Monday, February 28, 2005
Where Did Spring Go?!?
It was snowing today and while I generally love the snow the later in the year it comes the less i like it. While it is still winter it is getting to that point where it starts to feel more like spring than winter. The forecast is calling for colder temperatures for the next couple of days and then warm up a little later in the week. We'll see what happens.
Thursday, February 24, 2005
Birthdays
Today was my little sister's birthday. She is living in New York state because her husband is in the Army stationed at West Point. They have been there about two years now. He is going for his twenty year pension. At this point I think he has three or four years left. I sent her a card on Tuesday so I'm hoping it got to her by today, but if it's late that's ok too because the one she sent to me was a day late. We had a running joke for two or three years where we would deliberately sent our cards late just so we could send the funny belated cards. I think it started when she sent me a card late one year and we were joking around about it and I joked that I was going to send mine late to get her back, and it kind of snowballed just from there.
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
You Call This Spring?!?
The high temperature for the last week or so has been in the upper 30's and low 40's. Late last night (a couple of hours ago to be exact) it was actually snowing. It was just a dusting though. I guess for the third week of February in Iowa you can't expect 60 degree weather yet. We are actually doing good to get that in April with any regularity.
Sunday, February 20, 2005
What Shapes Your Personality?
Debbie, your personality is shaped by your Logical nature.
Your clear logic makes it easy for you to be direct and reasonable in your thinking and communication. When trying to make sense of an ambiguous situation, you probably prefer to consider facts and past experience over all other approaches. For example, it would not be unusual for you to choose a tried-and-true approach to reasoning over an idealistic one.
Your clear logic makes it easy for you to be direct and reasonable in your thinking and communication. When trying to make sense of an ambiguous situation, you probably prefer to consider facts and past experience over all other approaches. For example, it would not be unusual for you to choose a tried-and-true approach to reasoning over an idealistic one.
Saturday, February 19, 2005
The Influence of Birth Order
Debbie, your position as middle child shows most strongly in your even-tempered nature.
Similar to other middle children, you are probably very stable emotionally which makes people feel at ease around you. In addition, having older and younger siblings taught you how to appreciate diverse points of view. You have learned that the best way to resolve conflict is by remaining calm and open to compromise. Like other middle children, you tend to radiate warmth, affection and maturity. You are likely to display an extraordinary ability to remain composed even in stressful situations.
Birth order influences your relationship with your parents, siblings (if you have them) and how you ultimately learn to interact with the world. It can provide an insightful way to better understand your approach to friendships, romance, and how you meet life's challenges.
Similar to other middle children, you are probably very stable emotionally which makes people feel at ease around you. In addition, having older and younger siblings taught you how to appreciate diverse points of view. You have learned that the best way to resolve conflict is by remaining calm and open to compromise. Like other middle children, you tend to radiate warmth, affection and maturity. You are likely to display an extraordinary ability to remain composed even in stressful situations.
Birth order influences your relationship with your parents, siblings (if you have them) and how you ultimately learn to interact with the world. It can provide an insightful way to better understand your approach to friendships, romance, and how you meet life's challenges.
What's Your Gift For Gab?
Debbie, your gift for gab is Spreading The News!
Move over, Paul Revere, when it comes to getting the word out, you'll gladly take the reins. From celebrity gossip to intellectual debates to what's going on this weekend, your varied interests and contacts mean that your news-feed might cover any number of topics. Simply put, you pay attention to the world around you and it's rare you miss a beat (or a good scoop).
You're all about communicating, and the more conversations you start, secrets you uncover, and trivia you gather, the better. Idle chitchat? Nonsense! Anything that brings people together can only be a good thing. Pass it on!
Move over, Paul Revere, when it comes to getting the word out, you'll gladly take the reins. From celebrity gossip to intellectual debates to what's going on this weekend, your varied interests and contacts mean that your news-feed might cover any number of topics. Simply put, you pay attention to the world around you and it's rare you miss a beat (or a good scoop).
You're all about communicating, and the more conversations you start, secrets you uncover, and trivia you gather, the better. Idle chitchat? Nonsense! Anything that brings people together can only be a good thing. Pass it on!
Friday, February 18, 2005
New Bells And Whistles
On Monday, February 14 I registered with Brevenet.com to get a hit counter for my humble blog because I am curious that way. I have since registered a couple other features, Today in History and Daily Cartoon, but deleted them from the blog because I didn't like they way they fit my space. They were too big, so they were always at the bottom of the page. Right now the only services I am using are the hit counter and the newly added Guest Map. So, if you are reading this please post to my map. I'll be ever so grateful.
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
Spring Is Within Sight
Monday afternoon I was outside with my dog because the temperature was 59 degrees. I saw that the crocus and other early spring flowers were starting to grow. Most of our snow has melted and it was rainy and foggy all day Sunday. The local TV station's web site said the high for Monday would be 47 degrees, which is a nice temperature for the middle of February!
Thursday, February 10, 2005
OneIshy :: Personality Test Results
Your personality is PhlegmaticMelancholy.
Your scores are below
Overall:
Melancholy:13
Phlegmatic:22
Sanguine:3
Choleric:2
Strengths:
Melancholy:6
Phlegmatic:12
Sanguine:2
Choleric:0
Weakneses:
Melancholy:7
Phlegmatic:10
Sanguine:1
Choleric:2
Your scores are below
Overall:
Melancholy:13
Phlegmatic:22
Sanguine:3
Choleric:2
Strengths:
Melancholy:6
Phlegmatic:12
Sanguine:2
Choleric:0
Weakneses:
Melancholy:7
Phlegmatic:10
Sanguine:1
Choleric:2
GUARDIAN. AdvisorTeam
Guardians, are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.
Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.
Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.
Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.
The Four types of Guardians are:
Supervisors (ESTJ) | Protectors (ISFJ) | Inspectors (ISTJ) | Providers (ESFJ)
Guardians can have a lot of fun with their friends, but they are quite serious about their duties and responsibilities. Guardians take pride in being dependable and trustworthy; if there's a job to be done, they can be counted on to put their shoulder to the wheel. Guardians also believe in law and order, and sometimes worry that respect for authority, even a fundamental sense of right and wrong, is being lost. Perhaps this is why Guardians honor customs and traditions so strongly--they are familiar patterns that help bring stability to our modern, fast-paced world.
Practical and down-to-earth, Guardians believe in following the rules and cooperating with others. They are not very comfortable winging it or blazing new trails; working steadily within the system is the Guardian way, for in the long run loyalty, discipline, and teamwork get the job done right. Guardians are meticulous about schedules and have a sharp eye for proper procedures. They are cautious about change, even though they know that change can be healthy for an institution. Better to go slowly, they say, and look before you leap.
Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.
The Four types of Guardians are:
Supervisors (ESTJ) | Protectors (ISFJ) | Inspectors (ISTJ) | Providers (ESFJ)
Sunday, February 06, 2005
What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?
|
Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence |
 You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator. |
What's Your Political Persuasion?
|
You Are a Religious Republican |
 You make up the conservative, Christian, dedicated core of the Republican Party. You believe it's important for religious people to stand up for their beliefs in politics. And for you, this means voting your conscience - which almost always means voting Republican. Your pet causes include the sanctity of life, school vouchers, and prayer in school. |
You Know You're From Iowa When...
|
You Know You're From Iowa When... |
|
Vacation means driving through the Amanas or going to Adventureland Down South to you means Missouri You have no problem spelling or pronouncing "Des Moines" You know the answer to the question, :"Is this Heaven?" You know where all the Yoders live (or Andersons, or Van den Bergs) You know what "hawks" and "clones" are All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or vegetable You can locate Iowa on the map You've ever been on a "Geode Hunt" Your idea of a really great tenderloin is when the meat is twice as big as the bun and is accompanied only by ketchup and a dill pickle slice You say "catty-wampus" instead of "kitty-corner" You've never taken public transportation You have boiled fish in lye for Christmas You know what "uff-da" means and how to use it properly You know what "Amish Country" is The only reason you go to Wisconsin or Missouri is to get fireworks You know exactly where "Field of Dreams" was filmed When someone says they are going out for dinner or supper, you know which meal they are talking about. You listen to "Paul Harvey" every day at noon. You think of the major food groups as deer meat, beer, corn, and soy nuts. You're pulled over and asked by the cop, "Had a little to much to drink, (your first name here)? You own the complete "Dukes of Hazzard" video collection. "Hick" is a style of clothing. You can use the words, 'crik', 'holler', and 'skunk weed' in the same sentence. Your Christmas gift, when you were ten years old was a shotgun (a BB gun if you were a 'townie'). You know someone personally who is involved in meth trade or manufacture. Your idea of a party is throwing cans of WD40 in a campfire while you're drunk. You've been to a rave in a barn. You've had sex in the back of a truck ... amid cows. You know that cows don't sleep standing up. You're concerned about the rates of corn growth in Illinois as compared to that of Iowa's. You listen to Ag Day at 6AM ... two hours after you get up in the morning. You believe that trees in Iowa lean towards Nebraska ... because Nebraska sucks! You know several people who still refer to Japanese cars as "rice-burners." "Styx" plays a concert at the county fair, and people actually show up. You don't get nervous when you walk into a biker bar (unless you're an Iowa City cop). You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Iowa. |
What's Your Element?
|
Your Element Is Air |
 You dislike conflict, and you've been able to rise above the angst of the world. And when things don't go your way, you know they'll blow over quickly. Easygoing, you tend to find joy from the simple things in life. You roll with the punches, and as a result, your life is light and cheerful. You find it easy to adapt to most situations, and you're an open person. With you, what you see is what you get... and people love that! |
What Breed of Cat Are You?
You are a Random cat! Also known as an alley cat
or a mutt. You aren't given to high-falutin'
ways, but you're accessible and popular.
People love you for who you are, not what you
are.
What breed of cat are you?
brought to you by
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
Star Trek: Enterprise Cancelled!
UPN and Paramount Network Television have jointly announced that this will be the final season of Star Trek: Enterprise on UPN. [Production will continue until the end of this season, which will finish shooting in March.] The series finale will air on Friday, May 13, 2005.
The biggest reason this program had low ratings is because it was on a new, small network that was not in a lot of markets. The only way I ever got to see Enterprise is because for the first 2 seasons my local WB station aired it after the WB network programming. For seasons 3 and 4 the episodes were/are taped and shown on the local NBC affiliate on Saturdays at midnight.
This is another ignorant, short-sighted move by network executives. If they would move production to syndication they would have a larger audience but they were trying to launch a new network that has, with the exception of Enterprise, crappy programs. Although having never seen any of them I can't really say that from experience but others have said so.
I just feel a little angry and a lot frustrated.
The biggest reason this program had low ratings is because it was on a new, small network that was not in a lot of markets. The only way I ever got to see Enterprise is because for the first 2 seasons my local WB station aired it after the WB network programming. For seasons 3 and 4 the episodes were/are taped and shown on the local NBC affiliate on Saturdays at midnight.
This is another ignorant, short-sighted move by network executives. If they would move production to syndication they would have a larger audience but they were trying to launch a new network that has, with the exception of Enterprise, crappy programs. Although having never seen any of them I can't really say that from experience but others have said so.
I just feel a little angry and a lot frustrated.
Groundhog Day
Today was Groundhog Day and Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow meaning 6 more weeks of winter.
Georgia's Groundhog Predicts Early Spring
He may not be the country's most famous groundhog, but odds are more people will like his prediction. General Beauregard Lee came out of his miniature mansion in Georgia this Groundhog Day and failed to see his shadow. That means we're in for an early spring. It also contradicts what Punxsutawney Phil said in Pennsylvania. Beau has a remarkable 97 percent accuracy rate. General Beauregard Lee has been serving up springtime forecasts for the past 15 years in Lilburn, GA.
N.J. Groundhog Missing
There's no joy in Hunterdon County, N.J., this Groundhog Day because there's no groundhog.
A four-legged weather prognosticator known as J.B. has been missing from its Franklin Township burrow for almost a year. The disappearance of J.B., which stands for Just Because, has led The Eastern Extension of the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge to disband after 15 years of forecasting with marmots. Members would go to the woods in top hats and white robes every Feb. 2 and thump on the ground with sticks to get J.B. to come out. If the groundhog saw its shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter. Lodge members have been thumping all summer and fall, but J.B. hasn't surfaced. No one knows what happened to the groundhog.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Due to the fact that groundhogs normally live only 2 or 3 years, do you think maybe J. B. is dead? The article doesn't say how long he has been forecasting spring's arrival or how old he was when he started forecasting. There are a lot of unanswered questions here.
Georgia's Groundhog Predicts Early Spring
He may not be the country's most famous groundhog, but odds are more people will like his prediction. General Beauregard Lee came out of his miniature mansion in Georgia this Groundhog Day and failed to see his shadow. That means we're in for an early spring. It also contradicts what Punxsutawney Phil said in Pennsylvania. Beau has a remarkable 97 percent accuracy rate. General Beauregard Lee has been serving up springtime forecasts for the past 15 years in Lilburn, GA.
N.J. Groundhog Missing
There's no joy in Hunterdon County, N.J., this Groundhog Day because there's no groundhog.
A four-legged weather prognosticator known as J.B. has been missing from its Franklin Township burrow for almost a year. The disappearance of J.B., which stands for Just Because, has led The Eastern Extension of the Slumbering Groundhog Lodge to disband after 15 years of forecasting with marmots. Members would go to the woods in top hats and white robes every Feb. 2 and thump on the ground with sticks to get J.B. to come out. If the groundhog saw its shadow, there would be six more weeks of winter. Lodge members have been thumping all summer and fall, but J.B. hasn't surfaced. No one knows what happened to the groundhog.
Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Due to the fact that groundhogs normally live only 2 or 3 years, do you think maybe J. B. is dead? The article doesn't say how long he has been forecasting spring's arrival or how old he was when he started forecasting. There are a lot of unanswered questions here.
Sunday, January 30, 2005
Monday, January 24, 2005
The Blizzard of 2005
My sister, who lives in West Point, NY, called last night and said they had received 2 feet of snow from this storm. On Friday the TV weather people were saying we were going to get a quarter inch of ice and then 3 or 4 inches on top of that. Needless to say, we go9ing nothing from the storm. It went north of us. I think we got a few flurries but nothing else.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Inaugural Address by George W. Bush
What follows is the complete text.
Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:
On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.
At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical – and then there came a day of fire.
We have seen our vulnerability – and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny – prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder – violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.
We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.
America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time.
So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.
The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America’s influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America’s influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom’s cause.
My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America’s resolve, and have found it firm.
We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.
We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America’s belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.
Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty – though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.
Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you. Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.
The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.”
The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.
And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies’ defeat.
Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:
From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well – a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.
A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause – in the quiet work of
intelligence and diplomacy … the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments … the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives – and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.
All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself – and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.
America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home – the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.
In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance – preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.
In America’s ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character – on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before – ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
In America’s ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.
From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?
These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes – and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.
We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner “Freedom Now” – they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.
When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, “It rang as if it meant something.” In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength – tested, but not weary – we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.
May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.
Vice President Cheney, Mr. Chief Justice, President Carter, President Bush, President Clinton, reverend clergy, distinguished guests, fellow citizens:
On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.
At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical – and then there came a day of fire.
We have seen our vulnerability – and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny – prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder – violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.
We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.
America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time.
So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
This is not primarily the task of arms, though we will defend ourselves and our friends by force of arms when necessary. Freedom, by its nature, must be chosen, and defended by citizens, and sustained by the rule of law and the protection of minorities. And when the soul of a nation finally speaks, the institutions that arise may reflect customs and traditions very different from our own. America will not impose our own style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.
The great objective of ending tyranny is the concentrated work of generations. The difficulty of the task is no excuse for avoiding it. America’s influence is not unlimited, but fortunately for the oppressed, America’s influence is considerable, and we will use it confidently in freedom’s cause.
My most solemn duty is to protect this nation and its people against further attacks and emerging threats. Some have unwisely chosen to test America’s resolve, and have found it firm.
We will persistently clarify the choice before every ruler and every nation: The moral choice between oppression, which is always wrong, and freedom, which is eternally right. America will not pretend that jailed dissidents prefer their chains, or that women welcome humiliation and servitude, or that any human being aspires to live at the mercy of bullies.
We will encourage reform in other governments by making clear that success in our relations will require the decent treatment of their own people. America’s belief in human dignity will guide our policies, yet rights must be more than the grudging concessions of dictators; they are secured by free dissent and the participation of the governed. In the long run, there is no justice without freedom, and there can be no human rights without human liberty.
Some, I know, have questioned the global appeal of liberty – though this time in history, four decades defined by the swiftest advance of freedom ever seen, is an odd time for doubt. Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by the power of our ideals. Eventually, the call of freedom comes to every mind and every soul. We do not accept the existence of permanent tyranny because we do not accept the possibility of permanent slavery. Liberty will come to those who love it.
Today, America speaks anew to the peoples of the world:
All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you. Democratic reformers facing repression, prison, or exile can know: America sees you for who you are: the future leaders of your free country.
The rulers of outlaw regimes can know that we still believe as Abraham Lincoln did: “Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves; and, under the rule of a just God, cannot long retain it.”
The leaders of governments with long habits of control need to know: To serve your people you must learn to trust them. Start on this journey of progress and justice, and America will walk at your side.
And all the allies of the United States can know: we honor your friendship, we rely on your counsel, and we depend on your help. Division among free nations is a primary goal of freedom’s enemies. The concerted effort of free nations to promote democracy is a prelude to our enemies’ defeat.
Today, I also speak anew to my fellow citizens:
From all of you, I have asked patience in the hard task of securing America, which you have granted in good measure. Our country has accepted obligations that are difficult to fulfill, and would be dishonorable to abandon. Yet because we have acted in the great liberating tradition of this nation, tens of millions have achieved their freedom. And as hope kindles hope, millions more will find it. By our efforts, we have lit a fire as well – a fire in the minds of men. It warms those who feel its power, it burns those who fight its progress, and one day this untamed fire of freedom will reach the darkest corners of our world.
A few Americans have accepted the hardest duties in this cause – in the quiet work of
intelligence and diplomacy … the idealistic work of helping raise up free governments … the dangerous and necessary work of fighting our enemies. Some have shown their devotion to our country in deaths that honored their whole lives – and we will always honor their names and their sacrifice.
All Americans have witnessed this idealism, and some for the first time. I ask our youngest citizens to believe the evidence of your eyes. You have seen duty and allegiance in the determined faces of our soldiers. You have seen that life is fragile, and evil is real, and courage triumphs. Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself – and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character.
America has need of idealism and courage, because we have essential work at home – the unfinished work of American freedom. In a world moving toward liberty, we are determined to show the meaning and promise of liberty.
In America’s ideal of freedom, citizens find the dignity and security of economic independence, instead of laboring on the edge of subsistence. This is the broader definition of liberty that motivated the Homestead Act, the Social Security Act, and the G.I. Bill of Rights. And now we will extend this vision by reforming great institutions to serve the needs of our time. To give every American a stake in the promise and future of our country, we will bring the highest standards to our schools, and build an ownership society. We will widen the ownership of homes and businesses, retirement savings and health insurance – preparing our people for the challenges of life in a free society. By making every citizen an agent of his or her own destiny, we will give our fellow Americans greater freedom from want and fear, and make our society more prosperous and just and equal.
In America’s ideal of freedom, the public interest depends on private character – on integrity, and tolerance toward others, and the rule of conscience in our own lives. Self-government relies, in the end, on the governing of the self. That edifice of character is built in families, supported by communities with standards, and sustained in our national life by the truths of Sinai, the Sermon on the Mount, the words of the Koran, and the varied faiths of our people. Americans move forward in every generation by reaffirming all that is good and true that came before – ideals of justice and conduct that are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
In America’s ideal of freedom, the exercise of rights is ennobled by service, and mercy, and a heart for the weak. Liberty for all does not mean independence from one another. Our nation relies on men and women who look after a neighbor and surround the lost with love. Americans, at our best, value the life we see in one another, and must always remember that even the unwanted have worth. And our country must abandon all the habits of racism, because we cannot carry the message of freedom and the baggage of bigotry at the same time.
From the perspective of a single day, including this day of dedication, the issues and questions before our country are many. From the viewpoint of centuries, the questions that come to us are narrowed and few. Did our generation advance the cause of freedom? And did our character bring credit to that cause?
These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes – and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.
We go forward with complete confidence in the eventual triumph of freedom. Not because history runs on the wheels of inevitability; it is human choices that move events. Not because we consider ourselves a chosen nation; God moves and chooses as He wills. We have confidence because freedom is the permanent hope of mankind, the hunger in dark places, the longing of the soul. When our Founders declared a new order of the ages; when soldiers died in wave upon wave for a union based on liberty; when citizens marched in peaceful outrage under the banner “Freedom Now” – they were acting on an ancient hope that is meant to be fulfilled. History has an ebb and flow of justice, but history also has a visible direction, set by liberty and the Author of Liberty.
When the Declaration of Independence was first read in public and the Liberty Bell was sounded in celebration, a witness said, “It rang as if it meant something.” In our time it means something still. America, in this young century, proclaims liberty throughout all the world, and to all the inhabitants thereof. Renewed in our strength – tested, but not weary – we are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom.
May God bless you, and may He watch over the United States of America.
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