2023年克林顿总统第二次就职演说.docx

2023年克林顿总统其次次就职演说 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.Gr