White House photo by Joyce N. Boghosian | | George W. Bush
Forty-Third President (2001 to 2009)
Address About
Thomas Jefferson, Independence Day,
and Naturalization at Monticello Charlottesville,
Virginia
July 4, 2008 |
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 Thank you, and happy Fourth of July. (Applause.) I
am thrilled to be here at Monticello. I've never been here before.
(Audience disturbance.)
To my fellow citizens to be, we believe in free speech in the United
States of America. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
I appreciate Alice 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 [sic.] (Audience
interruption.) Appreciate you being here.
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, the Lieutenant Governor of the
state of Virginia -- (audience interruption.) 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. (Audience interruption continues.)
Seems like I brought a lot of -- (Audience interruption continues.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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.
(Audience interruption.)
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. (Audience interruption continues.)
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 at 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
We also honor Jefferson's legacy by welcoming newcomers to our land.
And that is what we're here to celebrate today. (Audience
interruption.)
Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired
immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores.
(Interruption continues.) These immigrants have helped transform 13
small colonies into a great and growing nation of more than 300
[sic] 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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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. (Applause.)
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