    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [December 21, 2002]
    [Pages 2210-2211]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    December 21, 2002

        Good morning. As families across the Nation gather to celebrate
    Christmas, Laura and I want to extend our best
    wishes for the holidays. We hope that this Christmas will be a time of
    happiness in your home and a time of peace in the world.
        In this season, we celebrate with our families and deeply miss loved
    ones who are no longer with us. Thousands of families in our Nation are
    still grieving over the terrible losses that came to them last year on
    September the 11th. We have not forgotten their loss, and we continue to
    pray for their comfort.
        The Christmas season brings a deeper concern for fellow citizens in
    need. Our country is prosperous; yet we must also remember there are
    pockets of despair in America. Some men and women are facing the
    struggles of illness and old age with no one to help them or pray with
    them. Other Americans fight against terrible addictions. Some young men
    have no family but a gang. Some teenage moms are abandoned and alone.
    And some children wonder if anybody loves them.
        We all share a responsibility to help, both through our Government
    and through individual acts of compassion. In this season of giving, I
    hope all Americans will look for opportunities to donate and volunteer
    where the need is greatest. By reaching out to a neighbor in need, we
    make our country a more just and generous place.
        Our entire Nation is also thinking at this time of year of the men
    and women in the military, many of whom will spend Christmas at posts
    and bases far from home. They stand between Americans and grave danger.
    They serve in the cause of peace and freedom. They wear the uniform
    proudly, and we are so proud of them.
        I have met with these idealistic young men and women across America
    and around the world. I know the sacrifices they make, and in every
    place they serve, they can know that they have the love of their
    families and the gratitude of their Nation.
        At this time of year, we appreciate all the blessings that fill our
    lives, especially the great blessing that came on a holy night in
    Bethlehem. The Christmas story speaks to every generation. It is the
    story of a quiet birth in a little town on the margins of an indifferent
    empire; yet that single event set the direction of history and still
    changes millions of lives.
        For over two millennia, Christmas has carried the message that God
    is with us,

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    and because He is with us we can always live in hope. The world we live
    in is very different from the world of ancient Bethlehem. Our need for
    that hope is still unchanged. In all the challenges and dangers of our
    day, we still seek the promise of peace on Earth.
        Thank you for listening, and Merry Christmas.

    Note: The address was recorded at 1:05 p.m. on December 20 in the
    Cabinet Room at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on December
    21. The transcript was made available by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on December 20 but was embargoed for release until the
    broadcast. The Office of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish
    language transcript of this address.