[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 7 (Monday, February 18, 2002)]
[Pages 207-208]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks at a State of Utah Olympic Reception in Salt Lake City, Utah

February 8, 2002

    Thank you. Well, Mike, thank you very much. That's a powerful 
introduction. It must have been the choir. [Laughter] It's such an honor 
to be here. Laura and I have really been looking forward to this 
spectacular day. I want to thank Mike for your efforts, your hard work 
to show really the very best of America to the whole world. I want to 
thank Jackie, as well. Mike and I both married above ourselves. 
[Laughter]
    It's an honor to be here with many distinguished citizens of our 
country, the Utah congressional delegation. Senator Hatch and Senator 
Bennett, thank you both for being here. We had the opportunity of flying 
down on Air Force One together. These two men love Utah a lot. I want to 
thank members of the congressional delegation. Congressmen Matheson, 
Hansen, and Cannon, thank you all for being here, as well.
    I appreciate the mayor. I also appreciate members of my Cabinet, 
Secretary of State Colin Powell--members of one of the finest teams a 
President has ever assembled have joined us. Thank you all for coming.
    I want to thank Mitt Romney for being such a strong leader, for 
really kind of willing these games to go forward. I appreciate Jacques 
Rogge for being here, as well. Thank you, sir. It's my honor to have 
welcomed you to the--one of the greatest offices on the face of the 
Earth, the Oval Office. I loved our visit then. Thank you for coming. 
Thank you, Sandy, as well.
    Kofi, it's great to see you, sir, the Secretary-General of the 
United Nations who does such a fine job of promoting peace and the world 
interests.
    I've put together an official delegation to the Olympics, really 
fine people--a few reprobates with them. [Laughter] Thank you all for 
coming. I'm honored that my sister has joined the delegation, as well. 
As you know, I love my family a lot, and I love my little sister. She's 
my favorite one, even though she's my only one. [Laughter]
    I want to thank all the citizens who have worked so hard to put 
these games on. You know, as I flew into Salt Lake City, I saw such a 
majestic part of our country, such a beautiful part of the American 
landscape. The State of Utah is the perfect site for these games. It's 
the perfect site because of her beauty. It's the perfect site because of 
her people. It's the perfect site because of the rich history of this 
State, from the early Native Americans who gave Utah its name to the 
mountain men and later settlers who carved cities and towns into this 
rugged landscape. It was here in Utah that America was connected from 
east to west by the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869. 
It is here today that the world is united, in Utah.
    It's such an honor to host the Olympics in any year, but it is even 
more significant in this year. Following the attacks of September the 
11th, people from around the world expressed their sympathy and their 
strong support for our country, and for that we are grateful. They 
understand that America stands for a great cause, and that is freedom. 
We love, we cherish, and we will defend freedom at any cost.
    This commitment to freedom is inscribed in our Nation's founding 
documents. The first of those documents, the Declaration of 
Independence, is right here in Utah in the State Capitol and will be 
available for viewing throughout the games. The Declaration is here 
thanks to a program created by Norman Lear. Norman and I don't always 
agree on politics, but we agree that the Declaration of Independence is 
fundamental to our Nation. And I want to thank Norman Lear for his 
vision of providing this document for not only the people of the world 
to see but for

[[Page 208]]

our fellow Americans to review when they come to these great games.
    I hope people do come and read the document because they'll 
understand why we're so insistent upon defending our values. We defend 
liberty and freedom for everyone, not just a few, not just people in 
Utah, but everybody who lives in this country and everybody who lives 
around the world. These are rights we hold self-evident. These are 
timeless ideals.
    People may wonder, if they don't understand America, ``Well, why 
have we reacted with such determination and patience and resolve?'' It's 
because we believe so strongly in these ideals, liberty and freedom, and 
we know it is what will make the world live in peace, if we embrace 
those ideals without falter.
    And the Olympics give the world a chance, in the midst of a 
difficult struggle, to celebrate international peace and cooperation. 
America's athletes will compete hard and, I know, will make us proud. 
But at the end of every event, the competitors will join to honor the 
winners, no matter their nationality. And they will stand at attention 
to honor the flags of many nations, which will be flying in pride and 
flying in peace.
    For centuries, the Olympics have reinforced an important lesson. 
It's an important lesson for today. No matter how wide our political or 
cultural differences may be, some things are valued and enjoyed the 
world over. All people appreciate the discipline that produces 
excellence, the courage that overcomes difficult odds, the character 
that creates champions. The feelings and emotions that drive the 
Olympics are not expressed in any one language; they're expressed with 
tears and smiles of joy and of pride.
    The world has shed many tears, tears of sorrow, over the past 5 
months. It now gives the people of the United States and the State of 
Utah great pride to host these games, which will provide lasting 
memories of laughter and triumph for people of every nation.
    I want to thank you all. Thank you so very much on behalf of our 
Nation for bringing western hospitality to this global tradition.
    May God bless you all, and may God bless the United States of 
America.

Note: The President spoke at 2:56 p.m. in the Rotunda at the Utah State 
Capitol. In his remarks, he referred to Gov. Michael O. Leavitt of Utah 
and his wife, Jacalyn S.; Mayor Ross C. Anderson of Salt Lake City; Mitt 
Romney, president and chief executive officer, Salt Lake Organizing 
Committee for the 2002 winter Olympic games; Jacques Rogge, president, 
International Olympic Committee; Sandy Baldwin, president, U.S. Olympic 
Committee; Secretary-General Kofi Annan of the United Nations; the 
President's sister, Dorothy Koch; and Norman Lear, founder, People for 
the American Way. This item was not received in time for publication in 
the appropriate issue.