speech by the ambassador

Welcome.

When we gathered here on November 5th, we knew we were witnessing an historic moment in American history.  Today we will witness the inauguration of a man who himself represents the epitome of the American dream, a man whose heritage is both black and white, immigrant and native-born.

Barack Obama chose the theme "A New Birth of Freedom" for his inauguration.  It is a phrase from President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg address, considered one of the most poignant speeches in American history.  At the time, Lincoln was president of a deeply divided land.  The Civil War was raging, pitting brother against brother, father against son, North against South.  Lincoln's goal was to keep the country united, balance the rights of the states with those of the nation, and end slavery.  The end of that terrible war though produced the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, which gave freedom, citizenship and the right to vote to all Americans, black and white.

"A New Birth of Freedom" however, also harks back to another compelling speech by another great orator, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, whose birthday we celebrated yesterday. Like Lincoln, Dr. King led a great battle for justice and freedom, but this battle was fought non-violently. Its weapons were words, the law, sit-ins, strikes, marches and, most importantly, moral suasion to bring civil liberties and justice to all Americans.   Dr. King's speech ended with "Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia. Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring."

Ironically, the laws passed after the Civil War and from the Civil Rights movement not only benefited African-Americans, but also women, immigrants and Americans of all colors and backgrounds.  In fact, the largest group to benefit were women, who in the decade from 1964-1974, suddenly found that they could apply to almost any university in the U.S., train for any profession and play  sports at the high school and college level; all activities which had been denied them before the Civil Rights Movement.  These laws expanding the rights of the people are the very fundaments of our society today.

This morning, when Barack Obama takes the oath of office with his hand on Lincoln's Bible, we will witness the culmination of the dreams of Lincoln, King, and millions of anonymous Americans.  Obama has pledged change and to represent all the people of the United States.
 
With the selection of his Cabinet, he has united in one body many of the strands of our society to create a Cabinet which reflects the diversity of our people.  Martin Luther King dreamed that his "four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." 

As of today, the executive branch of the American government will be presided over by a man with a white American mother and a black Kenyan father, a secretary of energy whose parents were Chinese, a secretary of veterans’ affairs whose grandparents were Japanese, a secretary of labor whose parents were Nicaraguan and Mexican, and a surgeon general with Indian parents.  In total, the senior heads of the executive branch will comprise four female secretaries, two of African-American heritage, three Asian-Americans and two Hispanic-Americans. Truly the United States has become the land of opportunity for all her children.

Lincoln ended the Gettysburg Address with the desire "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

The words are as stirring today as they were in 1863 and the sentiments as valid.  Let us wish President Obama every success as he commits himself, his government, and the American people to this vision and task. Thank you.