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EDITORIAL: PRESIDENT BUSH'S SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS

By Gary Wood
     As I write this editorial, it is January 20th. This morning I heard what I think is the greatest speech of our time. President George W. Bush’s second inaugural address laid out a new vision for the way our country will conduct its foreign affairs. Bush’s straight forward vision states our country’s security is dependent on promoting freedom around the world.
     We have always known that our country had lofty ideals of freedom and democracy for ourselves and wished the same for others. President Bush now makes the case that it is our duty to promote freedom and democracy in our own interest. That the greatest threats to our country come from the tyrants that want to deny freedom to their own people, as well as the rest of the world.
     But rather than paraphrase his word let me just quote parts of his speech that Impressed me the most:
     “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.”...
     “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.”...
     “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.”...
     “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.”...
     “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.”...
     “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.”
     It is my opinion that this speech will go down in history as one of the great inaugural addresses. This simple and straight forward address on what America stands for and what we should stand against is one of the great vision statements for our time. It is kind of ironic that his father George H. Bush, our 41st President was criticized for lacking the “vision thing.”
     Great presidents are formed by the important events of their time that test their character. This President Bush has been tested by the events of the last four years, and has shown that he is a man of great character and steady resolve. This speech shows he has a vision for our country and all of humankind.
     I know some will say his goals are too lofty and unattainable. No doubt, his goals will not be met in total, but the human spirit has to be moved by ambitious goals to achieve things of permanent value. President Bush has given us a vision that adds meaning to life and makes us even more proud of what it means to be American.
     With the start of President Bush’s last four years in office, I hope all Americans can put their differences aside and see the value of our President’s vision.