○  克林顿总统第二次就职演说  ○

克林顿总统第二次就职演说
   

名人演讲稿

myfellowcitize:

atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmilleium,butontheedgeofabrightnewproectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.

thepromiseofamericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationreadacrothecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.

then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheamericancentury.andwhatacenturyithasbeen.americabecametheworld''smightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrayintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrotheglobetomilliowho,likeus,longedforthebleingsofliberty.

alongtheway,americaproducedagreatmiddleclaandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;littheatomandexploredtheheaveinventedthecomputerandthemicrochianddeepenedthewellringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforafricanamericaandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizehip,oortunityanddignitytowomen.

now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,toreadournationfromcoasttocoast.webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnetheindustrialrevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,coervation,andhumandecency.thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheinformationageandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlepotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.