For 60 years, Social Security has meant more than an ID number on a tax form; more than a monthly check in the mail. It reflects our deepest values – our respect for our parents and our belief that all Americans deserve to retire with dignity.
We must all be profoundly grateful for the magnificent achievements of our forbearers in this century. Yet perhaps in the daily press of events, in the clash of controversy, we don’t see our own time for what it truly is – a new dawn for America.
We should stay on the right track to the 21st century. Opportunity alone is not enough. I want to build an America in the 21st century in which all Americans take personal responsibility for themselves, their families, their communities and their country.
I think what breaks people is not adversity; what breaks people is thinking that tomorrow is going to be just like yesterday. That’s what’s numbing – if you think you can’t change, you can’t be better. And I didn’t like that.
We must continue to deepen our ties to the Americas and the Caribbean, our common work to educate children, fight drugs, strengthen democracy, and increase trade.
