for text of all the presidents' inaugural addresses, click here
Bush's Inaugural AddressThis peaceful transfer of authority is rare in history, yet
common in our country. With a simple oath, we affirm
old traditions, and make new beginnings. As I begin, I
thank President Clinton for his service to our nation.
And I thank Vice President Gore for a contest
conducted with spirit, and ended with grace.I am honored and humbled to stand here, where so
many of America's leaders have come before me, and
so many will follow.We have a place, all of us, in a long story; a story we
continue, but whose end we will not see. It is the story
of a new world that became a friend and liberator of the
old. The story of a slave-holding society that became a
servant of freedom. The story of a power that went into
world to protect but not possess, to defend but not to
conquer. It is the American story; a story of flawed and
fallible people, united across the generations by grand
and enduring ideals.The grandest of these ideals is an unfolding American
promise: that everyone belongs, that everyone
deserves a chance, that no insignificant person was
ever born. Americans are called to enact this promise
in our lives and in our laws. And though our nation has
sometimes halted, and sometimes delayed, we must
follow no other course.Through much of the last century, America's faith in
freedom and democracy was a rock in a raging sea.
Now it is a seed upon the wind, taking root in many
nations. Our democratic faith is more than the creed of
our country, it is the inborn hope of our humanity; an
ideal we carry but do not own, a trust we bear and pass
along. And even after nearly 225 years, we have a long
way yet to travel.While many of our citizens prosper, others doubt the
promise -- even the justice -- of our own country. The
ambitions of some Americans are limited by failing
schools, and hidden prejudice, and the circumstances
of their birth. And sometimes our differences run so
deep, it seems we share a continent, but not a country.We do not accept this, and will not allow it. Our unity,
our union, is the serious work of leaders and citizens
in every generation. And this is my solemn pledge: I
will work to build a single nation of justice and
opportunity.I know this is within our reach, because we are guided
by a power larger than ourselves, Who creates us
equal in His image.And we are confident in principles that unite and lead
us onward.America has never been united by blood or birth or soil.
We are bound by ideals that move us beyond our
backgrounds, lift us above our interests, and teach us
what it means to be citizens. Every child must be taught
these principles. Every citizen must uphold them. And
every immigrant, by embracing these ideals, makes
our country more, not less, American.Today we affirm a new commitment to live out our
nation's promise through civility, courage, compassion
and character.America, at its best, matches a commitment to
principle with a concern for civility. A civil society
demands from each of us good will and respect, fair
dealing and forgiveness.Some seem to believe that our politics can afford to be
petty because, in a time of peace, the stakes of our
debates appear small. But the stakes, for America, are
never small. If our country does not lead the cause of
freedom, it will not be led. If we do not turn the hearts of
children toward knowledge and character, we will lose
their gifts and undermine their idealism. If we permit
our economy to drift and decline, the vulnerable will
suffer most.We must live up to the calling we share. Civility is not a
tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust
over cynicism, of community over chaos. And this
commitment, if we keep it, is a way to shared
accomplishment.America, at its best, is also courageous.
Our national courage has been clear in times of
depression and war, when defeating common
dangers defined our common good. Now we must
choose if the example of our fathers and mothers will
inspire us or condemn us. We must show courage in a
time of blessing, by confronting problems instead of
passing them on to future generations.Together we will reclaim America's schools, before
ignorance and apathy claim more young lives. We will
reform Social Security and Medicare, sparing our
children from struggles we have the power to prevent.
We will reduce taxes, to recover the momentum of our
economy and reward the effort and enterprise of
working Americans. We will build our defenses beyond
challenge, lest weakness invite challenge. We will
confront weapons of mass destruction, so that a new
century is spared new horrors.The enemies of liberty and our country should make no
mistake. America remains engaged in the world, by
history and by choice, shaping a balance of power that
favors freedom. We will defend our allies and our
interests. We will show purpose without arrogance. We
will meet aggression and bad faith with resolve and
strength. And to all nations, we will speak for the
values that gave our nation birth.America, at its best, is compassionate.
In the quiet of American conscience, we know that
deep, persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's
promise. And whatever our views of its cause, we can
agree that children at risk are not at fault.
Abandonment and abuse are not acts of God, they are
failures of love. And the proliferation of prisons,
however necessary, is no substitute for hope and order
in our souls.Where there is suffering, there is duty. Americans in
need are not strangers, they are citizens; not problems,
but priorities; and all of us are diminished when any
are hopeless.Government has great responsibilities, for public
safety and public health, for civil rights and common
schools. Yet compassion is the work of a nation, not
just a government. And some needs and hurts are so
deep they will only respond to a mentor's touch or a
pastor's prayer. Church and charity, synagogue and
mosque, lend our communities their humanity, and
they will have an honored place in our plans and laws.Many in our country do not know the pain of poverty. But
we can listen to those who do. And I can pledge our
nation to a goal: When we see that wounded traveler
on the road to Jericho, we will not pass to the other
side.America, at its best, is a place where personal
responsibility is valued and expected.Encouraging responsibility is not a search for
scapegoats, it is a call to conscience. And though it
requires sacrifice, it brings a deeper fulfillment. We find
the fullness of life, not only in options, but in
commitments. And we find that children and
community are the commitments that set us free.Our public interest depends on private character; on
civic duty and family bonds and basic fairness; on
uncounted, unhonored acts of decency which give
direction to our freedom.Sometimes in life we are called to do great things. But
as a saint of our times has said, every day we are
called to do small things with great love. The most
important tasks of a democracy are done by everyone.I will live and lead by these principles: to advance my
convictions with civility; to pursue the public interest
with courage; to speak for greater justice and
compassion; to call for reponsibility, and try to live it as
well. In all these ways, I will bring the values of our
history to the care of our times.What you do is as important as anything government
does. I ask you to seek a common good beyond your
comfort; to defend needed reforms against easy
attacks; to serve your nation, beginning with your
neighbor. I ask you to be citizens. Citizens, not
spectators. Citizens, not subjects. Responsible
citizens, building communities of service and a nation
of character.Americans are generous and strong and decent, not
because we believe in ourselves, but because we hold
beliefs beyond ourselves. When this spirit of
citizenship is missing, no government program can
replace it. When this spirit is present, no wrong can
stand against it.After the Declaration of Independence was signed,
Virginia statesman John Page wrote to Thomas
Jefferson: "We know the Race is not to the swift nor the
Battle to the Strong. Do you not think an Angel rides in
the Whirlwind and directs this Storm?"Much time has passed since Jefferson arrived for his
inaugural. The years and changes accumulate. But the
themes of this day he would know: our nation's grand
story of courage, and its simple dream of dignity.We are not this story's Author, Who fills time and
eternity with His purpose. Yet His purpose is achieved
in our duty; and duty is fulfilled in service to one
another.Never tiring, never yielding, never finishing, we renew
that purpose today: to make our country more just and
generous; to affirm the dignity of our lives and every life.This work continues. This story goes on. And an angel
still rides in the whirlwind and directs this storm.God bless you, and God bless our country.
Another Point of View on Bush's Inaugural:
Billionaires Light Up to the Next 4 Years of Greater Wealth and Inequality
by Art Killwoodz 9:13pm Mon Jan 22 '01
artandpolitics@yahoo.comBillionaires celebrate and look forward to the next four years of more billions courtesy of our George W!
The victory of the well-bought George W is shared over a good ah (Cuban) cigar. What an investment, millions will bring us billions!
The economy, stocks and dividends may be slowing, but with George W, we can still bring home MORE dollars then ever before! We've been eyeing those billions in surplus. All W has to do is give them to us through his giant tax cut for the rich. And by eliminating the estate tax, we no longer have to hide our wealth or give money to those do-gooder foundations, we can keep it all to ourselves and pass it on to our children! What did you think we mean by family values? Why do you think we believe in genetics?
Why Work? We Inherit!
And well, if the treasury runs out of surpluses from our tax cuts and spending on our Star Wars companies, who else can they borrow from but us billionaires, and with interest! Ah the old days of Reagan and Bush are back again!
Wealth care not health care!
We're here, we're rich, we’re powerful--get used to it!