    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1995, Book II)]
    [November 30, 1995]
    [Pages 1813-1815]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Lighting the City Christmas Tree in Belfast
    November 30, 1995

        Thank you very much. To the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress, let me
    begin by saying to all of you, Hillary and I thank you from the bottom
    of our hearts for making us feel so very, very welcome in Belfast and
    Northern Ireland. We thank you, Lord Mayor, for your cooperation and
    your help in making this trip so successful, and we trust that, for all
    of you, we

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    haven't inconvenienced you too much. But this has been a wonderful way
    for us to begin the Christmas holidays.
        Let me also say I understood just what an honor it was to be able to
    turn on this Christmas tree when I realized the competition. [Laughter]
    Now, to become President of the United States you have to undertake some
    considerable competition. But I have never confronted challengers with
    the name recognition, the understanding of the media, and the ability in
    the martial arts of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
        To all of you whose support enabled me to join you tonight and turn
    the Christmas tree on, I give you my heartfelt thanks. I know here in
    Belfast you've been lighting the Christmas tree for more than 20 years.
    But this year must be especially joyous to you, for you are entering
    your second Christmas of peace.
        As I look down these beautiful streets, I think how wonderful it
    will be for people to do their holiday shopping without worry of
    searches or bombs, to visit loved ones on the other side of the border
    without the burden f checkpoints or roadblocks, to enjoy these
    magnificent Christmas lights without any fear of violence. Peace has
    brought real change to your lives.
        Across the ocean, the American people are rejoicing with you. We are
    joined to you by strong ties of community and commerce and culture. Over
    the years, men and women of both traditions have flourished in our
    country and helped America to flourish.
        And today, of course, we are forging new and special bonds.
    Belfast's sister city in the United States, Nashville, Tennessee, was
    proud to send this Christmas tree to friends across the Atlantic. I want
    to thank the most prominent present resident of Nashville, Tennessee,
    Vice President Al Gore, the Mayor, Phil Bredesen, and the United States
    Air Force for getting this big tree all the way across the Atlantic to
    be here with you tonight.
        In this 50th anniversary year of the end of World War II, many
    Americans still remember the warmth the people of Northern Ireland
    showed them when the Army was stationed here under General Eisenhower.
    The people of Belfast named General Eisenhower an honorary burgess of
    the city. He viewed that honor, and I quote, ``as a token of our common
    purpose to work together for a better world.'' That mission endures
    today. We remain Americans, and as people of Northern Ireland, partners
    for security, partners for prosperity, and most important, partners for
    peace.
        Two years ago, at this very spot, tens of thousands of you took part
    in a day for peace, as a response to some of the worst violence Northern
    Ireland had known in recent years. The two morning papers, representing
    both traditions, sponsored a telephone poll for peace that generated
    almost 160,000 calls. In the United States, for my fellow Americans who
    are here, that would be the equivalent to 25 million calls.
        The response left no doubt that all across Northern Ireland the
    desire for peace was becoming a demand. I am honored to announce today
    that those same two newspapers, the Newsletter and the Irish News, have
    established the President's Prize, an annual award to those at the
    grassroots level who have contributed most to peace and reconciliation.
    The honorees will travel to the United States to exchange experiences on
    the issues we share, including community relations and conflict
    resolution. We have a lot to learn from one another. The President's
    Prize will underscore that Northern Ireland's two traditions have a
    common interest in peace.
        As you know, and as the First Lady said, I have received thousands
    of letters from schoolchildren all over your remarkable land telling me
    what peace means to them. They poured in from villages and cities, from
    Catholic and Protestant communities, from mixed schools, primary
    schools, from schools for children with special needs. All the letters
    in their own way were truly wonderful for their honesty, their simple
    wisdom, and their passion. Many of the children showed tremendous pride
    in their homeland, in its beauty, and in its true nature. I congratulate
    the winners. They were wonderful, and I loved hearing their letters.
        But let me tell you about another couple I received. Eleven-year-old
    Keith from Carrickfergus wrote, ``Please tell everyone in America that
    we're not always fighting here and that it's only a small number of
    people who make the trouble.'' Like many of the children, Keith did not
    identify himself as Protestant or Catholic and did not distinguish
    between the sources of the violence.
        So many children told me of loved ones they have lost, of lives
    disrupted and opportunities forsaken and families forced to move. Yet
    they showed remarkable courage and strength and

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    a commitment to overcome the past. As 14-year-old Sharon of County
    Armagh wrote, ``Both sides have been hurt. Both sides must forgive.''
        Despite the extraordinary hardships so many of these children have
    faced, their letters were full of hope and love and humor. To all of you
    who took the time to write me, you've brightened my holiday season with
    your words of faith and courage, and I thank you. To all of you who
    asked me to do what I could do to help peace take root, I pledge you
    America's support. We will stand with you as you take risks for peace.
        And to all of you who have not lost your sense of humor, I say thank
    you. I got a letter from 13-year-old Ryan from Belfast. Now, Ryan, if
    you're out in the crowd tonight, here's the answer to your question. No,
    as far as I know, an alien spacecraft did not crash in Roswell, New
    Mexico, in 1947. [Laughter] And Ryan, if the United States Air Force did
    recover alien bodies, they didn't tell me about it, either, and I want
    to know.
        Ladies and gentlemen, this day that Hillary and I have had here in
    Belfast and in Derry and Londonderry County will long be with us as one
    of the most remarkable days of our lives. I leave you with these
    thoughts. May the Christmas spirit of peace and good will flourish and
    grow in you. May you remember the words of the Lord Mayor, ``This is
    Christmas. We celebrate the world in a new way because of the birth of
    Emmanuel: God with us.'' And when God was with us, he said no words more
    important than these, ``Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
    inherit the Earth.''
        Merry Christmas, and God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at approximately 7:45 p.m. outside Belfast
    City Hall. In his remarks, he referred to Lord Mayor Eric Smyth of
    Belfast and his wife, Frances Smyth.