the cause of human dignity. Money without
purpose leads to an empty life. Technology without compassion and wisdom and a devotion
to truth can lead to nightmares."
-- Dartmouth College Commencement, June 11, 1995
y
�Environment
"All across this country, there is a deep understanding rooted in our religious heritage and
renewed in the spirit of this time that the bounty of nature is not purs to waste. It is a gift
from God that we hold in trust for future generations."
U.S. Botanic Gardens, Washington, D.C, April 21, 1993
"I cannot and I will not compromise any clean water, any clean air, and protection against
toxic waste. The environment cannot protect itself. And if it requires a presidential veto to
protect it, then that's what I'll provide."
-- American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 7, 1995
"I want to see a different approach. I want a government that is limited but effective, that is
lean but not mean, that does what it should do better and simply stops doing things that it
shouldn't be doing in thefirstplace, that protects consumers and workers, the environment,
without burdening business, choking innovation or wasting the money of the American
taxpayers."
- Announcing "Reinventing Environmental Regulation," March 16, 1995
Family
"Families do not eat and breathe political slogans -- they do not. Most families couldn't tell
you for the life of them whether I'm up or down in the polls this week, and they couldn't care
less. They just know whether they're up or down in their real life struggle this week. And
that's what we ought to think about."
- Quest-American Federation of Teachers, July 28, 1995
Freedom
"Avoiding today's problems would be our own generation's appeasements. For just as
~"
freedom has a price, it also has a purpose, and it's name is progress. Today our mission is to
expand freedom's reach forward; to test the full potential of each of our own citizens; to
strengthen our families, our faith and our communities; to fight indifference and intolerance;
to keep our nation strong; and to light the lives of those still dwelling in the darkness of
undemocratic rule. Our parents did that and more; we must do nothing less."
- Colleville-sur-Mer, France, June 6, 1994
"Here at home, this new economy of ours offers much hope and opportunity, yet every
positive development seems to bring with it some jarring dislocation. The global economy
not only rewards the educated, it punishes those without education."
— University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina,
October 12, 1993
/
�Government
"The new rage is to say that the government is the cause of all of our problems, and if only
we had no government, and we'd have no problems. I can tell you, that contradicts evidence,
history and common sense."
-- Hillsborough Community College, March 30, 1995
" I want a leaner, not a meaner government, that's back on the side of hard-working
Americans. A new government for the new economy -- creative,flexible,high quality, low
cost, service oriented -- just like our most innovative private companies."
-- 1995 State of the Union
"This beautiful capital, like every capital since the dawn of civilization, is often a place of
intrigue and calculation. Powerful people maneuver for position and worry endlessly about
who is in and who is out, who is up and who is down, forgetting those people whose toil and
sweat sends us here and pays our way."
-- Inaugural Address, January 20, 1993
Health Care
"Our families will never be secure, our businesses will never be strong, and our government
will never again be fully solvent until we tackle the health care crisis."
- February 17, 1993
Leadership
"Let me ask you to pray for the President that he will have the wisdom to change when he is
wrong, the courage to stay the course when he is right, and somehow, somehow, the grace of
God not to use the power of words at a time in human history when words are more
omnipresent and more powerful than ever before, to divide and to destroy, but instead to
pierce to the truth, to the heart, to the best that is in us all."
- National Prayer Breakfast, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C,
February 2, 1995
Military/Security
"The challenge for your generation is to remember the deeds of those who served before you
and now to build on their work in a new and very different world. The world wars are over.
The Cold War has been won. Now it is our job to win the peace."
- U.S. Naval Academy, May 25, 1994
"I pledge to you that as long as I am President, you and the other men and women in uniform
of this country will continue to be the best trained, the best prepared, the best equipped, and
the strongest supported fighting force in the world."
- U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt, March 12, 1993
�Personal Responsibility
"Our Founders saw themselves in the light of posterity. We can do no less. Anyone who has
ever watched a child's eyes wander into sleep, knows what posterity is. Posterity is the world
to come: the world for whom we hold our ideals, from whom we have bonowed our planet,
and to whom we bear sacred responsibility. We must do what America does best: offer more
opportunity to all and demand more responsibility from all. It is time to break the bad habit
of expecting something for nothing from our Government or from each other. Let us take
more responsibility not only for ourselves and our families but for our communities and our
country."
— Inaugural Address, January 20, 1993
"The government is a partner, but the people, the people realize the possibility of this country
and ensure its continuation from generation to generation."
-Gallaudet University, May 13, 1994
"The future is not an inheritance, it is an opportunity and an obligation. It is something you
have to make in every generation, and it will be your achievement, not only for yourselves
individually but for your generation, for your community, and for the larger community that is
America."
-UCLA, May 20, 1994
"The real American heroes today are the citizens who get up every morning and have the
courage to work hard and play by the rules - the mother who stays up the extra half hour
after a long day's work to read her child a story; the rescue worker who digs with his hands
in the rubble as the building crumbles about him; the neighbor who lives side-by-side with
people different from himself; the government worker who quietly and efficiently labors to
see to it that the programs we depend on are honestly and properly carried out; most of all,
the parent who works long years for modest pay and sacrifices so that his or her children can
have the education that you have had and the chances you are going to have. I ask you never
to forget that."
— Michigan State University Convocation, June 5, 1995
"[There] needs to be a new partnership between Washington and the communities and the
individuals of this country and there needs to be a way of doing business in which we try to
create the conditions in which people can seize opportunity for themselves."
— January 17, 1994
Religion/Civility
"The Constitution protected the free exercise of religion, but prohibited the establishment of
religion. It's a careful balance that's uniquely American. It is the genius of the First
Amendment. It does not, as some people have implied, make us a religion-free country. It
has made us the most religious country in the world."
— Tennessee Performing Arts Center, Nashville, July 10, 1995
�"If people of faith treat issues about which they disagree as nothing more than a cause for a
screaming match, then we also trivialize religion in our country. We undermine the ability to
approach one another with respect and trust and faith. I say that not just to those who
disagree with me on some of the particularly contentious issues, but also to those who agree
with me. Every person in this country who seeks to know and do the will of his or her
creator is entitled to respect for that effort. That is a difficult job. Difficult to know, even
harder to do."
-White House Interfaith Breakfast, August 30, 1993
"There are those who say that values and morals and religions have no place in public
education; I think that is wrong. First of all, the consequences of having no values are not
neutral, the violence in our streets ~ not value neutral. The movies we see aren't value
neutral. Television is not value neutral. Too often we see expressions of human degradation,
immorality, violence, and debasement of the human soul that have more influence and take
more time and occupy more space in the minds of our young people than any of the
influences that are felt at school anyway. Our schools, therefore, must be a barricade against
this kind of degradation. And we can do it without violating the first amendment." - James Madison High School, July 12, 1995
Trade
"The truth of our age is this and must be this: open and competitive commerce will enrich us
a nation. It spurs us to innovate. It forces us to compete. It connects us with new
customers. It promotes global growth without which no rich country can hope to grow
wealthier. It enables our producers who are themselves consumers of services and raw
materials to prosper. And so I say to you in the face of all the pressures to do the reverse,
we must compete, not retreat."
- American University, February 26, 1993
"Today we have the chance to do what our parents did before us. We have the opportunity to
remake the world. For this new era, our national security we now know will be determined
as much by our ability to pull down foreign trade barriers as by our ability to breach distant
ramparts. Once again, we are leading. And in so doing, we are rediscovering a fundamental
truth about ourselves: When we lead, we build security, we build prosperity for our own
people."
- Signing of NAFTA, December 8, 1993
"No country can escape the global economy, and the greatest, largest, most powerful country
in the world cannot escape the global economy. We must lead it in a direction that is
consistent with our values, consistent with our interests, consistent with what is necessary to
keep the American dream alive. That's really what GATT is all about."
--Signing of GATT, December 8, 1994
�Values
"I think that the real trick is how we can keep the basic values that have made our country
great, and take advantage of the modem world with all the things that are different. That has
always been the genius of America - to preserve what is right there in the Constitution, and
to take it throughout history.
It is important for us not to overly romanticize the past, but also to recognize that the present
is changing so fast and people are exposed to so many different things that it is very, very
difficult to build the kind of coherent, character-based society that builds both individual and
social responsibility, and gives people the necessary balance between stability and change that
allows you to live the fullest possible, most rewarding life, and to have a society that is both
growing and vibrant and stable. I think we all recognize that as a sort of central challenge of
this time."
- Character Education, May 20, 1995
"The best social program is a good job."
— American Society of Newspaper Editors, April 1, 1993
"I do not believe we camrepair the basic fabric of society until people who are willing to
work have work. Work organizes life. It gives structure and discipline to life. It gives
meaning and self-esteem to people who are parents. It gives a role model to children."
- Convocation of the Church of God in Christ in Memphis, November 13, 1993
�— Affirmative Action
— Change
— Children
-- Choice
— Civility/Discourse
— Common Ground
— Crime
Economy
— Education
— Environment
— Family
— Freedom
— Global Economy
-- Health Care
— Leadership
— Military/Security
— Religion/Civility
— Trade
— Values
(
�"SPEECH GEMS"
Remarks to the Democratic Leadership Council
December 11,1996
"The ground has shifted beneath our feet ~ but we have clearly created a new center - not the
lukewarm midpoint between overheated liberalism and chilly conservatism, but instead a place
where throughout our history, people of goodwill have tried to forge new approaches to new
challenges; the vital center."
"In this rare moment of fleeting opportunity, we still have work to do, for while the era of big
government is over, the era of big challenges is not."
"Let us spend the next 50 months to prepare America for the next 50 years."
"If we are all willing to serve, we will build a new faith in ourselves."
"My job does not end in Washington, it only begins here."
"Shortly before he died, the late Cardinal Bemadin, who Hillary and I had the privilege to know and
revere, gave a remarkable speech about reconciling the conflicts within the Catholic Church over
great issues in a way that would permit people to disagree honestly to try to preserve reconciliation.
And he said this, knowing that his death was imminent: "It is wrong to waste the precious gift of
time given to us on acrimony and division."
"Anchored by our oldest convictions, strengthened by our newest successes, certain of our national
purpose, let us go forward from that center to build our bridge to the 21st century."
Remarks to Family, Friends, the People of Arkansas, and the People of the U.S.
November 5,1996
"Tonight we proclaim that the vital American center is alive and well. It is the common ground on
which we have made our progress."
Remarks to the Congregation of St. Paul's AME Church
November 3,1996
"[We are all] the masters of our fate, save only in subjugation to our God."
"[We must look] far out into the future and deep into the human heart."
"We have to decide whether we're going to build that bridge on the shifting sands of division or on
the strong walk of common ground."
�'We can't forget what brought us here, because it will take us home."
'Let us remember that here on Earth, God's work must truly be our own."
Radio Address to the Nation
November 2,1996
"The politics of division yields only division and gridlock. The search for common ground yields
solutions and progress and a future worthy of our past. So whether you belong to the party of
Lincoln, the party of Jefferson, whether you're independent or unaffiliated, remember that most of
all you belong to the community of America."
Address to the Democratic National Convention
August 29,1996
"We have to renew our energy to teach this generation of young people the hard, cold truth - drugs
are deadly, drugs are wrong, drugs can cost you your life."
"Let us, in short, do the work that is before us, so that when our time here is over, we will all watch
the sun go down ~ as we all must - and say truly, we have prepared our children for the dawn."
Remarks at 200th Birthday Celebration of Youngstown, Ohio
and 150th Birthday Celebration of Mahoning County, Ohio
July 4,1996
"Opportunity and responsibility, faith and beauty, freedom and responsibility, respect for law and
respect for one another ~ these are the bridges across which we must walk to the 21st century."
"Think of this as you wave your flags. What did those people mean in 1776 when they said, we hold
these truths to be self-evident? What does it mean to believe that we're all equal, that we all have
a right, but not a guarantee to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? What does it mean to say
everybody should have an opportunity, but everyone should provide equal responsibility? What
does it mean to say that we are greater together than we can ever be on our own? These are the
things you must ask."
�Remarks at the Princeton University Commencement
June 4,1996
"Powerful forces are changing forever our jobs, our neighborhoods, the institutions which shape our
lives. Consider this: there's more computer power in a Ford Taurus...than there was in Apollo 11
when Neil Armstrong took it to the moon. Nobody who wasn't a high-energy physicist had even
heard of the World Wide Web when I became President. And now even my cat, Socks, has his own
page. By the time a child bom today is old enough to read, over 100 million people will be on the
Internet."
"For 220 years, the idea of opportunity for all and the freedom to seize it have literally been the
defining elements of America. They were always ideals never perfectly realized, but our history has
always been a steady march of striving to live up to them."
"In 1914, Woodrow Wilson wrote as President, "The future is clear and bright with the promise of
the best things. We are all in the same boat. We shall advance and advance together with a new
spirit." I wish you well, and I pray that you will advance, and advance together with a new spirit."
State of the Union Address
January 23, 1996
"Self-reliance and teamwork are not opposing virtues; we must have both."
"America was built on challenges, not promises. And when we work together to meet them, we
never fail. That is the key to a more perfect Union. Our individual dreams must be realized by our
common efforts."
"Of course, we can't be everywhere. Of course, we can't do everything. But where our interests and
our values are at stake, and where we can make a difference, America must lead."
"Each of us must hold high the torch of citizenship in our own lives. None of us can finish the race
alone. We can only achieve our destiny together ~ one hand, one generation, one American
connecting to another."
"There have always been things we could do together ~ dreams we could make real - which we
could never have done on our own."
"We Americans have forged our identity, our very union, from every point of view and every point
on the planet, every different opinion. But we must be bound together by a faith more powerful than
any doctrine that divides us — by our belief in progress, our love of liberty, and our relentless search
for common ground."
�"America has always sought and always risen to every challenge. Who would say that, having come
so far together, we will not go forward from here? Who would say that this age of possibility is not
for all Americans?"
Remarks to Employees and Community of the Mackie Metal Plant
November 30,1995
"Conflicts long thought impossible to solve are moving along the road to resolution. Once-bitter
foes are clasping hands and changing history. And long-suffering people are moving closer to
normal lives."
'The search for common ground demands the courage of an open mind.'
Remarks to the Democratic Leadership Council
November 13,1995
"It is clear that the responsibility of the United States today is to lead the world away from division;
to show the world that the center can hold; that afreeand diverse people, through democratic means,
can form a lasting union."
"The values we embrace and the things we fight for will shape the future."
"We are now called upon to be faithful to the vision of our founders: The vision that Andrew
Jackson had that true and lasting prosperity rests on equal opportunity for all and special privileges
for none. The wisdom of Abraham Lincoln that a house divided against itself cannot stand. The
wisdom of Theodore Roosevelt that the heritage of America is in no small measure the heritage of
the natural resources and bounty that God gifted us with here in our own land."
"If we have our convictions and we stand for them firmly...if we hold out our hands in cooperation,
but always stand up for what we know is right, this country's future will be even brighter than its
brilliant past."
Address to the Liz Sutherland Carpenter Distinguished Lectureship
in the Humanities and Sciences
October 16,1995
"Differences of opinion rooted in different experiences are healthy, indeed essential, for
democracies. But differences so great and so rooted in race threaten to divide the house Mr. Lincoln
gave his life to save."
�"America, we must clean our house of racism."
"When a child is gunned down on a street in the Bronx, no matter what our race, he is our American
child. When a woman dies from a beating, no matter what our race or hers, she is our American
sister. And every time drugs course through the vein of another child, it clouds the future of all our
American children. Whether we like it or not, we are one nation, one family, indivisible. And for
us, divorce or separation are not options."
"This is a very great country. And we have become great by what we have overcome."
"Today, the house divided exists largely in the minds and hearts of the American people. And it
must be united there in the minds and hearts of our people."
Remarks on Affirmative Action at National Archives
July 19,1995
"The best place of all to hold these words and these principles is the one place in which they can
never fade and never grow old ~ in the stronger chambers of our hearts."
Remarks at Michigan State University Convocation
May 5,1995
"There is nothing patriotic about hating your country, or pretending that you can love your country
but despise your government. There is nothing heroic about turning your back on America, or
ignoring your own responsibilities. If you want to preserve your own freedom, you must stand up
for the freedom of others with whom you disagree."
"Remember what our founding fathers built. Remember the victories won for us in the Cold War
and in World War II. Remember the blood and sweat and triumph that enabled us to come to this,
the greatest moment of possibility in our history."
"Go out and make the most of the potential God has given you. Make the most of the opportunities
andfreedomsAmerica has given to you. Be optimistic; be strong. Make the choices that Theodore
Roosevelt made, that Ernest Green made. Seize your moment. Build a better future. And redeem
once again the promise of America."
�Remarks during "A Time of Healing Prayer Service" in Oklahoma City
April 23, 1995
"Let us teach our children that the God of comfort is also the God of righteousness. Those who
trouble their own house will inherit the wind."
"When there is talk of hatred, let us stand up and talk against it. When there is talk of violence, let
us stand up and talk against it. In the face of death, let us honor life. As St. Paul admonished us,
let us not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
Remarks at U.S. National Cemetery above Omaha Beach
June 7,1994
"For just as freedom has a price, it also has a purpose, and its name is progress."
"Today our mission is to expand freedom's reach forward; to test the full potential of each of our
own citizens; to strengthen our families, our faith and our communities; to fight indifference and
intolerance; to keep our nation strong; and to light the lives of those still dwelling in the darkness
of undemocratic rule."
"We are the children of your sacrifice."
Address to the 86th Annual Holy Convocation of the Church of God in Christ
November 13,1993
" I fought for freedom, [Martin Luther King] would say, but not for the freedom of people to kill each
other with reckless abandon; not for the freedom of children to have children and the fathers of the
children to walk away from them and abandon them as if they don't amount to anything. I fought
for people to have the right to work, but not to have whole communities and people abandoned. This
is not what I lived and died for."
"We have to reach deep inside to the values, the spirit, the soul and the truth of human nature, none
of the other things we seek to do will ever take us where we need to go."
�More from the State of the Union Address
January 23,1996
"All over the world, even after the Cold War, people still look to us and trust us to help them
seek the blessings of peace and freedom. But as the Cold War fades into memory, voices of isolation
say America should retreat from its responsibilities. I say they are wrong.
The threats we face today as Americans respect no nation's borders. Think of them:
terrorism, the spread of weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, drug trafficking, ethnic and
religious hatred, aggression by rogue states, environmental degradation. If we fail to address these
threats today, we will suffer the consequences in all our tomorrows.
Of course, we can't be everywhere. Of course, we can't do everything. But where our
interests and our values are at stake, and where we can make a difference, America must lead. We
must not be isolationist.
We must not be the world's policeman. But we can and should be the world's very best
peacemaker. By keeping our military strong, by using diplomacy where we can and force where we
must, by working with others to share the risk and the cost of our efforts, America is making a
difference for people here and around the world. For the first time since the dawn of the nuclear age,
there is not a single Russian missile pointed at America's children.
North Korea has now frozen its dangerous nuclear weapons program. In Haiti, the dictators
are gone, democracy has a new day, the flow of desperate refugees to our shores has subsided.
Through tougher trade deals for America—over 80 of them—we have opened markets abroad, and
now exports are at an all-time high, growing faster than imports and creating good American jobs.
We stood with those taking risks for peace: In Northern Ireland, where Catholic and
Protestant children now tell their parents, violence must never return. In the Middle East, where
Arabs and Jews who once seemed destined to fight forever now share knowledge and resources, and
even dreams."
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Michael Waldman
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Michael Waldman was Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting from 1995-1999. His responsibilities were writing and editing nearly 2,000 speeches, which included four State of the Union speeches and two Inaugural Addresses. From 1993 -1995 he served as Special Assistant to the President for Policy Coordination.</p>
<p>The collection generally consists of copies of speeches and speech drafts, talking points, memoranda, background material, correspondence, reports, handwritten notes, articles, clippings, and presidential schedules. A large volume of this collection was for the State of the Union speeches. Many of the speech drafts are heavily annotated with additions or deletions. There are a lot of articles and clippings in this collection.</p>
<p>Due to the size of this collection it has been divided into two segments. Use links below for access to the individual segments:<br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+1">Segment One</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+2">Segment Two</a></p>
Creator
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Michael Waldman
Office of Speechwriting
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1993-1999
Identifier
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2006-0469-F
Extent
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Segment One contains 1071 folders in 72 boxes.
Segment Two contains 868 folders in 66 boxes.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
1997 Inaugural - Drafts [3]
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 61
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36404"> Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763296">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0469-F Segment 2
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
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Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
Date of creation of the resource.
6/3/2015
Source
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7763296
42-t-7763296-20060469F-Seg2-061-001-2015