fear is fear itself. Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes

needed us to convert retreat into advance. Yesterday, December 7, 1941—a

date which will live in infamy—the United States of America was suddenly

and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. A

short time ago an American airplane dropped one bomb on Hiroshima and

destroyed its usefulness to the enemy. That bomb has more power than 20,000

tons of TNT. The Japanese began the war from the air at Pearl Harbor,

they have been repaid many-fold. And the end is not yet.

With this bomb, we have now added a new and revolutionary increase in

destruction to supplement the growing power of our armed forces. We have been

compelled to create a permanent armaments industry of vast proportions.

In the council's of government, we must guard against the acquisition of

unwarranted influence—whether sought or unsought—by the military-industrial

complex.

The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or

democratic process.

I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or

any other generation. The energy, the faith, the devotion

which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it.

And the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so my fellow

Americans ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your

country.

My fellow citizens of the world,

ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom

of man. And there are even a few who say

that it's true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make

economic progress.

Lasst sie nach Berlin kommen—let them come to Berlin. [Cheering]

All free men—wherever they may live—are citizens of Berlin

and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words ich bin ein Berliner.

I have a dream, that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be

judged by the color about skin, but by the content in their character. I have

a dream today.

Let freedom ring and when it happens,

we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet,

from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all

of God's children—black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and

Catholics—will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro

spiritual, "free at last, free at last,

thank God Almighty, we are free at last."

There is no constitutional issue here.

The command of the Constitution is plain. There is no moral issue.

It is wrong,

deadly wrong, to deny any of your fellow Americans the right to vote in this country.

To know war

is to know that there is still madness in this world.

They are poor to be lifted up, and there are cities to be built, and there's a world

to be helped.

Yet, we do what we must.

I'm hopeful—and I will try, best I can, with everything I've got—to end this

battle and to return our sons to their desires.

Yet as long as others will challenge America's security, and test the dearness of our

beliefs with fire and steel, then we must stand or see the promise of two centuries tremble.

All we say to America is be true to what you said on paper. But somewhere I read of the

freedom of assembly. Somewhere I read of the freedom of speech. Somewhere I read of

the freedom of press. Somewhere I read

that the greatness of America is the right to protest for rights.

[Cheering]

And so, just as I say we aren't going to let any dogs or water hoses turn us around, we aren't

going let any injunction

turn us around.

I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead.

but it really doesn't matter with me now because I've been to the mountaintop.

[Cheering]

And I don't mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place.

But I'm not concerned about that now.

I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And

I've looked over, and I've seen the promised land.

I may not get there with you, but I want you to know tonight, that we as a people

will get to the promised land.

[Cheering.]

So I'm happy tonight, I'm not worried about anything, I'm not fearing any man.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

[Cheering]

I have some very sad news for all of you, and I think sad news for all of our

fellow citizens and people who love peace all over the world, and that is

that Martin Luther King was shot and was killed tonight in Memphis, Tennessee.

Martin Luther King dedicated his life to love and to justice between fellow human beings,

he died in the cause of that effort. For those of you who are black and are

tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of the injustice of

such an act against all white people,

I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart

the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed,

but he was killed by a white man. But we have to make an effort in the United

States. We have to make an effort to understand, to get beyond—or go beyond—

these rather difficult times.

My favorite poem—my favorite poet was Aeschylus—he once wrote

'Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget, falls drop by drop upon the heart

until in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful

grace of God.' What we need in the United States is not division,

what we need in the United States is not hatred,

what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness,

but is love and wisdom and compassion toward one another,

a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country,

whether they be white, or whether they be black.

Throughout the long and difficult period of Watergate, I have felt it was my

duty to persevere. To make every possible effort to complete the term of office

to which you elected me. In the past few days however, it has become evident to me

that I no longer have a strong enough political base in the Congress to

justify continuing that effort.

Therefore, I shall resign the presidency effective at noon tomorrow.

Vice President Ford will be sworn in as president at that hour, in this office.

Today is a day for mourning and remembering. Nancy and I are pained to the core

over the tragedy of the shuttle Challenger.

We know we share this pain with all of the people of our country.

This is truly a national loss. We've never had a tragedy like this

and perhaps we've forgotten the courage it took for the crew of the shuttle. But they,

the Challenger Seven were aware of the dangers and overcame them

and did their jobs brilliantly.

We mourn seven heroes. And I want to say something to the schoolchildren of

America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttle's take off.

I know it's hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen

It's all part of the process of exploration and discovery.

It's all part of taking a chance and expanding man's horizons.

The future doesn't belong to the faint-hearted. It belongs to the brave.

The Challenger crew was pulling us into the future and we'll continue to follow.

There is one sign the Soviets can make that would be unmistakable, that would

advance dramatically the cause of freedom and peace.

General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the

Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.

Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate.

Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

Just two hours ago,

allied air forces began an attack on military targets in Iraq and Kuwait

these attacks continue as I speak

ground forces are not engaged this conflict started August second when the

dictator of Iraq invaded a small and helpless neighbor Kuwait a member of the

Arab Lee and a member of the United Nations was crushed its people

brutalized five months ago sediment saying started this cruel war against

Kuwait tonight that battle has been joined this speaker mr. vice president

members of Congress honored guests my fellow Americans we are fortunate to be

alive at this moment in history

never before has our nation enjoyed at once so much prosperity and social

progress with so little internal crisis and so few external threats

never before have we had such a blessing opportunity and therefore such a

profound obligation to build a more perfect union of our founders dreams we

begin the new century with over 20 million new jobs

the fastest economic growth in more than 30 years

the lowest unemployment rates in 30 years the lowest poverty rates in 20

years

the lowest african-american and Hispanic unemployment rates on record the first

back-to-back surpluses and 42 years and next month America will achieve the

longest period of economic growth in our entire history

good evening

just moments ago I spoke with George W Bush and congratulated him on becoming

the 43rd President of the United States and I promised them that I wouldn't

calling back this time

now the US Supreme Court has spoken let there be no doubt while I strongly

disagree with the court's decision I accept it

I accept the finality of this outcome which will be ratified next monday in

the electoral college and tonight for the sake of our unity of the people and

strength of our democracy

I offer my concession

this nation stands with the good people of new york and the jersey and

connecticut as we mourn the loss of thousands of vs

I can

the rest of the world hears you and the people

and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us

yeah

yeah

yeah

and all those watching tonight from beyond our shores from Parliament sand

palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the

world are stories are singular but our destiny is shared and a new dawn of

American leadership is at hand

to those to those who would tear the world down

we will defeat you

to those who seek peace and security we support you and to all those who have

wondered if America's beacon still burns as bright tonight we proved once more

that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or

the scale of our wealth but from the enduring power of our ideals

democracy Liberty opportunity and unyielding hope

yeah

that's the true genius of America that America can change our union can be

perfect

what we've already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve

tomorrow

this election had many firsts and many stories will be told for generations but

one that's on my mind tonight's about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta

she's a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice

heard in this election

except for one thing and Nixon Cooper is a hundred and six years old she was born

just a generation passed slavery a time when there were no cars on the road or

planes in the sky when someone like her could vote for two reasons because she

was a woman and because of the color of her skin and tonight

I think about all that she's seen throughout her century in America the

Harding and the hope the struggle and the progress

the times we were told that we can't

and the people who pressed on with that American creed

yes we can at a time when women's voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed

she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the bailout

yes we can when there was this fair and the Dust Bowl and depression across the

lamb

she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a new deal

new jobs a new sense of common purpose

yes we can when the bombs fell on our Harbor and tyranny threaten the world

she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was

saved

yes we can she was there for the buses in Montgomery the hoses in birmingham a

bridge in Selma and a preacher from Atlanta who told the people that we

shall overcome

yes we can

a man touch down on the moon

a wall came down in Berlin a world was connected by our own science and

imagination and this year in this election