    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2003, Book II)]
    [September 23, 2003]
    [Pages 1195-1196]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks at a United States Reception in New York City
    September 23, 2003

        The President. Thank you all very much. Please be seated. [Laughter]
        Audience member. Not everyone has a seat.
        The President. Unless you don't have a chair. [Laughter] For the
    sake of world harmony, I will give a short speech--[laughter]--and then
    we can all go to bed. [Laughter]
        First, I want to thank the American Museum of Natural History for
    their wonderful hospitality. We've got trustees here and the leadership
    of this fantastic place. It's such a wonderful opportunity for
    Laura and me and our delegation to show off one
    of the really fantastic landmarks of New York City. So on behalf of our
    delegation, thanks for your wonderful hospitality. It's a beautiful
    place to have a wonderful reception.
        Laura and I and the Secretary are honored to welcome the Presidents and Prime Ministers
    and Foreign Ministers and U.N. Ambassadors and anybody else who managed
    to sneak in tonight. [Laughter] We're glad you're here. It's been a
    fantastic reception for us, and thank you for coming.
        I really want to say quickly a word about Kofi Annan. I admire his decency and his vision and his compassion
    for our fellow human beings. He's a great leader of the United Nations,
    and we're proud to call him friend.
        Somebody whispered in my ear that Mayor Bloomberg is here. He is the mayor of New York City. Michael is
    the mayor

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    of a great city. On September the 11th, this Nation saw the remarkable
    spirit of the people who live in this city. We'll always remember how
    our fellow citizens who happen to be New Yorkers instantly rallied to
    help their neighbors in need. New York's famous skyline was wounded, but
    its spirit remained steadfast.
        In pursuing the terrorists, we honor the memory of the fallen, and
    we defend civilization itself. I want all the world leaders to remember
    that. In working to alleviate poverty, disease, and human suffering, we
    spread hope to millions, and we undermine the ideologies of resentment
    and hate and terror. The United Nations plays a vital role in all these
    efforts, and all our nations have a duty to advance its founding
    principles of tolerance and freedom and human rights.
        A wing of this building is named for Theodore Roosevelt. He was one
    of my predecessors. He was a warrior for peace who faced the world
    without illusions, and I want to quote what he said. He said, ``If we
    are to be a really great people, we must strive in good faith to play a
    great part in the world. We cannot avoid meeting great issues. All that
    we can determine for ourselves is whether we shall meet them well or
    ill.''
        He was speaking for Americans, but his words are true of every
    people in the world today. We're meeting great issues of security and
    compassion, and we must and we will meet them well.
        Welcome to New York. May God bless you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 8:47 p.m. at the American Museum of Natural
    History. In his remarks, he referred to Secretary-General Kofi Annan of
    the United Nations.