[FDR]: So first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to
fear is fear itself. Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes
needed us to convert retreat into advance. Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a
date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly
and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. A
short time ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and
destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb has more power than 20,000
tons of TNT. The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor,
they have been repaid many-fold. And the end is not yet.
With this bomb, we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in
destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. We have been
compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions.
In the council's of government, we must guard against the acquisition of
unwarranted influence—whether sought or unsought—by the military-industrial
complex.
The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or
democratic process.
I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or
any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion
which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it.
And the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so my fellow
Americans ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your
country.
My fellow citizens of the world,
ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom
of man. And there are even a few who say
that it's true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make
economic progress.
Lasst sie nach Berlin kommen—let them come to Berlin. [Cheering]
All free men—wherever they may live—are citizens of Berlin
and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ich bin ein Berliner.
I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the color about skin, but by the content in their character. I have
a dream today.
Let freedom ring and when it happens,
we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet,
from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all
of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and
Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro
spiritual, "free at last, free at last,
thank God Almighty, we are free at last."
There is no constitutional issue here.
The command of the Constitution is plain. There is no moral issue.
It is wrong,
deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country.
To know war
is to know that there is still madness in this world.
They are poor to be lifted up, and there are cities to be built, and there's a world
to be helped.
Yet, we do what we must.
I'm hopeful—and I will try, best I can, with everything I've got—to end this
battle and to return our sons to their desires.
Yet as long as others will challenge America's security, and test the dearness of our
beliefs with fire and steel, then we must stand or see the promise of two centuries tremble.
All we say to America is be true to what you said on paper. But somewhere I read of the
freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of
the freedom of press. Somewhere I read
that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights.
[Cheering]
And so, just as I say we aren't going to let any dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't
going let any injunction
turn us around.
I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead.
but it really doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop.
[Cheering]
And I don't mind.
Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place.
But I'm not concerned about that now.
I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And
I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land.
I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people
will get to the promised land.
[Cheering.]
So I'm happy tonight, I'm not worried about anything, I'm not fearing any man.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
[Cheering]
I have some very sad news for all of you, and I think sad news for all of our
fellow citizens and people who love peace all over the world, and that is
that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.
Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings,
he died in the cause of that effort. For those of you who are black and are
tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of
such an act against all white people,
I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart
the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed,
but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United
States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond—or go beyond—
these rather difficult times.
My favorite poem—my favorite poet was Aeschylus—he once wrote
'Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart
until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful
grace of God.' What we need in the United States is not division,
what we need in the United States is not hatred,
what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness,
but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another,
a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country,
whether they be white, or whether they be black.
Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my
duty to persevere. To make every possible effort to complete the term of office
to which you elected me. In the past few days however, it has become evident to me
that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to
justify continuing that effort.
Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.
Vice President Ford will be sworn in as president at that hour, in this office.
Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core
over the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger.
We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country.
This is truly a national loss. We've never had a tragedy like this
and perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they,
the Challenger Seven were aware of the dangers and overcame them
and did their jobs brilliantly.
We mourn seven heroes. And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of
America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take off.
I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen
It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery.
It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons.
The future doesn't belong to the faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave.
The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future and we'll continue to follow.
There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would
advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.
General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the
Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.
Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.
Just two hours ago,
allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait
these attacks continue as I speak
ground forces are not engaged this conflict started August second when the
dictator of Iraq invaded a small and helpless neighbor Kuwait a member of the
Arab Lee and a member of the United Nations was crushed its people
brutalized five months ago sediment saying started this cruel war against
Kuwait tonight that battle has been joined this speaker mr. vice president
members of Congress honored guests my fellow Americans we are fortunate to be
alive at this moment in history
never before has our nation enjoyed at once so much prosperity and social
progress with so little internal crisis and so few external threats
never before have we had such a blessing opportunity and therefore such a
profound obligation to build a more perfect union of our founders dreams we
begin the new century with over 20 million new jobs
the fastest economic growth in more than 30 years
the lowest unemployment rates in 30 years the lowest poverty rates in 20
years
the lowest african-american and Hispanic unemployment rates on record the first
back-to-back surpluses and 42 years and next month America will achieve the
longest period of economic growth in our entire history
good evening
just moments ago I spoke with George W Bush and congratulated him on becoming
the 43rd President of the United States and I promised them that I wouldn't
calling back this time
now the US Supreme Court has spoken let there be no doubt while I strongly
disagree with the court's decision I accept it
I accept the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next monday in
the electoral college and tonight for the sake of our unity of the people and
strength of our democracy
I offer my concession
this nation stands with the good people of new york and the jersey and
connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of vs
I can
the rest of the world hears you and the people
and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us
yeah
and all those watching tonight from beyond our shores from Parliament sand
palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the
world are stories are singular but our destiny is shared and a new dawn of
American leadership is at hand
to those to those who would tear the world down
we will defeat you
to those who seek peace and security we support you and to all those who have
wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright tonight we proved once more
that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or
the scale of our wealth but from the enduring power of our ideals
democracy Liberty opportunity and unyielding hope
yeah
that's the true genius of America that America can change our union can be
perfect
what we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve
tomorrow
this election had many firsts and many stories will be told for generations but
one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta
she's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice
heard in this election
except for one thing and Nixon Cooper is a hundred and six years old she was born
just a generation passed slavery a time when there were no cars on the road or
planes in the sky when someone like her could vote for two reasons because she
was a woman and because of the color of her skin and tonight
I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America the
Harding and the hope the struggle and the progress
the times we were told that we can't
and the people who pressed on with that American creed
yes we can at a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed
she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the bailout
yes we can when there was this fair and the Dust Bowl and depression across the
lamb
she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a new deal
new jobs a new sense of common purpose
yes we can when the bombs fell on our Harbor and tyranny threaten the world
she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was
saved
yes we can she was there for the buses in Montgomery the hoses in birmingham a
bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told the people that we
shall overcome
yes we can
a man touch down on the moon
a wall came down in Berlin a world was connected by our own science and
imagination and this year in this election
she touched her finger to a screen and cast her vote because after a hundred
and six years in America through the best of times and the darkest of hours
she knows how America can change yes we can
America we have come so far we have seen so much but there's so much more to do
so tonight let us ask ourselves if our children should live to see the next
century
if my daughter should be so lucky to live as long as an mix and Cooper what
change will they see what progress
what we have made this is our chance to answer that call
this is our moment this is our time to put our people back to work and open
doors of opportunity for our kids to restore prosperity and promote the cause
of peace to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth that
out of many we are one that while we breathe we hope and where we are met
with cynicism and doubt and those who tell us that we can't we will respond
with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people
yes we can thank you God bless you and may God bless the United States of
America
yeah