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Myfellowcitizens:Istandheretodayhumbledbythetaskbeforeus,gratefulforthetrustyouhavebestowed,mindfulofthesacrificesbornebyourancestors.IthankPresidentBushforhisservicetoournation,aswellasthegenerosityandcooperationhehasshownthroughoutthistransition.Forty-fourAmericanshavenowtakenthepresidentialoath.Thewordshavebeenspokenduringrisingtidesofprosperityandthestillwatersofpeace.Yet,everysooften,theoathistakenamidstgatheringcloudsandragingstorms.Atthesemoments,Americahascarriedonnotsimplybecauseoftheskillorvisionofthoseinhighoffice,butbecauseWethePeoplehaveremainedfaithfultotheidealsofourforebearers,andtruetoourfoundingdocuments.Soithasbeen.SoitmustbewiththisgenerationofAmericans.Thatweareinthemidstofcrisisisnowwellunderstood.Ournationisatwar,againstafar-reachingnetworkofviolenceandhatred.Oureconomyisbadlyweakened,aconsequenceofgreedandirresponsibilityonthepartofsome,butalsoourcollectivefailuretomakehardchoicesandpreparethenationforanewage.Homeshavebeenlost;jobsshed;businessesshuttered.Ourhealthcareistoocostly;ourschoolsfailtoomany;andeachdaybringsfurtherevidencethatthewaysweuseenergystrengthenouradversariesandthreatenourplanet.Thesearetheindicatorsofcrisis,subjecttodataandstatistics.Lessmeasurablebutnolessprofoundisasappingofconfidenceacrossourland--anaggingfearthatAmerica'sdeclineisinevitable,andthatthenextgenerationmustloweritssights.TodayIsaytoyouthatthechallengeswefacearereal.Theyareseriousandtheyaremany.Theywillnotbemeteasilyorinashortspanoftime.Butknowthis,America:Theywillbemet.Onthisday,wegatherbecausewehavechosenhopeoverfear,unityofpurposeoverconflictanddiscord.Onthisday,wecometoproclaimanendtothepettygrievancesandfalsepromises,therecriminationsandworn-outdogmas,thatforfartoolonghavestrangledourpolitics.Weremainayoungnation,butinthewordsofScripture,thetimehascometosetasidechildishthings.Thetimehascometoreaffirmourenduringspirit;tochooseourbetterhistory;tocarryforwardthatpreciousgift,thatnobleidea,passedonfromgenerationtogeneration:theGod-givenpromisethatallareequal,allarefree,andalldeserveachancetopursuetheirfullmeasureofhappiness.Inreaffirmingthegreatnessofournation,weunderstandthatgreatnessisneveragiven.Itmustbeearned.Ourjourneyhasneverbeenoneofshortcutsorsettlingforless.Ithasnotbeenthepathforthefainthearted--forthosewhopreferleisureoverwork,orseekonlythepleasuresofrichesandfame.Rather,ithasbeentherisk-takers,thedoers,themakersofthings--somecelebrated,butmoreoftenmenandwomenobscureintheirlabor--whohavecarriedusupthelong,ruggedpathtowardprosperityandfreedomForus,theypackeduptheirfewworldlypossessionsandtraveledacrossoceansinsearchofanewlife.Forus,theytoiledinsweatshopsandsettledtheWest;enduredthelashofthewhipandplowedthehardearth.Forus,theyfoughtanddied,inplaceslikeConcordandGettysburg;NormandyandKheSahn.Timeandagain,thesemenandwomenstruggledandsacrificedandworkedtilltheirhandswererawsothatwemightliveabetterlife.TheysawAmericaasbiggerthanthesumofourindividualambitions;greaterthanallthedifferencesofbirthorwealthorfaction.Thisisthejourneywecontinuetoday.Weremainthemostprosperous,powerfulnationonEarth.Ourworkersarenolessproductivethanwhenthiscrisisbegan.Ourmindsarenolessinventive,ourgoodsandservicesnolessneededthantheywerelastweekorlastmonthorlastyear.Ourcapacityremainsundiminished.Butourtimeofstandingpat,ofprotectingnarrowinterestsandputtingoffunpleasantdecisions--thattimehassurelypassed.Startingtoday,wemustpickourselvesup,dustourselvesoff,andbeginagaintheworkofremakingAmerica.Foreverywherewelook,thereisworktobedone.Thestateoftheeconomycallsforaction,boldandswift,andwewillact--notonlytocreatenewjobs,buttolayanewfoundationforgrowth.Wewillbuildtheroadsandbridges,theelectricgridsanddigitallinesthatfeedourcommerceandbindustogether.Wewillrestoresciencetoitsrightfulplace,andwieldtechnology'swonderstoraisehealthcare'squalityandloweritscost.Wewillharnessthesunandthewindsandthesoiltofuelourcarsandrunourfactories.Andwewilltransformourschoolsandcollegesanduniversitiestomeetthedemandsofanewage.Allthiswecando.Andallthiswewilldo.Now,therearesomewhoquestionthescaleofourambitions--whosuggestthatoursystemcannottoleratetoomanybigplans.Theirmemoriesareshort.Fortheyhaveforgottenwhatthiscountryhasalreadydone;whatfreemenandwomencanachievewhenimaginationisjoinedtocommonpurpose,andnecessitytocourage.Whatthecynicsfailtounderstandisthatthegroundhasshiftedbeneaththem--thatthestalepoliticalargumentsthathaveconsumedusforsolongnolongerapply.Thequestionweasktodayisnotwhetherourgovernmentistoobigortoosmall,butwhetheritworks--whetherithelpsfamiliesfindjobsatadecentwage,caretheycanafford,aretirementthatisdignified.Wheretheanswerisyes,weintendtomoveforward.Wheretheanswerisno,programswillend.Andthoseofuswhomanagethepublic'sdollarswillbeheldtoaccount--tospendwisely,reformbadhabits,anddoourbusinessinthelightofday--becauseonlythencanwerestorethevitaltrustbetweenapeopleandtheirgovernment.Noristhequestionbeforeuswhetherthemarketisaforceforgoodorill.Itspowertogeneratewealthandexpandfreedomisunmatched,butthiscrisishasremindedusthatwithoutawatchfule