[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 40, Number 28 (Monday, July 12, 2004)]
[Pages 1202-1206]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Independence Day in Charleston, West Virginia

July 4, 2004

    Thank you all. They got the best seat in the house. [Laughter] Glad 
you all are here. Thanks for coming. Happy Fourth of July. I am thrilled 
to be back in your great State to celebrate once again Independence Day, 
this time in the capital of the Mountain State, the great city of 
Charleston, West Virginia. I appreciate the good people of this State. 
You work hard. You look after your neighbors, and you love your country. 
And you sure know how to make a President feel welcome. Thank you all.
    West Virginia is an important State to our Nation in many ways--in 
many ways. You're one of the most beautiful places to visit in America. 
People ought to come here and see the beauty of West Virginia, to see 
the Almighty's work. There are hard-working people here making the 
factories hum and the farms producing products we need. Listen, this 
country is better off because of the coal found here in West Virginia.
    Presidents have been coming to this State for a long time. I did a 
little research. It turns out that a lot of the land owned around 
Charleston was owned by George Washington. I call him George W. 
[Laughter] And today we remember names like Washington, Adams, 
Jefferson, and Franklin. We honor their courage, and we honor their 
vision on the Fourth of July. We're thankful that this Nation they 
created 228 years ago remains

[[Page 1203]]

free and independent and the best hope for all mankind.
    Today is the day we gather with our friends and family and give 
thanks to the United States of America, give thanks to the fact that we 
are citizens in a free land. I give thanks to Shelley Moore Capito for 
serving the people of West Virginia so well in the United States 
Congress.
    I was greeted by your mayor today. I'm honored the mayor, Mayor 
Danny Jones, took time to say hello. Mr. Mayor, thanks for having me 
here, and thanks for serving your community. I know, you want me to tell 
him to fill the potholes. [Laughter] I appreciate the president of the 
Charleston City Council, Councilman Tom Lane, for being here as well. 
Thank you, Councilman--all those who work hard for the people of 
Charleston.
    We've got a lot of State and local officials. I'm honored you all 
are here. Thanks for inviting me to this beautiful capitol. I appreciate 
the planning committee for this independence weekend celebration. You 
know, it takes a lot of effort to put one of these deals together, and a 
lot of people have been working hard to do so, starting with Spike 
Maynard, who is the cochairman and the Chief Justice of the West 
Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. I told the judge I liked being in the 
presence with somebody who doesn't try to rewrite the Constitution.
    I appreciate Mr. Sam Hindman, who is the retired publisher of your 
newspaper. He's a leader in your community. He's been a community leader 
for a long time. Thanks, Sam, for your hospitality. I want to thank my 
friend Bill Raney, president of the West Virginia Coal Association, for 
being here as well.
    I appreciate the U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Brass Band for 
entertaining you. I want to thank the West Virginia Air National Guard 
and the 130th Airlift Wing Honor Guard for being here today as well. 
You've got a proud tradition here in West Virginia, and that is, you've 
got a fantastic Guard. You've got people--I appreciate you, General. And 
I appreciate the men and women who wear the uniform of the West Virginia 
Guard. I want to thank their families, their loved ones, for the 
sacrifice and dedication the Guard members have showed the United States 
of America.
    There's still West Virginians overseas. We ask for God's blessings 
on their safety today. The day we celebrate our freedom, we thank them 
for guaranteeing the freedom of the United States.
    And highly decorated Four Star General Doc Foglesong is with us 
today. General, thanks for being here. He's a son of West Virginia.
    I want to thank all the singers and Scouts. By the way, if you're a 
Boy Scout or Girl Scout leader, thanks for doing what you're doing. 
Thanks for taking time out of your life to instill values in our 
children. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to teach 
character to the future of our country.
    You know, I oftentimes talk about the strength of America is the 
hearts and souls of our citizens. Listen, one of our strengths is our 
military--will keep us strong. One of our strengths is that we're a 
great economic power--will keep us strong. But the true strength lies in 
the hearts and souls of our fellow citizens, people who have heard the 
universal call to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved 
yourself, people who understand that America can be a hopeful place if 
somebody who hurts is surrounded by somebody who says, ``I love you. 
What can I do to help you? How can I help make your life a better 
place?''--people who step up and not only teach character to our young 
but feed the hungry, provide shelter for the homeless, take care of the 
elderly. No, the strength of this country--make no mistake about it, the 
strength of this country lies in the hearts and souls of millions of 
loving American citizens.
    I want to thank Aaron Tippin for being here. I like a good country 
and western singer. He's a good one. I appreciate Barnabus, the group 
that performed the National Anthem. Thank you all for taking time on 
your--on the Fourth of July to entertain these good folks.
    Finally, I was to head to Pastor Thornton's church, the Bible Center 
Church here in West Virginia. Pastor Shawn Thornton and his family came 
in the capitol to meet me, and I was grateful. But I assured him that

[[Page 1204]]

I was looking forward to his sermon. That's not the reason I missed it. 
I missed it because the plane broke down. [Laughter] But Pastor, thank 
you and your congregation for rolling out the red carpet for what would 
have been a Presidential visit to your fine church, but more 
importantly, Pastor Thornton, thank you for ministering to those who 
hurt. One of the great things about this particular church is that the 
outreach program, into the lives of those who suffer, into the lives of 
those who wonder if there's hope, is strong and vibrant and real.
    I want you to know that on the Fourth, we are proud of our Founders, 
but I know that the Founders would be proud of America today. They would 
take a look at this great country and see a place where opportunity is 
common, where all stand equal before the law, where all can hope for a 
better life. They'd see a country full of promise and hope; that's what 
they would see. They would see a nation that is the world's foremost 
champion of liberty. They would see a nation which stands strong in the 
face of violent men. They would see a reliable friend of any dissident 
or political prisoner who dreams of justice. That's what they would see 
in the great land they created. They would see Americans who care for a 
neighbor in need and are generous to the sick, to those who struggle 
here at home, and to those who look for hope around the world. They 
would see a strong, decent, good-hearted country, and they would see 
millions of people proud to say, ``America is my home.'' And they would 
see an America on Independence Day, 2004, that is moving forward with 
confidence and strength.
    Listen, we've been through some tough times in this country. 
Everybody knows that. We've been tested. But this Nation has responded 
as we always do, with courage, determination, and optimism. Our economy 
is healthy and growing, and that's good news, because more people are 
finding work every single day. That's what we want. We're all working on 
our public school system. We want to raise the standards, so every child 
can learn to read and write and add and subtract. No, our forefathers 
would see a nation of strong values, faith in God, love of our families. 
They would not only find those values strong all across the country; 
they'd find them very strong in the State of West Virginia.
    I'm thankful you invited me here, especially because you're paying 
special tribute to the men and women who have served our Nation in 
uniform. I want to thank you for that. America has always been able to 
count on the might of our military and on the character and the courage 
of those who serve.
    We've got a lot of veterans here. I want to thank the veterans for 
setting such a good example, for setting such a good example for those 
who have followed you. We're proud of your service. We're grateful for 
the example you have set for America.
    On July the 4th, 1942, in the midst of the Second World War, 
President Franklin Roosevelt gave encouragement to our troops abroad by 
reminding them of our Nation's founding creed. They were fighting, he 
said, because Americans believe in ``the right to liberty under God.'' 
The President said, ``for all peoples and races and groups and nations 
everywhere in the world.'' Today, a new generation of Americans is 
wearing the uniform. They are serving the same creed. They are showing 
the same courage, and they make us proud every single day.
    The war on terror has placed demands on our military. In Afghanistan 
and Iraq and elsewhere, our people in uniform have been unrelenting in 
their performance of duty. They've been skillful and courageous. They've 
accepted hard missions, long deployments, and the difficulties of being 
separated from their homes and their families. Some have returned home 
wounded. Some have died. Each is mourned and missed, and each one will 
be honored by our country forever.
    As in other times, Americans are serving and sacrificing to keep 
this country safe and to bring freedom to others. After the attacks of 
September the 11th, 2001, this Nation resolved to fight terrorists where 
they dwell. We resolved to arm the terrorist enemy. Afghanistan, at the 
time, as you remember, was a terror state, a training camp for Al Qaida 
killers. Because we acted, Afghanistan today is a rising democracy and 
an ally in the war on terror.
    Iraq, only last year, was under the control of a dictator who 
threatened the civilized

[[Page 1205]]

world, who used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He 
tormented and tortured the people of Iraq. Because we acted, Iraq today 
is a free and sovereign nation. And because we acted, the dictator, the 
brutal tyrant, is sitting in a prison cell, and he will receive the 
justice he denied so many for so long.
    We got a job to do. We have got a job to do, and that is to protect 
our country. And I've called on good men and women to do so. I'm honored 
that you're thanking the men and women of uniform today in Charleston, 
West Virginia.
    Our immediate task in battlefronts like Iraq and Afghanistan and 
elsewhere is to capture or kill the terrorists. That's our immediate 
task. We made a decision, you see: We will engage these enemies in these 
countries and around the world so we do not have to face them here at 
home.
    You can't talk sense to them. You can't negotiate with them. You 
cannot hope for the best with these people. We must be relentless and 
determined and do our duty.
    There's no such thing as perfect security in a country as big as 
ours. And the threats to our homeland are very real. We know the 
terrorists want to strike the United States again. They do because they 
want to disrupt our way of life. They want to spread fear. So we've done 
a lot of things to help, and there's some folks here who are working 
hard on your behalf. See, we reorganized the Government to make sure 
there's better communication between the Federal Government and the 
State Government and the local governments. And on behalf of a grateful 
people, I want to say thanks to the firefighters and the police and the 
emergency teams of Charleston, West Virginia.
    There's a lot of people in this country working hard to make sure 
this homeland of ours is as secure as it can possibly be without 
disrupting the freedoms of our fellow citizens. They're working hard, 
and I am grateful--I am grateful for the hard work they are doing.
    Yet in the long term, our security and safety requires more than 
defending the homeland and defeating the terrorists abroad. We must work 
to remove the conditions that give rise to terror in parts of the world 
like the Middle East: the poverty, the hopelessness, and the resentments 
that the terrorists exploit. Life in the Middle East will be a far more 
hopeful and, therefore, a more peaceful place when men and women can 
enjoy the benefits of a free society, when men and women can elect their 
own leaders, when the people can decide their own futures.
    On this Fourth of July, we confirm our love of freedom, the freedom 
for people to speak their minds, the freedom for people to worship as 
they so choose. Free thought, free expression, that's what we believe. 
But we also understand that freedom is not America's gift to the world. 
Freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this world. 
And by serving that ideal, by never forgetting the values and the 
principles that have made this country so strong after--228 years after 
our founding, we will bring hope to others and, at the same time, make 
America more secure.
    Because we've taken the fight to the enemy, because we've been 
strong and determined to do our duty to protect America, and because 
freedom is rising in places they claim as their own, the terrorists are 
desperate, and they are furious. They're running out of places to hide. 
They know their cause is failing. They know that time is against them, 
and their only chance is to shake the resolve of Iraqis, Americans, 
anybody else who loves freedom. And that's why their actions have grown 
more cruel and sadistic.
    They cover their faces in videos, in the videos of their crimes. But 
those hoods cannot hide the face of evil. We've seen their kind before, 
in overseas death camps and gulags. And as before, America will 
persevere. We will fear no evil, and we will prevail.
    The conditions for successes are now coming together. Afghanistan 
and Iraq now have responsible leaders. President Karzai of Afghanistan 
is a good, honest man who wants his people to be free. Prime Minister 
Alawi of Iraq--he's a good, honest, courageous man who will stand square 
in the face of these terrorists trying to stop the march of freedom. 
We've got an ally in these two leaders, because they understand what we 
know: Free men and women will be peaceful men and women; free men and 
women will be able to realize their deep desires. Listen,

[[Page 1206]]

moms and dads in Iraq want to be able to raise their children in a 
society where their children can have a bright future, just like the 
moms and dads in America do.
    These leaders have said, ``We want your help.'' And America has 
responded. And nations of the world have rallied to them as well. The 
NATO Alliance and the EU and the United Nations are all standing behind 
the newly liberated people of Afghanistan and Iraq. And these good 
people are taking on more of their own responsibility. Listen, they 
understand their future depends on their ability to deal with the thugs 
and criminals and foreign terrorists. And so we're helping them train to 
do their duty, to do their civic responsibility in a free society.
    But what's important for those people is that they can count on 
America. We have promised to help deliver them from tyranny, to restore 
their sovereignty, and to set them on the path to democracy. And when 
America gives its word, America keeps its word.
    There was a time not so long ago when America was a young democracy. 
When the Declaration was signed, not many in this world would have bet 
on the success of the American cause. We were a little group of colonies 
on the edge of a continent. Our small and hungry band of soldiers was 
against the army of a great empire. Many in that empire considered July 
the 4th, 1776, to be just another day on the calendar. Yet, America's 
Founders knew that something very important had happened that day, 
something new and hopeful in the course of human events.
    They called the American experiment a ``new order of the ages.'' The 
time has confirmed their belief. The Colonies became a country. The 
people of America crossed a continent, and the ideals that created 
America have crossed the globe.
    This history we celebrate today is a testament to the power of 
freedom to lift up a whole nation. And we still believe, on America's 
228th birthday, that freedom has the power to change the world.
    May God bless you, and may God bless America. Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 12:57 p.m. at the West Virginia State 
Capitol Grounds. In his remarks, he referred to Sam Hindman, former 
publisher, Charleston Daily Mail; Maj. Gen. Allen E. Tacket, adjutant 
general, West Virginia National Guard; Gen. Robert H. ``Doc'' Foglesong, 
commander, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, commander, Allied Air Forces 
Northern Europe, and air component commander, U.S. European Command; 
former President Saddam Hussein of Iraq; Rev. Shawn R. Thornton, senior 
pastor, Bible Center Church; President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan; and 
Prime Minister Ayad al-Alawi of the Iraqi Interim Government.