My fellow citizens:
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for
the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our
ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as
well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this
transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The
words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the
still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst
gathering clouds andraging storms. At these moments, America has
carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in
high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the
ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our
nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and
hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and
irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective
failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health
care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings
further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our
adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and
statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of
confidence across our land _ a nagging fear that America's decline
is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are
serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short
span of time. But know this, America _ they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear,
unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances
and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for
far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time
has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm
our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward
that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to
generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free
and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never
been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path
for the faint-hearted _ for those who prefer leisure over work, or
seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the
risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things _ some celebrated but
more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us
up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled
across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured
the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and
Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and
worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better
life. They saw Americaas bigger than the sum of our individual
ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or
faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most
prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less
productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less
inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last
week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished.
But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and
putting off unpleasant decisions _ that time has surely passed.
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and
begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of
the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act _ not
only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We
will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital
lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We willrestore
science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to
raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the
sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our
factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and
universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do.
All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions _ who
suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their
memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has
already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination
is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted
beneath them _ that the stale political arguments that have consumed
us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not
whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works
_ whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, caretheycan afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes,
we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will
end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to
account _ to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in
the light of day _ because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for
good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is
unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful
eye, the market can spin out of control _ and that a nation cannot
prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our
economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross
domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability
to extend opportunity to every willing heart _ not out of charity,
but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we rejectas false the choice between
our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our founding
fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a
charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter
expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the
world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to
all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from
the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born:
know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman,
and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are
ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism
not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and
enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot
protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they
knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security
emanates from the justness ofour cause, the force of our example,
the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles
once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater
effort _ even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.
We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a
hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes,
we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back
the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way
of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to
advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we
say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you
cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a
weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus
_ and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture,drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the
bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that
dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe
that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe
shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common
humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in
ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who
seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West _
know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what
you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and
deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong
side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing
to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to
make your farmsflourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish
starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours
that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford
indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we
consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the
world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with
humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour,
patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to
tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper
through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians
of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a
willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
And yet, at this moment _ a moment that will define a generation _
it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimatelythe faithand determination of the American people upon which this
nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the
levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their
hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our
darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway
filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a
child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet
them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends _
hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and
curiosity, loyalty and patriotism _ these things are old. These
things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress
throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these
truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility _
a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to
ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that wedo not
grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge
that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of
our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence _ the knowledge that God
calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed _ why men and
women and children of every race and every faith can join in
celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father
less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local
restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how
far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest
of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on
the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was
advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when theoutcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our
nation ordered these words be read to the people:
``Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of
winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the
city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to
meet (it).''
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and
virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what
storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when
we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not
turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and
God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and
delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of
America.
I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for
the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our
ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as
well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this
transition.
Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The
words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the
still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst
gathering clouds andraging storms. At these moments, America has
carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in
high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the
ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.
So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.
That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our
nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and
hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and
irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective
failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.
Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health
care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings
further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our
adversaries and threaten our planet.
These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and
statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of
confidence across our land _ a nagging fear that America's decline
is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.
Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are
serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short
span of time. But know this, America _ they will be met.
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear,
unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances
and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for
far too long have strangled our politics.
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time
has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm
our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward
that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to
generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free
and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that
greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never
been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path
for the faint-hearted _ for those who prefer leisure over work, or
seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the
risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things _ some celebrated but
more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us
up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled
across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured
the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and
Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and
worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better
life. They saw Americaas bigger than the sum of our individual
ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or
faction.
This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most
prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less
productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less
inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last
week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished.
But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and
putting off unpleasant decisions _ that time has surely passed.
Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and
begin again the work of remaking America.
For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of
the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act _ not
only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We
will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital
lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We willrestore
science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to
raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the
sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our
factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and
universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do.
All this we will do.
Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions _ who
suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their
memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has
already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination
is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted
beneath them _ that the stale political arguments that have consumed
us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not
whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works
_ whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, caretheycan afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes,
we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will
end. Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to
account _ to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in
the light of day _ because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.
Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for
good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is
unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful
eye, the market can spin out of control _ and that a nation cannot
prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our
economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross
domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability
to extend opportunity to every willing heart _ not out of charity,
but because it is the surest route to our common good.
As for our common defense, we rejectas false the choice between
our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers ... our founding
fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a
charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter
expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the
world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to
all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from
the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born:
know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman,
and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are
ready to lead once more.
Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism
not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and
enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot
protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they
knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security
emanates from the justness ofour cause, the force of our example,
the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.
We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles
once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater
effort _ even greater cooperation and understanding between nations.
We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a
hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes,
we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back
the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way
of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to
advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we
say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you
cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.
For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a
weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus
_ and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture,drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the
bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that
dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe
that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe
shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common
humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in
ushering in a new era of peace.
To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual
interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who
seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West _
know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what
you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and
deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong
side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing
to unclench your fist.
To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to
make your farmsflourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish
starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours
that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford
indifference to the suffering outside our borders; nor can we
consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the
world has changed, and we must change with it.
As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with
humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour,
patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to
tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper
through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians
of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a
willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves.
And yet, at this moment _ a moment that will define a generation _
it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.
For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimatelythe faithand determination of the American people upon which this
nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the
levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their
hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our
darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway
filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a
child, that finally decides our fate.
Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet
them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends _
hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and
curiosity, loyalty and patriotism _ these things are old. These
things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress
throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these
truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility _
a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to
ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that wedo not
grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge
that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of
our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.
This is the price and the promise of citizenship.
This is the source of our confidence _ the knowledge that God
calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.
This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed _ why men and
women and children of every race and every faith can join in
celebration across this magnificent Mall, and why a man whose father
less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local
restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.
So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how
far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest
of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on
the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was
advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when theoutcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our
nation ordered these words be read to the people:
``Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of
winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the
city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to
meet (it).''
America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our
hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and
virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what
storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when
we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not
turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and
God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and
delivered it safely to future generations.
Thank you. God bless you. And God bless the United States of
America.
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