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President Bush Attends Monticello's 46th Annual Independence Day
Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary July 4, 2008

President Bush Attends Monticello's 46th Annual Independence Day
Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony Monticello Charlottesville,
Virginia

ÿ /news/releases/2008/07/20080704.wm.v.html ÿÿWhite House News
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ÿÿÿÿÿ Independence Day 2008

10:07 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, and happy Fourth of July. (Applause.) I am
thrilled to be here at Monticello. I've never been here before. (Audience
disturbance.)

To my fellow citizens to be, we believe in free speech in the United States
of America. (Applause.)

And this is a fitting place to celebrate our nation's independence. Thomas
Jefferson once said he'd rather celebrate the Fourth of July than his own
birthday. For me, it's pretty simple -- the Fourth of July weekend is my
birthday weekend. (Applause.)

For some of you, today will be your first Fourth of July as American
citizens. A few moments, you will take part in the 46th annual Monticello
Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. When you raise
your hands and take the oath, you will complete an incredible journey. That
journey has taken you from many different countries; it's now made you one
people. From this day forward, the history of the United States will be
part of your heritage. The Fourth of July will be part of your Independence
Day. And I will be honored to call you a fellow American. (Applause.)

I appreciate Alice Handy, the Chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation;
and Dan Jordan, President of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. I'm honored
that the Governor of the great Commonwealth of Virginia would join us, and
Anne Horton [sic.] (Audience interruption.) Appreciate you being here.

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, the Lieutenant Governor of the state of
Virginia -- (audience interruption.) Attorney General Bob McDonnell of the
state of Virginia is with us. And all local officials. I appreciate Jim
Jones of the U.S. District Court, and other distinguished jurists who are
with us today. Thank you for coming. (Audience interruption continues.)

Seems like I brought a lot of -- (Audience interruption continues.)

Most of all, I'm glad you're here. And we welcome you and your families,
and we're honored to be celebrating with you this joyous occasion.
(Applause.)

You know, long before anyone had ever heard of Crawford, Texas,
Charlottesville, Virginia was the home to the first Western White House.
The majesty of this home is a monument to the genius of Thomas Jefferson.
Every hundreds of years -- every year, thousands of visitors come here. And
I think today it's fitting to thank the men and women of the Thomas
Jefferson Foundation for preserving this historic treasure. (Applause.)

You just can't help but marvel at Thomas Jefferson's many accomplishments.
As a scholar, few were better read. He was known to have read five books at
a time on a revolving book stand. Later in life he founded a public
university that has become one of the nation's finest -- the University of
Virginia. (Applause.)

As a statesman, Thomas Jefferson held all three top posts in the executive
branch. He served as the first Secretary of State, the second Vice
President, and the third President. Not bad for a man who hated public
speaking. (Laughter.) It seems Jefferson got away with only delivering two
public speeches during his presidency. I'm sure a lot of Americans wish
that were the case today. (Laughter.)

In a life full of accomplishments, Thomas Jefferson was especially proud of
the Declaration of Independence. Looking back 232 years later, it's easy to
forget how revolutionary Jefferson's draft was. (Audience interruption.)

At the time, some dismissed it as empty rhetoric. They believed the British
Empire would crush the 13 colonies in the field of battle. And they
believed a nation dedicated to liberty could never survive the world ruled
by kings. (Audience interruption continues.)

Today we know history had other plans. After many years of war, the United
States won its independence. The principles that Thomas Jefferson enshrined
in the Declaration became the guiding principles of the new nation. And at
every generation, Americans have rededicated themselves to the belief that
all men are created equal, with the God-given right to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness. (Applause.)

Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to Americans
alone. They belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day when all people
could secure them. On the 50th anniversary of America's independence,
Thomas Jefferson passed away. But before leaving this world, he explained
that the principles of the Declaration of Independence were universal. In
one of the final letters of his life, he wrote, "May it be to the world,
what I believe it will be -- to some parts sooner, to others later, but
finally to all -- the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, and to
assume the blessings and security of self-government."

We honor Jefferson's legacy by aiding the rise of liberty in lands that do
not know the blessings of freedom. And on this Fourth of July, we pay
tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the United
States of America. (Applause.)

We also honor Jefferson's legacy by welcoming newcomers to our land. And
that is what we're here to celebrate today. (Audience interruption.)

Throughout our history, the words of the Declaration have inspired
immigrants from around the world to set sail to our shores. (Interruption
continues.) These immigrants have helped transform 13 small colonies into a
great and growing nation of more than 300 [sic] people. They've made
America a melting pot of cultures from all across the world. They've made
diversity one of the great strengths of our democracy. And all of us here
today are here to honor and pay tribute to that great notion of America.
(Applause.)

Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30
different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and races and
religions. But you all have one thing in common -- and that is a shared
love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our nation together,
and this is the love that makes us all Americans.

One man with special appreciation for liberty is Mya Soe from Burma. As a
member of the Shan ethnic group, Mya faced discrimination and oppression at
the hands of Burma's military junta. When he tried to reach local villagers
-- when he tried to teach local villagers how to read and write the Shan
language, the regime interrogated him and harassed him. In 2000, he left a
life of fear for a life of freedom. He now works as a painter in the
Charlottesville community. Today we welcome this brave immigrant as a
citizen-to-be of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I'm sure there are other stories like Mya's among you. But we must remember
that the desire for freedom burns inside every man and woman and child.
More than two centuries ago, this desire of freedom was -- had inspired the
subjects of a mighty empire to declare themselves free and independent
citizens of a new nation. Today that same desire for freedom has inspired
72 immigrants from around the world to become citizens of the greatest
nation on Earth -- the United States of America. (Applause.)

I congratulate you. I welcome you. I wish you all a happy Fourth of July.
Thanks for inviting me. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless
the United States of America. (Applause.)

END 10:17 A.M. EDT
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