The addresses are separated by three asterisks: ***
Dates of addresses by Jimmy Carter in this eBook:
January 19, 1978
January 25, 1979
January 21, 1980
January 16, 1981
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State of the Union Address
Jimmy Carter
January 19, 1978
Two years ago today we had the first caucus in Iowa, and one year agotomorrow, I walked from here to the White House to take up the duties ofPresident of the United States. I didn't know it then when I walked, butI've been trying to save energy ever since.
I return tonight to fulfill one of those duties of the Constitution: togive to the Congress, and to the Nation, information on the state of theUnion.
Militarily, politically, economically, and in spirit, the state of ourUnion is sound.
We are a great country, a strong country, a vital and dynamic country, andso we will remain.
We are a confident people and a hardworking people, a decent and acompassionate people, and so we will remain.
I want to speak to you tonight about where we are and where we must go,about what we have done and what we must do. And I want to pledge to you mybest efforts and ask you to pledge yours.
Each generation of Americans has to face circumstances not of its ownchoosing, but by which its character is measured and its spirit is tested.
There are times of emergency, when a nation and its leaders must bringtheir energies to bear on a single urgent task. That was the duty AbrahamLincoln faced when our land was torn apart by conflict in the War Betweenthe States. That was the duty faced by Franklin Roosevelt when he ledAmerica out of an economic depression and again when he led America tovictory in war.
There are other times when there is no single overwhelming crisis, yetprofound national interests are at stake.
At such times the risk of inaction can be equally great. It becomes thetask of leaders to call forth the vast and restless energies of our peopleto build for the future.
That is what Harry Truman did in the years after the Second World War, whenwe helped Europe and Japan rebuild themselves and secured an internationalorder that has protected freedom from aggression.
We live in such times now, and we face such duties.
We've come through a long period of turmoil and doubt, but we've once againfound our moral course, and with a new spirit, we are striving to expressour best instincts to the rest of the world.
There is all across our land a growing sense of peace and a sense of commonpurpose. This sense of unity cannot be expressed in programs or inlegislation or in dollars. It's an achievement that belongs to everyindividual American. This unity ties together, and it towers over all ourefforts here in Washington, and it serves as an inspiring beacon for all ofus who are elected to serve.
This new atmosphere demands a new spirit, a partnership between those of uswho lead and those who elect. The foundations of this partnership aretruth, the courage to face hard decisions, concern for one another and thecommon good over special interests, and a basic faith and trust in thewisdom and strength and judgment of the American people.
For the first time in a generation, we are not haunted by a majorinternational crisis or by domestic turmoil, and we now have a rare and apriceless opportunity to address persis