[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2008, Book II)]
[July 4, 2008]
[Pages 989-992]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]
Remarks at an Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony
in Charlottesville, Virginia
July 4, 2008
The President. Thank you, and happy Fourth of July. I am thrilled to
be here at Monticello. I've never been here before.
[At this point, there was an interruption in the audience.]
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The President. To my fellow citizens-to-be, we believe in free
speech in the United States of America.
And this is a fitting place to celebrate our Nation's independence.
Thomas Jefferson once said he'd rather celebrate the Fourth of July than
his own birthday. For me, it's pretty simple, the Fourth of July weekend
is my birthday weekend.
For some of you, today will be your first Fourth of July as American
citizens. A few moments, you will take part in the 46th annual
Monticello Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony.
When you raise your hands and take the oath, you will complete an
incredible journey. That journey has taken you from many different
countries; it's now made you one people. From this day forward, the
history of the United States will be part of your heritage, the Fourth
of July will be part of your Independence Day, and I will be honored to
call you a fellow American.
I appreciate Alice Handies [Handy],* the
chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, and Dan Jordan, president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. I'm
honored that the Governor of the great
Commonwealth of Virginia would join us, and Anne Horton
[Holton].* Appreciate you being here; Lieutenant
Governor Bill Bolling, the Lieutenant Governor
of the State of Virginia; the Attorney General Bob McDonnell of the State of Virginia is with us; and all local
officials. I appreciate Jim Jones of the U.S.
District Court and other distinguished jurists who are with us today.
Thank you for coming.
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*White House correction.
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[The interruption in the audience continued.]
The President. Seems like I brought a little action with me.
[The interruption in the audience continued.]
The President. Most of all, I'm glad you're here. And we welcome you
and your families, and we're honored to be celebrating with you this
joyous occasion.
You know, long before anyone had ever heard of Crawford, Texas,
Charlottesville, Virginia, was the home to the first western White
House. The majesty of this home is a monument to the genius of Thomas
Jefferson. Every hundreds of years--every year, thousands of visitors
come here. And I think today it's fitting to thank the men and women of
the Thomas Jefferson Foundation for preserving this historic treasure.
You just can't help but marvel at Thomas Jefferson's many
accomplishments. As a scholar, few were better read. He was known to
have read five books at a time on a revolving book stand. Later in life,
he founded a public university that has become one of the Nation's
finest, the University of Virginia.
As a statesman, Thomas Jefferson held all three top posts in the
executive branch. He served as the first Secretary of State, the second
Vice President, and the third President. Not bad for a man who hated
public speaking. [Laughter] It seems Jefferson got away with only
delivering two public speeches during his Presidency. I'm sure a lot of
Americans wish that were the case today. [Laughter]
In a life full of accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson was especially
proud of the Declaration of Independence. Looking back 232 years later,
it's easy to forget how revolutionary Jefferson's draft was.
At the time, some dismissed it as empty rhetoric. They believed the
British Empire would crush the Thirteen Colonies in the field of battle.
And they believed a nation dedicated to liberty could never survive the
world ruled by kings.
Today, we know history had other plans. After many years of war, the
United States won its independence. The principles that Thomas Jefferson
enshrined in the Declaration became the guiding principles of the
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new nation. And in every generation, Americans have rededicated
themselves to the belief that all men are created equal, with a God-
given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to
Americans alone; they belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day
when all people could secure them. On the 50th anniversary of America's
independence, Thomas Jefferson passed away. But before leaving this
world, he explained that the principles of the Declaration of
Independence were universal. In one of the final letters of his life, he
wrote, ``May it be to the world, what I believe it will be--to some
parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all--the signal of
arousing men to burst the chains and to assume the blessings and
security of self-government.''
We honor Jefferson's legacy by aiding the rise of liberty in lands
that do not know the blessings of freedom. And on this Fourth of July,
we pay tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the
United States of America.
We also honor Jefferson's legacy by welcoming newcomers to our land.
And that is what we're here to celebrate today.
Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired
immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. These
immigrants have helped transform 13 small Colonies into a great and
growing nation of more than 300 [million]* people. They've made America
a melting pot of cultures from all across the world. They've made
diversity one of the great strengths of our democracy. And all of us
here today are here to honor and pay tribute to that great notion of
America.
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*White House correction.
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Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail
from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and
races and religions. But you all have one thing in common, and that is a
shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our Nation
together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans.
One man with special appreciation for liberty is Mya Soe from Burma. As a member of the Shan ethnic group, Mya
faced discrimination and oppression at the hands of Burma's military
junta. When he tried to reach local villagers--when he tried to teach
local villagers how to read and write the Shan language, the regime
interrogated him and harassed him. In 2000, he left a life of fear for a
life of freedom. He now works as a painter in the Charlottesville
community. Today we welcome this brave immigrant as a citizen-to-be of
the United States of America.
I'm sure there are other stories like Mya's among
you. But we must remember that the desire for freedom burns inside every
man and woman and child. More than two centuries ago, this desire of
freedom was--had inspired the subjects of a mighty empire to declare
themselves free and independent citizens of a new nation. Today that
same desire for freedom has inspired 72 immigrants from around the world
to become citizens of the greatest nation on Earth, the United States of
America.
I congratulate you. I welcome you. I wish you all a happy Fourth of
July. Thanks for inviting me. May God bless you, and may God continue to
bless the United States of America.
Note: The President spoke at 10:07 a.m. at Monticello. In his remarks,
he referred to Gov. Timothy M. Kaine of Virginia and his wife Anne
Holton.
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