Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
The White House
July 4, 2014
Weekly Address
The White House
July 4, 2014
Hi, everybody. I hope you're all having a great Fourth of July weekend.
I want to begin today by saying a special word to the U.S. Men’s
Soccer Team, who represented America so well the past few weeks. We are
so proud of you. You’ve got a lot of new believers. And I know there’s
actually a petition on the White House website to make Tim Howard the
next Secretary of Defense. Chuck Hagel’s got that spot right now, but if
there is a vacancy, I’ll think about it.
It was 238 years ago that our founders came together in Philadelphia
to launch our American experiment. There were farmers and businessmen,
doctors and lawyers, ministers and a kite-flying scientist.
Those early patriots may have come from different backgrounds and
different walks of life. But they were united by a belief in a simple
truth -- that we are all created equal; that we are all endowed by our
Creator with certain inalienable rights; and that among these rights are
life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Over the years, that belief has sustained us through war and
depression; peace and prosperity. It’s helped us build the strongest
democracy, the greatest middle class, and the most powerful military the
world has ever known. And today, there isn’t a nation on Earth that
wouldn’t gladly trade places with the United States of America.
But our success is only possible because we have never treated those
self-evident truths as self-executing. Generations of Americans have
marched, organized, petitioned, fought and even died to extend those
rights to others; to widen the circle of opportunity for others; and to
perfect this union we love so much.
That’s why I want to say a special thanks to the men and women of our
armed forces and the families who serve with them -- especially those
service members who spent this most American of holidays serving your
country far from home.
You keep us safe, and you keep the United States of America a shining
beacon of hope for the world. And for that, you and your families
deserve not only the appreciation of a grateful nation, but our enduring
commitment to serve you as well as you’ve served us.
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