For Immediate Release
Office of Mrs. Bush
January 25, 2003
Remarks by Mrs. Bush at Center for Strategic and International Studies Luncheon
AS DELIVERED
Thank you, Dr. Abshire for your warm welcome. And thank you,
Senator Nunn, Dr. Hamre, Dr. Kissinger and Secretary Schultz. Thank you
CSIS members for your valuable research which is vital to our national
security. Securing our homeland continues to be a top priority of the
President as he begins his third year in office.
This past week marked the second anniversary of the President's
inauguration. Two years ago in his Inaugural address, the President
spoke of our democracy and of our "moral obligation to champion freedom
throughout the world." He said, "Our national courage has been clear in
times of depression and war. We must show courage in a time of blessing,
by confronting problems instead of passing them on to future
generations."
We did not know then how cruelly our will would be tested. On
September 11th, we witnessed unprecedented evil. But even in great
darkness, the American spirit burned bright. In the days following the
attacks, resolve replaced fear. The desire to help a neighbor overcame
despair. Being an American had new meaning and new responsibility.
And of course this was true for those in public service. Soon after
September 11th, a good friend called me. She always teased about never
wanting to be in my shoes. But one night, she said she saw me on the
news and felt a pang of envy. She realized - and reminded me - that I
had the opportunity to reach out to the American people and to children
and comfort them. And in some small way, every one of us can reassure
the world that freedom will prevail. Americans have done exactly this
through countless acts of kindness and service.
The President and I are inspired by the American people's
compassion. In every corner of the country, there is a renewed sense of
patriotism and purpose. Families spend more time together. There is a
greater appreciation for our military and our everyday heroes -
America's police officers, firefighters and teachers.
On the Sunday after the attacks, the President and I attended
church at Camp David with the Vice President and members of the
President's Cabinet. Remarkably, the Psalm outlined in the lectionary
for that September Sunday, was Psalm 27. It reads, "Thy face, Lord, do
I seek. I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land
of the living." Given the week's tragic events the words carried
enormous meaning - because that is what we had seen. We had seen a
handful of people commit an unbelievable atrocity, but we had seen many
thousands trying to help. Because of this, I chose this psalm for our
first White House Holiday card.
This goodness is not only being felt here in America, but
throughout the world. Yesterday, I visited with Karen Hughes, who had
just returned from a trip to Afghanistan where she took part in a
meeting of the United States- Afghan Women's Council. This council
promotes job training and advancement for Afghan women in the workforce
and in government. Karen saw vividly the impact of America's
involvement in the world. As she walked through the city, women and
young girls rushed to her side. They expressed their thanks to the
citizens of the United States for liberating their country.
They pleaded that the United States remain in Afghanistan so that
freedom could take hold there.
In tiny towns where families had no windows or running water, she
saw large bags of wheat with the United States seal on the side. She
realized that the kindness of our nation is evident throughout the
world. Our involvement in the world brings freedom and greater dignity
to all people. We see this in the faces of Afghanistan's women. Once
prisoners in their homes, today they are learning the joy of freedom
through work and education.
I have never been more proud of our country or of the President. We
have learned a great deal in the past two years. We value life and
liberty even more. And although many of us have regained a sense of
normalcy in our lives, we must not forget the lessons we have learned.
For us, democracy is not a state of being - democracy is a state of
living.
And freedom is not free. Every American can make our democracy
stronger by being involved. We can "champion freedom throughout the
world" by practicing the very virtues of liberty in our schools,
communities and our homes. As we move forward, we must not forget our
lessons in liberty or the women in Afghanistan. We must not forget what
it means to be an American. Thank you. May God bless you and may God
continue to bless America.
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