AUGUST 30, 2012 9:21
AM
Below we have
published the prepared Remarks by former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice that were delivered at the Republican National Convention in Tampa,
Florida, Wednesday. Her actual remarks varied slightly from the text below.
Good evening. Distinguished delegates, fellow Republicans,
fellow Americans.
We gather here at a
time of significance and challenge.
This young century has been a difficult one. I will never forget the bright September day,
standing at my desk in the White House, when my young assistant said that a
plane had hit the World Trade Center – and then a second one – and a third, the
Pentagon. And then the news of a fourth,
driven into the ground by brave citizens that died so that many others would
live. From that day on our sense of
vulnerability and our understanding of security would be altered forever.
Then in 2008 the
global financial and economic crisis stunned us and still reverberates as
unemployment, economic uncertainty and failed policies cast a pall over the
American recovery so desperately needed at home and abroad.
And we have seen once
again that the desire for freedom is universal – as men and women in the Middle
East demand it. Yet, the promise of the
Arab Spring is engulfed in uncertainty; internal strife and hostile neighbors
are challenging the fragile democracy in Iraq; dictators in Iran and Syria
butcher their own people and threaten the security of the region; China and
Russia prevent a response; and all wonder,
“Where does America stand?”
Indeed that is the
question of the moment- “Where does America stand?” When our friends and our foes, alike, do not
know the answer to that question – clearly and unambiguously — the world is a
chaotic and dangerous place. The U.S.
has since the end of World War II had an answer – we stand for free peoples and
free markets, we are willing to support and defend them – we will sustain a
balance of power that favors freedom.
To be sure, the
burdens of leadership have been heavy.
I, like you, know the sacrifices that Americans have made – yes
including the ultimate sacrifice of many of our bravest. Yet our armed forces remain the sure
foundation of liberty. We are fortunate
to have men and women who volunteer – they volunteer to defend us on the front
lines of freedom. And we owe them our
eternal gratitude.
I know too that it has
not always been easy – though it has been rewarding – to speak up for those who
would otherwise be without a voice – the religious dissident in China; the
democracy advocate in Venezuela; the political prisoner in Iran.
It has been hard to
muster the resources to support fledgling democracies– or to help the world’s
most desperate— the AIDs orphan in Uganda, the refugee fleeing Zimbabwe, the
young woman who has been trafficked into the sex trade in Southeast Asia; the
world’s poorest in Haiti. Yet this
assistance – together with the compassionate works of private charities –
people of conscience and people of faith— has shown the soul of our country.
And I know too that
there is weariness – a sense that we have carried these burdens long
enough. But if we are not inspired to
lead again, one of two things will happen – no one will lead and that will
foster chaos —- or others who do not share our values will fill the
vacuum. My fellow Americans, we do not
have a choice. We cannot be reluctant to
lead – and one cannot lead from behind.
Mitt Romney and c
understand this reality — that our leadership abroad and our well being at home
are inextricably linked. They know what needs to be done.
Our friends and allies
must be able to trust us. From Israel to Poland to the Philippines to Colombia
and across the world — they must know that we are reliable and consistent and
determined. And our adversaries must
have no reason to doubt our resolve — because peace really does come through
strength. Our military capability and
technological advantage will be safe in Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s hands.
We must work for an
open global economy and pursue free and fair trade – to grow our exports and
our influence abroad. In the last years,
the United States has ratified three trade agreements, all negotiated in the
Bush Administration. If you are
concerned about China’s rise – consider this fact – China has signed 15 free
trade agreements and is negotiating 20 more.
Sadly we are abandoning the playing field of free trade – and it will
come back to haunt us.
We must not allow the
chance to attain energy independence to slip from our grasp. We have a great gift of oil and gas reserves
here in North America that must be and can be developed while protecting our
environment. And we have the ingenuity
in the private sector to tap alternative sources of energy.
And most importantly,
Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan will rebuild the foundation of American strength –
our economy – stimulating private sector led growth and small business
entrepreneurship. When the world looks
at us today they see an American government that cannot live within its
means. They see a government that
continues to borrow money, mortgaging the future of generations to come. The world knows that when a nation loses
control of its finances, it eventually loses control of its destiny. That is not the America that has inspired
others to follow our lead.
After all, when the
world looks to America, they look to us because we are the most successful
political and economic experiment in human history. That is the true basis of “American
Exceptionalism.” The essence of America
– that which really unites us — is not ethnicity, or nationality or religion –
it is an idea — and what an idea it is:
That you can come from humble circumstances and do great things. That it doesn’t matter where you came from
but where you are going.
Ours has never been a
narrative of grievance and entitlement.
We have not believed that I am doing poorly because you are doing
well. We have not been envious of one
another and jealous of each other’s success. Ours has been a belief in
opportunity and a constant battle – long and hard — to extend the benefits of
the American dream to all – without regard to circumstances of birth.
But the American ideal
is indeed endangered today. There is no
country, no not even a rising China, that can do more harm to us than we can do
to ourselves if we fail to accomplish the tasks before us here at home.
More than at any other
time in history –the ability to mobilize the creativity and ambition of human
beings forms the foundation of greatness.
We have always done that better than any country in the world. People have come here from all over because
they believed in our creed – of opportunity and limitless horizons. They have come from the world’s most
impoverished nations to make five dollars not fifty cents– and they have come
from the world’s advanced societies – as engineers and scientists — to help
fuel the knowledge based revolution in the Silicon Valley of California; the
research triangle of North Carolina; in Austin, Texas; along Route 128 in
Massachusetts – and across our country.
We must continue to
welcome the world’s most ambitious people to be a part of us. In that way we stay perpetually young and
optimistic and determined. We need
immigration laws that protect our borders; meet our economic needs; and yet
show that we are a compassionate people.
We have been
successful too because Americans have known that one’s status at birth was not
a permanent station in life. You might
not be able to control your circumstances but you could control your response
to your circumstances. And your greatest
ally in doing so was a quality education.
Let me ask you,
though, today, when I can look at your zip code and can tell whether you are
going to get a good education – can I really say that it doesn’t matter where
you came from – it matters where you are going.
The crisis in K-12 education is a grave threat to who we are.
My mom was a teacher –
I have the greatest respect for the profession – we need great teachers – not
poor or mediocre ones. We need to have
high standards for our students – self-esteem comes from achievement not from
lax standards and false praise. And we
need to give parents greater choice – particularly poor parents whose kids –
most often minorities — are trapped in failing neighborhood schools. This is the civil rights struggle of our day.
If we do anything
less, we will condemn generations to joblessness, hopelessness and dependence
on the government dole. To do anything
less is to endanger our global economic competitiveness. To do anything less is to tear apart the
fabric of who we are and cement a turn toward grievance and entitlement.
Mitt Romney and Paul
Ryan will rebuild us at home and inspire us to lead abroad. They will provide an answer to the question,
“Where does America stand?”
The challenge is real
and these are tough times. But America
has met and overcome difficult circumstances before. Whenever you find yourself doubting us – just
think of all the times that we have made the impossible seem inevitable in
retrospect.
America’s victorious
revolutionary founding – against the greatest military power of the time; a
Civil War – hundreds of thousands dead in a brutal conflict – but emerging a
stronger union; a second founding – as impatient patriots fought to overcome
the birth defect of slavery and the scourge of segregation; a long struggle
against communism – that ended with the death of the Soviet Union and the
emergence of Europe, whole free and at peace; the will to make difficult
decisions, heart-wrenching choices in the aftermath of 9/11 that secured us and
prevented the follow-on attacks that seemed preordained at the time.
And on a personal
note– a little girl grows up in Jim Crow Birmingham – the most segregated big
city in America – her parents can’t take her to a movie theater or a restaurant
– but they make her believe that even though she can’t have a hamburger at the
Woolworth’s lunch counter – she can be President of the United States and she
becomes the Secretary of State.
Yes, America has a way
of making the impossible seem inevitable in retrospect. But of course it has never been inevitable –
it has taken leadership, courage and an unwavering faith in our values.
Mitt Romney and Paul
Ryan have the experience and the integrity and the vision to lead us – they know
who we are, what we want to be and what we offer the world.
That is why this is a
moment – an election – of consequence.
Because it just has to be – that the most compassionate and freest
country on the face of the earth – will continue to be the most powerful!
May God Bless You –
and May God continue to bless this extraordinary, exceptional country – the
United States of America.
