Lyndon Baines Johnson- -Let Us Continue-.doc

演讲稿 lyndon baines johnson: let us continue lyndonbainesjohnson:letuscontinuemr.speaker,mr.president,membersofthehouse,membersofthesenate,myfellowamericans:allihaveiwouldhavegivengladlynottobestandingheretoday.thegreatestleaderofourtimehasbeenstruckdownbythefoulestdeedofourtime.today,johnfitzgeraldkennedylivesonintheimmortalwordsandworksthatheleftbehind.helivesoninthemindandmemoriesofmankind.helivesonintheheartsofhiscountrymen.nowordsaresadenoughtoexpressoursenseofloss.nowordsarestrongenoughtoexpressourdeterminationtocontinuetheforwardthrustofamericathathebegan.thedreamofconqueringthevastnessofspace,thedreamofpartnershipacrosstheatlantic-andacrossthepacificaswell-thedreamofapeacecorpsinlessdevelopednations,thedreamofeducationforallofourchildren,thedreamofjobsforallwhoseekthemandneedthem,thedreamofcareforourelderly,thedreamofanall-outattackonmentalillness,andaboveall,thedreamofequalrightsforallamericans,whatevertheirraceorcolor.theseandotheramericandreamshavebeenvitalizedbyhisdriveandbyhisdedication.andnowtheideasandtheidealswhichhesonoblyrepresentedmustandwillbetranslatedintoeffectiveaction.underjohnkennedysleadership,thisnationhasdemonstratedthatithasthecouragetoseekpeace,andithasthefortitudetoriskwar.wehaveprovedthatweareagoodandreliablefriendtothosewhoseekpeaceandfreedom.wehaveshownthatwecanalsobeaformidablefoetothosewhorejectthepathofpeaceandthosewhoseektoimposeuponusorouralliestheyokeoftyranny.thisnationwillkeepitsmitmentsfromsouthvietnamtowestberlin.wewillbeunceasinginthesearchforpeace,resourcefulinourpursuitofareasofagreement-evenwiththosewithwhomwediffer-andgenerousandloyaltothosewhojoinwithusinmoncause.inthisagewhentherecanbenolosersinpeaceandnovictorsinwar,wemustrecognizetheobligationtomatchnationalstrengthwithnationalrestraint.wemustbepreparedatoneandthesametimeforboththeconfrontationofpowerandthelimitationofpower.wemustbereadytodefendthenationalinterestandtonegotiatethemoninterest.thisisthepaththatweshallcontinuetopursue.thosewhotestourcouragewillfinditstrong,andthosewhoseekourfriendshipwillfindithonorable.wewilldemonstrateanewthatthestrongcanbejustintheuseofstrength,andthejustcanbestronginthedefenseofjustice.andletallknowwewillextendnospecialprivilegeandimposenopersecution.wewillcarryonthefightagainstpoverty,andmisery,anddisease,andignorance,inotherlandsandinourown.wewillserveallthenation,notonesectionoronesector,oronegroup,butallamericans.thesearetheunitedstates:aunitedpeoplewithaunitedpurpose.ouramericanunitydoesnotdependuponunanimity.wehavedifferences;butnow,asinthepast,wecanderivefromthosedifferencesstrength,notweakness,wisdom,notdespair.bothasapeopleandagovernment,wecanuniteuponaprogram,aprogramwhichiswiseandjust,enlightenedandconstructive.for32yearscapitolhillhasbeenmyhome.ihavesharedmanymomentsofpridewithyou,prideintheabilityofthecongressoftheunitedstatestoact,tomeetanycrisis,todistillfromourdifferencesstrongprogramsofnationalaction.anassassinsbullethasthrustuponmetheawesomeburdenofthepresidency.iamheretodaytosayineedyourhelp.icannotbearthisburdenalone.ineedthehelpofallamericans,andallamerica.thisnationhasexperiencedaprofoundshock,andinthiscriticalmoment,itisourduty,yoursandmine,asthegovernmentoftheunitedstates,todoawaywithuncertaintyanddoubtanddelay,andtoshowthatwearecapableofdecisiveaction;thatfromthebrutallossofourleaderwewillderivenotweakness,butstrength;thatwecanandwillactandactnow.fromthischamberofrepresentativegovernment,letalltheworldknowandnonemisunderstandthatirededicatethisgovernmenttotheunswervingsupportoftheunitednations,tothehonorableanddeterminedexecutionofourmitmentstoourallies,tothemaintenanceofmilitarystrengthsecondtonone,tothedefenseofthestrengthandthestabilityofthedollar,totheexpansionofourforeigntrade,tothereinforcementofourprogramsofmutualassistanceandcooperationinasiaandafrica,andtoourallianceforprogressinthishemisphere.onthe20thdayofjanuary,in19and61,johnf.kennedytoldhiscountrymenthatournationalworkwouldnotbefinishedinthefirstthousanddays,norinthelifeofthisadministration,norevenperhapsinourlifetimeonthisplanet.but,hesaid,letusbegin.todayinthismomentofnewresolve,iwouldsaytoallmyfellowamericans,letuscontinue.thisisourchallenge-nottohesitate,nottopause,nottoturnaboutandlingeroverthisevilmoment,buttocontinueonourcoursesothatwemayfulfillthedestinythathistoryhassetforus.ourmostimmediatetasksarehereonthishill.first,nomemorialorationoreulogycouldmoreeloquentlyhonorpresidentkennedysmemorythantheearliestpossiblepassageofthecivilrightsbillforwhichhefoughtsolong.wehavetalkedlongenoughinthiscountryaboutequalrights.wehavetalkedforahundredyearsormore.itistimenowtowritethenextchapter,andtowriteitinthebooksoflaw.iurgeyouagain,asididin19and57andagainin19and60,toenactacivilrightslawsothatwecanmoveforwardtoeliminatefromthisnationeverytraceofdiscriminationandoppressionthatisbaseduponraceorcolor.therecouldbenogreatersourceofstrengthtothisnationbothathomeandabroad.andsecond,noactofourscouldmorefittinglycontinuetheworkofpresidentkennedythantheearlypassageofthetaxbillforwhichhefoughtallthislongyear.thisisabilldesignedtoincreaseournationalineandfederalrevenues,andtoprovideinsuranceagainstrecession.thatbill,ifpassedwithoutdelay,meansmoresecurityforthosenowworking,morejobsforthosenowwithoutthem,andmoreincentiveforoureconomy.inshort,thisisnotimefordelay.itisatimeforaction-strong,forward-lookingactiononthependingeducationbillstohelpbringthelightoflearningtoeveryhomeandhamletinamerica;strong,forward-lookingactiononyouthemploymentopportunities;strong,forward-lookingactiononthependingforeignaidbill,makingclearthatwearenotforfeitingourresponsibilitiestothishemisphereortotheworld,norerasingexecutiveflexibilityintheconductofourforeignaffairs;andstrong,prompt,andforward-lookingactionontheremainingappropriationbills.inthisnewspiritofaction,thecongresscanexpectthefullcooperationandsupportoftheexecutivebranch.and,inparticular,ipledgethattheexpendituresofyourgovernmentwillbeadministeredwiththeutmostthriftandfrugality.iwillinsistthatthegovernmentgetadollarsvalueforadollarspent.thegovernmentwillsetanexampleofprudenceandeconomy.thisdoesnotmeanthatwewillnotmeetourunfilledneedsorthatwewillnothonorourmitments.wewilldoboth.asonewhohaslongservedinbothhousesofthecongress,ifirmlybelieveintheindependenceandtheintegrityofthelegislativebranch.andipromiseyouthatishallalwaysrespectthis.itisdeepinthemarrowofmybones.withequalfirmness,ibelieveinthecapacityandibelieveintheabilityofthecongress,despitethedivisionsofopinionswhichcharacterizeournation,toact-toactwisely,toactvigorously,toactspeedilywhentheneedarises.theneedishere.theneedisnow.iaskyourhelp.wemeetingrief,butletusalsomeetinreneweddedicationandrenewedvigor.letusmeetinaction,intolerance,andinmutualunderstanding.johnkennedysdeathmandswhathislifeconveyed-thatamericamustmovefo