    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1993, Book II)]
    [December 9, 1993]
    [Pages 2146-2147]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Lighting the National Christmas Tree
    December 9, 1993

        Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to begin my remarks by asking that we
    recognize the years of devotion that Joe Riley has given to this Pageant
    of Peace. Let's give him a big hand. [Applause]
        This has been a wonderful night for Hillary and for Chelsea and for
    me. I thank Sandy Duncan for doing such a wonderful job in her tennis
    shoes; I think she looked sort of graceful limping out there. The DC
    Choral Kaleidoscope was wonderful. And I think Willard Scott is a
    perfect Santa Claus. You know, he will take any excuse to wear hair.
    [Laughter] But he looked beautiful. I'm especially glad to see my
    friends

    [[Page 2147]]

    Charley Pride and Phil Driscoll. I thank them for being here. I thought
    they were terrific, as was the Air Force Band that I'm proud of as the
    President very, very much. Thank you all so much for what you've done.
        In this Pageant of Peace we come together in the spirit of our
    better selves, wishing that somehow, some way, we could feel the way we
    feel tonight and in this Christmas season, every day, all year long. We
    are joined by simple and universal convictions: a shared faith, a shared
    joy, a shared commitment now to follow the directions of our faith, to
    love our neighbors as ourselves, to be grateful for what we have, to
    wish that others had it, and to take some time to give more of ourselves
    to others.
        I ask tonight that all of us, each in our own way, express our
    gratitude to the men and women of our Armed Forces who are overseas in
    this Christmas season, to all those who serve us here in the United
    States, to our families and friends, and to all those to whom we could
    give a little something extra.
        But most of all, because of all the difficulties we have had in the
    United States in these last couple of years, with violence in our own
    land affecting not only adults but more and more of our children, I ask
    tonight, at this Pageant of Peace, that we pray in this Christmas season
    that we be given the wisdom and the courage, the heart, the renewed
    sense of common humanity, to do what we can to bring more peace to the
    streets, the homes, and the hearts of our own people and especially our
    children. That is something that would be perfectly consistent with the
    faith and the life we celebrate tonight, something we could take out of
    this Christmas season that would be the greatest gift we could ever give
    to ourselves, to our children, and to our beloved land.
        Thank you. God bless you all. And now I'd like to ask my family to
    come up and help me to light the Christmas tree.

    Note: The President spoke at 5:50 p.m. on the Ellipse. In his remarks,
    he referred to entertainers Sandy Duncan, Willard Scott, Charley Pride,
    and Phil Driscoll.