[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 44, Number 27 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[Pages 960-962]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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.]

    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

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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; 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.
    * White House correction.

[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 13 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 new 
nation. And in every generation, Americans have rededicated themselves 
to the belief that all men are created equal, with the 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

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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.
    * White House correction.
    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.