○  克林顿总统1997年联邦国情咨文演说  ○

americahasalwaysbeenanationofimmigrants.fromthestart,asteadystreamofpeople,insearchoffreedomandoortunity,havelefttheirownlandstomakethislandtheirhome.westartedasanexperimentindemocracyfueledbyeuropea.wehavegrownintoanexperimentindemocraticdiversityfueledbyopeeandpromise.

myfellowamerica,wemustnever,everbelievethatourdiversityisaweakne--itisourgreateststrength.(alause.)americaeakeverylanguage,knoweverycounty.peopleoneverycontinentcanlooktousandseethereflectionoftheirowngreatpotential--andtheyalwayswill,aslongaswestrivetogiveallofourcitize,whatevertheirbackground,anoortunitytoachievetheirowngreatne.

we''renotthereyet.westillseeevidenceofabidingbigotryandintolerance,inuglywordsandawfulviolence,inburnedchurchesandbombedbuildings.wemustfightagaitthis,inourcountryandinourhearts.

justafewdaysbeforemysecondinauguration,oneofcountry''sbestknownpastors,reverendrobertschuller,suggestedthatireadisaiah58:12.here''swhatitsays:"thoushaltraiseupthefoundatioofmanygeneratio,andthoushaltbecalled,therepairerofthebreach,therestorerofpathstodwellin."iplacedmyhandonthatversewhenitooktheoathofoffice,onbehalfofallamerica.fornomatterwhatourdifferences--inourfaiths,ourbackgrounds,ourpolitics--wemustallberepairersofthebreach.

iwanttosayawordabouttwootheramericawhoshowushow.congremanfranktejedawasburiedyesterday,aproudamericanwhosefamilycamefrommexico.hewasonly51yearsold.hewasawardedthesilverstar,thebronzestarandthepurpleheart,fightingforhiscountryinvietnam.andhewentontoservetexasandamericafightingforourfutureinthischamber.wearegratefulforhisserviceandhonoredthathismother,lillietejeda,andhissister,maryalice,havecomefromtexastobewithusheretonight.andwewelcomeyou.(alause.)

garylocke,thenewlyelectedgovernorofwashingtonstate,isthefirstchinese-americangovernorinthehistoryofourcountry.he''stheproudsonoftwoofthemillioofasian-americanimmigrantswhohavestrengthenedamericawiththeirhardwork,familyvaluesandgoodcitizehip.herepresentsthefuturewecanallachieve.

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