Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln:
Presidents with Visions for America

"If they could speak today, what might they say?"
Inspired by Mt. Rushmore National Memorial

This place in South Dakota. It's so far from the great battlefield at Gettysburg. This time, 135 years since the bloody clash. Months after the battle, I wrote a two-minute speech. It somehow became immortal. It ended:

'this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from this earth.'

And so it is. The union I so desperately strove to preserve is stronger than ever today. The new birth of freedom exists. I see it in the faces of the people who come here.

For nearly 60 years, I have rested here in the presence of the noblest men to ever lead this great nation. I have always been and will always be humble and proud.

"America must regain her rightful place as a world leader---but not without nobility of character---and we don't see enough of that today.

"We need a Progressive Party to break the political monopoly. We need a Party for men and women with true character, with moral fiber, integrity and fortitude. We need voters who expect a candidate to be one of known character, courage and conviction.

"Allow me to read excerpts of what I said in 1910:
The material progress and prosperity of a nation are desireable chiefly as far as they lead to moral and material welfare of all citizens....capable of sound judgement and high ideals, active in public affairs---but, first of all, sound in homelife---just so far and no further, may we count our civilization a success.
We must have---I believe we have already---a genuine and permanent moral awakening, without which no wisdom of legislation or administration really means anything.

"On the brink of the 21st Century, America must recognize the need for a similar moral renewal---for each generation. I believe there is already just such a movement spreading across America. Therein is true progress for mankind. It is the only future hope for civilization.

"Thank you for your attention."

The face of Thomas Jefferson stares with determination from Mount Rushmore. His confident gaze to the stars reminds us there is a destiny to which all human beings belong.

No president had quite as strong a faith in the potential of people as Thomas Jefferson. On the edge of the twenty-first century the words of President Jefferson speak just as clearly to us.

Jefferson was a man of science and education. These two fields of endeavour will be the pillars of twenty-first century society. President Jefferson would champion the information age as a great forum to cultivate education and advance the sciences to better the human condition.

The Internet would delight Jefferson. His boundless curiosity would have him exploring new ways to diffuse knowledge throughout the world. Education brings dignity and sets us free. Jefferson would caution that to realize these aspirations all people must have the opportunity to access this resource.

Jefferson would challenge us not to cower from the ocean of change that awaits us but to seize the abundant opportunities ahead. To promote the tools of education and science to shape our new world just as Jefferson shaped his own new world. To cast light into dark corners and conquer all tyrannies over the human mind.

Our Declaration of Independence (1776) declared our belief that all men are created equally. Nearly a century later, I mandated freedom for blacks in the Emancipation Proclamation. After yet another one hundred years, the Civil Rights Movement called upon Americans to further support equal rights for all. Our nation's founders fought a great battle for freedom each of you - as a citizen in a democratic society - has a responsibility for advancing our hard-earned rights and responsibilities. Be ever mindful of our highest ideals!

Thanks to technology. I have been cloned from my own DNA, and am able to respond directly with respect to speculation about how I would address this nation if I could speak today.

I am proud of the part I played in the forming of this great country. I was honored to be associated with some of the most freedom loving, idealistic type individuals, this world has ever gathered. We felt ourselves to be directed by God, and I continue to believe that this is so.

We sought to provide for a form of government which would protect the principles of freedom of mankind as God had intended. These freedoms should never come into peril because of the passage of time, nor should our endeavors to preserve these freedoms by chaining our government to the Constitution, be corrupted for political convenience.

We should not have a greater fear of our own government than we do from foreign invaders. We should not have to wonder if our elected will prefer to honor their duty to the Constitution or if they will find their loyalty directed elsewhere. To preserve our Constitution, we must demand our freedoms are not lost through legislative action, nor to satisfy an administrative decision.

My chest swells with pride each time I lay eyes across our country on the American heroes around me...heroes as far as I can see in every direction.

Americans give of themselves selflessly, Americans who serve in our military, Americans in public service, Americans who reach out those in need and less fortunate...heroes, one and all. To each and every one I say---BULLY GOOD SHOW and GOD BLESS YOU.

You there, Abe? As I was saying, this ornamental rock facade used to seem frivolous to me, but I've come to believe that it reminds people of the qualities on which our Republic was founded.

Well, George, you laid that foundation at Valley Forge, Trenton,Saratoga and Yorktown. Then you kept us out of foreign entanglements that would have scuttled our ship of state before it was out of the harbor. And you invested the presidency with dignity and force. You deserve to be here.

But let us not forget my friend, Jefferson. He doubled our nation's territory with the Louisiana purchase, an act which "stretched the Constitution until it cracked" - to use your own words, Thomas.

Oh, that was a case of sailing with the tide - but it was also the people's choice. Our friend Abraham here must be credited with preserving the Union, despite all odds, and with ending slavery. And decisive action is Theodore's hallmark. His charge up San Juan Hill freed Cuba, and with his "big stick" he dug the Panama Canal.

Thanks, Thomas. Now that the world has shrunk to a village, we'll need these qualities more than ever: integrity, self-sacrifice,perseverance, prudence, courage.

Interviewer: "Candidates, please voice your greatest concerns facing the American people today."

Washington: "The American people face a moral crisis of faith in labor. We have become a dependent society... we must strive for the individual to take hold of himself or herself and work toward their dreams."

Jefferson: "The federal government has reached beyond the scope of the Articles outlined in the Constitution. True, our world is extremely complex but current statutes should be evaluated by the Supreme Court to verify their Constitutionality. This would reduce taxes by eliminating functions at the federal level."

Lincoln: "We are a nation divided today. No longer by geographic lines, but still by the color of our skin. I make no pretenses or excuses about past behaviour, but repairations must be made. The United States can only reach the pinnacle of its destiny if we come together at last as one people."

"Speak softy and carry a big stick, for everyone with a smiling face is not necessarily your friend.
Though many politicians speak loudly and make many promises - It is the person who says little, but accomplishes much That you should look to for guidance. For pretty words look nice in History books; But the quiet man who puts his deeds behind his words, is the one who will make history!"

In my day, it wasn't uncommon for a person to enjoy music, but finding an outlet . . . ah, THAT was a different story. Picking up my violin and letting the sweet sounds of the strings echo in private or in a small gathering was a great pleasure, but there was so little "free" time. The chances to listen to someone else play were few and far between. As I sit upon my mount today, I can hear the strings being stroked, plucked, strummed, and banged. Good? Bad? Odd? Who's to say?
There were things that I did as a young man which some considered odd, even criminal. The great joys of my life came from the chance to test, to explore, to try. Thanks for the sounds of the radio, the record player, the c.d., the tape recorder, and, yes, electric instruments. Play on young person, for your sounds are truly music to my ears.

"Five Score and seven years ago, a frightened and beleaguered tribe of Native American men, women and children huddled on this hallowed ground seeking shelter from the shrill winds of nature and man-made discrimination and bigotry.

Against all odds, they were seeking the God-given freedoms embraced by all their fellow Americans. Tragically, it was not to be granted to them, nor to their descendants even to this day.

Now we stand at a water-shed moment in our national history...a moment that can finally re-pay them for the valorous sacrifice of their lives so many years ago.

No longer do their descendants need the sheltering and demeaning system of Reservations. No Longer must they be treated as second-class citizens, to be protected by the white man as docile servants and beggars.

Rather it is time to unleash the creative powers and energies of a noble people, to grant them their God-given rights as pledged in the Constitution and Bill of Rights: to seek their freedom and destiny as befits all children of God. And so, in the name of the Almighty, spoken so long ago, and yet so relevant today: 'Unshackle them, Lord, and SET THESE PEOPLE FREE!!'"

I'm proud of the diversity of this great land. Let us never forget the struggles that were waged to make us, ONE people ONE land!