克林顿总统第二次就职演说

克林顿总统第二次就职演说

克林顿总统第二次就职演说

名人演讲稿

Myfellowcitize:

Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmilleium,butontheedgeofabrightnewproectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.

ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationreadacrothecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.

Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americabecametheworld’smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrayintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrotheglobetomilliowho,likeus,longedforthebleingsofliberty.

Alongtheway,Americaproducedagreatmiddleclaandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;littheatomandexploredtheheaveinventedthecomputerandthemicrochianddeepenedthewellringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericaandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizehip,oortunityanddignitytowomen.

Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,toreadournationfromcoasttocoast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnetheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,coervation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlepotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.

Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlecertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.

Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbytragedy,exhilaratedbychallenge,strengthenedbyachievement.America

standsaloneastheworld’sindieablenation.Onceagain,oureconomyisthestrongestonEarth.Onceagain,wearebuildingstrongerfamilies,thrivingcommunities,bettereducationaloortunities,acleanerenvironment.Problemsthatonceseemeddestinedtodeepennowbendtoourefforts:ourstreetsaresaferandrecordnumbersofourfellowcitizehavemovedfromwelfaretowork.

Andonceagain,wehaveresolvedforourtimeagreatdebateovertheroleofgovernment.Todaywecandeclare:Governmentisnottheproblem,andgovernmentisnotthesolution.We--theAmericanpeople--wearethesolution.(Alause.)Ourfoundersunderstoodthatwellandgaveusademocracystrongenoughtoendureforcenturies,flexibleenoughtofaceourcommonchallengesandadvanceourcommondreamsineachnewday.

Astimeschange,sogovernmentmustchange.Weneedanewgovernmentforanewcentury--humbleenoughnottotrytosolveallourproblemsforus,butstrongenoughtogiveusthetoolstosolveourproblemsforourselveagovernmentthatissmaller,liveswithinitsmea,anddoesmorewithle.Yetwhereitcanstandupforourvaluesandinterestsi