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INAUGURALADDRESSOFPRESIDENTWILLIAMJ.CLINTONJanuary20,1997Myfellowcitizens:Atthislastpresidentialinaugurationofthe20thcentury,letusliftoureyestowardthechallengesthatawaitusinthenextcentury.Itisourgreatgoodfortunethattimeandchancehaveputusnotonlyattheedgeofanewcentury,inanewmillennium,butontheedgeofabrightnewprospectinhumanaffairs--amomentthatwilldefineourcourse,andourcharacter,fordecadestocome.Wemustkeepourolddemocracyforeveryoung.Guidedbytheancientvisionofapromisedland,letussetoursightsuponalandofnewpromise.ThepromiseofAmericawasborninthe18thcenturyoutoftheboldconvictionthatweareallcreatedequal.Itwasextendedandpreservedinthe19thcentury,whenournationspreadacrossthecontinent,savedtheunion,andabolishedtheawfulscourgeofslavery.Then,inturmoilandtriumph,thatpromiseexplodedontotheworldstagetomakethistheAmericanCentury.Andwhatacenturyithasbeen.Americabecametheworldsmightiestindustrialpower;savedtheworldfromtyrannyintwoworldwarsandalongcoldwar;andtimeandagain,reachedoutacrosstheglobetomillionswho,likeus,longedfortheblessingsofliberty.Alongtheway,Americansproducedagreatmiddleclassandsecurityinoldage;builtunrivaledcentersoflearningandopenedpublicschoolstoall;splittheatomandexploredtheheavens;inventedthecomputerandthemicrochip;anddeepenedthewellspringofjusticebymakingarevolutionincivilrightsforAfricanAmericansandallminorities,andextendingthecircleofcitizenship,opportunityanddignitytowomen.Now,forthethirdtime,anewcenturyisuponus,andanothertimetochoose.Webeganthe19thcenturywithachoice,tospreadournationfromcoasttocoast.Webeganthe20thcenturywithachoice,toharnesstheIndustrialRevolutiontoourvaluesoffreeenterprise,conservation,andhumandecency.Thosechoicesmadeallthedifference.Atthedawnofthe21stcenturyafreepeoplemustnowchoosetoshapetheforcesoftheInformationAgeandtheglobalsociety,tounleashthelimitlesspotentialofallourpeople,and,yes,toformamoreperfectunion.Whenlastwegathered,ourmarchtothisnewfutureseemedlesscertainthanitdoestoday.Wevowedthentosetaclearcoursetorenewournation.Inthesefouryears,wehavebeentouchedbytragedy,exhilaratedbychallenge,strengthenedbyachievement.Americastandsaloneastheworldsindispensablenation.Onceagain,oureconomyisthestrongestonEarth.Onceagain,wearebuildingstrongerfamilies,thrivingcommunities,bettereducationalopportunities,acleanerenvironment.Problemsthatonceseemeddestinedtodeepennowbendtoourefforts:ourstreetsaresaferandrecordnumbersofourfellowcitizenshavemovedfromwelfaretowork.Andonceagain,wehaveresolvedforourtimeagreatdebateovertheroleofgovernment.Todaywecandeclare:Governmentisnottheproblem,andgovernmentisnotthesolution.We--theAmericanpeople--wearethesolution.(Applause.)Ourfoundersunderstoodthatwellandgaveusademocracystrongenoughtoendureforcenturies,flexibleenoughtofaceourcommonchallengesandadvanceourcommondreamsineachnewday.Astimeschange,sogovernmentmustchange.Weneedanewgovernmentforanewcentury--humbleenoughnottotrytosolveallourproblemsforus,butstrongenoughtogiveusthetoolstosolveourproblemsforourselves;agovernmentthatissmaller,liveswithinitsmeans,anddoesmorewithless.Yetwhereitcanstandupforourvaluesandinterestsintheworld,andwhereitcangiveAmericansthepowertomakearealdifferenceintheireverydaylives,governmentshoulddomore,notless.ThepreeminentmissionofournewgovernmentistogiveallAmericansanopportunity--notaguarantee,butarealopportunity--tobuildbetterlives.(Applause.)Beyondthat,myfellowcitizens,thefutureisuptous.Ourfounderstaughtusthatthepreservationofourlibertyandouruniondependsuponresponsiblecitizenship.Andweneedanewsenseofresponsibilityforanewcentury.Thereisworktodo,workthatgovernmentalonecannotdo:teachingchildrentoread;hiringpeopleoffwelfarerolls;comingoutfrombehindlockeddoorsandshutteredwindowstohelpreclaimourstreetsfromdrugsandgangsandcrime;takingtimeoutofourownlivestoserveothers.Eachandeveryoneofus,inourownway,mustassumepersonalresponsibility--notonlyforourselvesandourfamilies,butforourneighborsandournation.(Applause.)Ourgreatestresponsibilityistoembraceanewspiritofcommunityforanewcentury.Foranyoneofustosucceed,wemustsucceedasoneAmerica.Thechallengeofourpastremainsthechallengeofourfuture--willwebeonenation,onepeople,withonecommondestiny,ornot?Willweallcometogether,orcomeapart?ThedivideofracehasbeenAmericasconstantcurse.Andeachnewwaveofimmigrantsgivesnewtargetstooldprejudices.Prejudiceandcontempt,cloakedinthepretenseofreligiousorpoliticalconvictionarenodifferent.(Applause.)Theseforceshavenearlydestroyedournationinthepast.Theyplagueusstill.Theyfuelthefanaticismofterror.Andtheytormentthelivesofmillionsinfracturednationsallaroundtheworld.Theseobsessionscrippleboththosewhohateand,ofcourse,thosewhoarehated,robbingbothofwhattheymightbecome.Wecannot,wewillnot,succumbtothedarkimpulsesthatlurkinthefarregionsofthesouleverywhere.Weshallovercomethem.(Applause.)Andweshallreplacethemwiththegenerousspiritofapeoplewhofeelathomewithoneanother.Ourrichtextureofracial,religiousandpoliticaldiversitywillbeaGodsendinthe21stcentury.Greatrewardswillcometothosewhocanlivetogether,learntogether,worktogether,forgenewtiesthatbindtogethe