2023
克林顿
总统
第二次
就职
演说
范文
克林顿总统第二次就职演说
名人演讲稿
Myfellowcitizens:
Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmillennium,butontheedgeofabrightnewprospectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.
ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationspreadacrossthecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.
Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americabecametheworld''''smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrannyintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrosstheglobetomillionswho,likeus,longedfortheblessingsofliberty.
Alongtheway,Americansproducedagreatmiddleclassandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;splittheatomandexploredtheheavens;inventedthecomputerandthemicrochip;anddeepenedthewellspringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericansandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizenship,opportunityanddignitytowomen.
Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,tospreadournationfromcoasttocoast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnesstheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,conservation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlesspotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.
Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlesscertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.
Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbytragedy,exhilaratedbychallenge,strengthenedbyachievement.America
standsaloneastheworld''''sindispensablenation.Onceagain,oureconomyisthestrongestonEarth.Onceagain,wearebuildingstrongerfamilies,thrivingcommunities,bettereducationalopportunities,acleanerenvironment.Problemsthatonceseemeddestinedtodeepennowbendtoourefforts:ourstreetsaresaferandrecordnumbersofourfellowcitizenshavemovedfromwelfaretowork.
Andonceagain,wehaveresolvedforourtimeagreatdebateovertheroleofgovernment.Todaywecandeclare:Governmentisnottheproblem,andgovernmentisnotthesolution.We--theAmericanpeople--wearethesolution.(Applause.)Ourfoundersunderstoodthatwellandgaveusademocracystrongenoughtoendureforcenturies,flexibleenoughtofaceourcommonchallengesandadvanceourcommondreamsineachnewday.
Astimeschange,sogovernmentmustchange.Weneedanewgovernmentforanewcentury--humbleenoughnottotrytosolveallourproblemsforus,butstrongenoughtogiveusthetoolstosolveourproblemsforourselves;agovernmentthatissmaller,liveswithinitsmeans,anddoesmorewithless.Yetwhereitcanstandupforourvaluesandinterestsintheworld,andwhereitcangiveAmericansthepowertomakearealdifferenceintheireverydaylives,governmentshoulddomore,notless.ThepreeminentmissionofournewgovernmentistogiveallAmericansanopportunity--notaguarantee,butarealopportunity--tobuildbetterlives.(Applause.)
Beyondthat,myfellowcitizens,thefutureisuptous.Ourfounderstaughtusthatthepreservationofourlibertyandouruniondependsuponresponsiblecitizenship.Andweneedanewsenseofresponsibilityforanewcentury.Thereisworktodo,workthatgovernmentalonecannotdo:teachingchildrentoread;hiringpeopleoffwelfarerolls;comingoutfrombehindlockeddoorsandshutteredwindowstohelpreclaimourstreetsfromdrugsandgangsandcrime;takingtimeoutofourownlivestoserveothers.
Eachandeveryoneofus,inourownway,mustassumepersonalresponsibility--notonlyforourselvesandourfamilies,butforourneighborsandournation.(Applause.)Ourgreatestresponsibilityistoembraceanewspiritofcommunityforanewcentury.Foranyoneofustosucceed,wemustsucceedasone
America.
Thechallengeofourpastremainsthechallengeofourfuture--willwebeonenation,onepeople,withonecommondestiny,ornotWillweallcometogether,orcomeapart
ThedivideofracehasbeenAmerica''''sconstantcurse.Andeachnewwaveofimmigrantsgivesnewtargetstooldprejudices.Prejudiceandcontempt,cloakedinthepretenseofreligiousorpoliticalconvictionarenodifferent.(Applause.)Theseforceshavenearlydestroyedournationinthepast.Theyplagueusstill.Theyfuelthefanaticismofterror.Andtheytormentthelivesofmillionsinfracturednationsallaroundtheworld.
Theseobsessionscrippleboththosewhohateand,ofcourse,thosewhoarehated,robbingbothofwhattheymightbecome.Wecannot,wewillnot,succumbtothedarkimpulsesthatlurkinthefarregionsofthesouleverywhere.Weshallovercomethem.(Applause.)Andweshallreplacethemwiththegenerousspiritofapeoplewhofeelathomewithoneanother.Ourrichtextureofracial,religiousandpoliticaldiversitywillbeaGodsendinthe21stcentury.Greatrewardswillcometoth