Of The Four Wars In My Lifetime,

Piling Up Material Goods Cannot Fill The Emptiness Of Lives Which Have No Confidence Or Purpose.

And How Stands The City On This Winter Night? More Prosperous, More Secure, And Happier Than It Was 8 Years Ago. But More Than That: After 200 Years, Two Centuries, She Still Stands Strong And True On The Granite Ridge, And Her Glow Has Held Steady No Matter What Storm. And She's Still A Beacon, Still A Magnet For All Who Must Have Freedom, For All The Pilgrims From All The Lost Places Who Are Hurtling Through The Darkness, Toward Home.

If Some Among You Fear Taking A Stand Because You Are Afraid Of Reprisals From Customers, Clients, Or Even Government, Recognize That You Are Just Feeding The Crocodile Hoping He'll Eat You Last.

This Is Not To Say That The Government Should Confiscate From The "haves" And Bestow Upon The "have-nots", Beyond The Requirements Of A Compassionate Welfare Program To Provide For Those Who Cannot Provide For Themselves. Far From It. But It Is To Say That Our Duty Is To Foster A Strong, Vibrant Wealth-producing Economy Which Operates In Such A Way That New Additions To Wealth Accrue To Those Who Presently Have Little Or No Ownership Stake In Their Country.

For Us To Ignore By Inaction The Slaughter Of American Civilians And American Soldiers, Whether In Nightclubs Or Airline Terminals, Is Simply Not In The American Tradition. Self-defense Is Not Only Our Right, It Is Our Duty.