For Immediate Release
Office of Mrs. Bush
June 17, 2002
Remarks by Mrs. Bush at Freedom Center Dedication - Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
As delivered.
Thank you, Congressman (Rob) Portman, Senator DeWine, Congressman
Jones, Governor Taft, distinguished guests.
Today we celebrate the building of a new monument to freedom.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be a place of
education and reflection, where visitors, especially our children, will
learn that every human life deserves respect.and that every citizen,
and every leader, has the responsibility to condemn the tragedy of
slavery.
The Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights is a perfect
document, but when it was written it was not in perfect practice. The
pursuit of freedom for all was fueled by people who envisioned a
society where all people enjoy equal opportunity and equal liberties.
During the days of the Underground Railroad, through the end of
slavery and during the Civil Rights Movement, Americans of all
backgrounds stood together to secure those freedoms.
And today across this country we stand united as never before under
a flag that represents the hard-fought struggle for freedom and liberty
for all.
The Underground Railroad is proof, as one man (Robert Stanton)
said, that "brutal systems and brutal laws can be overturned from
within.People can free themselves from bondage through individual and
collective acts of courage."
The heroic stories of the Underground Railroad are powerful
reminders of the mission that all Americans share in promoting the
values of freedom, at home and around the world.
In the face of all odds, obstacles, and punishments, people escaped
the shackles of slavery, and headed north supported by a network of
compassionate people.
In one man's account of his journey along the railroad, he said, "I
found a friend who harbored me three days, and fulfilled the Scriptures
to perfection:
"I was hungry, and he fed me; thirsty, and he gave me drink; weary,
and he ministered to my necessities; sick, and he cared for me 'till I
got relieved. He took me on his own beast, and carried me 10 miles,
and his wife gave me food for four days' travel."
People who cared for and supported those who traveled along the
routes of the Underground Railroad put the interests of others before
their own. These good Samaritans offered food and shelter, knowing
full well the dangers that accompanied their kindness and the possible
penalties for their compassion.
Thanks to the Freedom Center, Americans will have one more way to
honor those who defend the belief that all men are created equal.
The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will be a national
treasure. May the Center always remind us that when we are called upon
to do what is right, we will choose what is right. When people need
solace and shelter, we will provide it. When we see injustice, we will
correct it, and when we achieve peace and equality, we shall rejoice in
it.
May we never forget the lessons of our past. And may we always
remember that nothing can stop the momentum of freedom.
Thank you.
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