America's Best Days Are Ahead: President Al Gore's Inaugural Address (Brent Budowsky)

One hundred and eighty-three years ago in this land of the free and home of the brave, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were breathing their last breaths on earth, ready to meet their Maker above.

On that day, July 4, 1826, exactly 50 years to the day of our Declaration, two of our great Americans adjourned from this earth, thinking of each other, with words that echo to every future generation of Americans to follow.

Said Jefferson: Adams lives.

Said Adams: Jefferson lives.

And then they left us, together, on that day.

Only Divine Providence could have conceived of taking them from our America to eternal heaven on that 50th July 4th from the date our independence was declared.

To them, to you, to God Almighty I repeat again the obligation I accepted this noon: to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States every hour, of every day, that I am honored to serve in this special house of this extraordinary place we call America.

America truly is the land of the free and the home of the brave, where tyranny and injustice must never stain our shores, where timidity and fear will never trump the courage and valor that is our legacy from those who fired the shots at Lexington and Concord.

America, one nation, indivisible, where we must always stand together for the values we cherish and commonly believe.

America, with liberty and justice for all.

America, where the king is not the law, and the law is always the king.

America, where we will fight when necessary for our freedom, stand like lions with those who serve, but never surrender our fundamental freedoms under the false flag of fear and never fail in our duty to faithfully execute the laws of our land, or to preserve, protect and defend the very liberties that give meaning and purpose to our American idea.

America, where we lift our sights and shed our blood for the self-evident truth that all men and women are created equal, endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights.

America, where we value our diversity, give back to our community, and are bound by
our patriotism, faith and honor to leave a better world to our children and grandchildren who will follow.

America, where we know that power must be tempered with principle, and that we must bind our wounds and heal the nation.

America, where we must always be prepared to defend our freedoms in war when necessary but must always remember that peacemakers are blessed.

America, where we are all the mothers and fathers of those who serve in uniform, we are all the mothers and fathers of those who are homeless and hungry, we are all the mothers and fathers of those who are wounded by war, poverty, injustice and neglect, and we are all the mothers and fathers of this earth entrusted to our protection by God, as a newborn child is entrusted to the arms of loving parents.

In "Band of Brothers," Captain Richard Winters, who led Easy Company of the 101st Airborne during the invasion of Normandy, is asked by his grandson: "Grandpa, are you a hero?" He replies: "No, but I served in a company of heroes."

Let us rededicate ourselves on this day of inauguration, when one era ends and another
begins, to remember that our country, our community and our neighbors must forever
be a nation that is a company of heroes.

America, where sacrifice is shared, where adversity is met with unity, danger is met
with valor, falsehood is confronted with truth, and success brings betterment to the whole, not merely the parts.

America, a family based on a dream, as old as the first explorers who left a continent of
monarchs whose greatest minds once believed the world was flat, who braved stormy seas and scurvy and were astonished and amazed when their great wide eyes first
caught sight of the tall green trees of this wonderful new world.

America, an idea as new as this morning's sunrise, when sentries stand guard to defend our freedom, and children wake up to attend their first day of school, and the land that exists between the Atlantic and the Pacific remains the stuff that dreams are made of.

America, a company of heroes where service is honored from the battlefield to the homeless shelter, from the Marine Corps to the Peace Corps, from the veterans' centers to the soup kitchens, from basic training to our houses of worship, from law enforcement and firefighters to those who cure the ill, feed the hungry, clothe the needy and educate the children.

To my predecessor, Mr. President, whatever our differences, may God give you good tidings whatever you may do, wherever you may go.

To my fellow Democrats who will lead the new Congress, be principled and be strong but also be generous and wise and extend your hand to those who serve and belong to the other party.

To my opponent in the election and members of his party who will serve in the new Congress, I have included your voice in the high councils of the new administration, and you have my respect, my good will, my good faith and open door and I ask you to extend your hand in return to protect and defend the nation we all love.

If Jefferson were with us today, he would tell us, as he told America when put his hand on the Bible and took the oath we repeat today: We are all Democrats, we are all Republicans.

Let us end the acrimony of our politics and renew the good will of our democracy with two political parties, three branches of government and a spirit of mutual respect bestowed to us by our Founding Fathers.

To my fellow Americans, I promise that I will always aspire to be the president of "we the people," all the people, and I ask that you continue, and redouble, all of your efforts of service, sacrifice and patriotism in this nation where every man and woman can be a hero, in his or her personal way.

To our allies around the world, your voice will always be heard in our highest councils of
government, your interests will always be taken into account, your advice will always be respected and your suggestions will often be followed.

Let us journey together into the future in the spirit of those who triumphed together over fascism, communism and dictatorship. Let us aspire together to a world where all of our people will be safe, where war will someday be no more.

To those around the world who are poor, ill, hungry, destitute or fearful and those in the far corners of the world who hunger for hope and believe in freedom, democracy, social justice and human rights, we say this to you:

America is a good and great land and a beacon of hope for the ages. We are created in the image of God, but we are not God, and there are times we go astray and make mistakes.

We make no claim to be always right; we stake no claim that one form of empire should be substituted for another. We believe in a world of hope, opportunity and justice for all and we extend our hand to all.

In the final analysis, our dream is your dream, our hope is your hope, our children deserve a peace with your children, your children deserve a peace with all children.

When our shores are threatened we will destroy the enemies that threaten us; in a world of danger, we will always be prepared.

But we will always lead the search for peace; we will always extend the hand of hope; we will always put the power of America in the service of ending ancient hatreds, preventing needless wars, banishing genocide from our planet, and ending torture in our world where human rights, and human dignity, are the birthright shared by good and decent people everywhere.

Let us declare to the children of the world:

Our earth is your earth; our future is your future; our world is your world; and our prayer is your prayer. In the end we will save the world together from the ravages that would otherwise someday destroy it; and if we fail, none of us will have ancestors alive
to condemn us.

On this day of American renewal, when one era ends and another begins, let us think anew with Lincoln, and act anew to build a national spirit of great dreams, great expectations and great aspirations.

Together let us lift our land, and light the world, as the beacon that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams dreamed we would be on July 4, 1776, and dreamed we would always remain on July 4, 1826, when they left this earth together, and bequeathed their legacy to us, in this great and magnificent land we call America.

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