President Bush Promotes Compassionate Conservatism

President Bush Promotes

Compassionate Conservatism

Parkside Hall

the essential values and beliefs of our country.

In the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln pointed toward

a new birth of freedom. Leading America into

global war, Franklin D. Roosevelt defined the

four freedoms: freedom of speech and religion,

freedom from fear and want. Whenever America

fights for the security of our country, we

also fight for the values of our country. In

our time, we will defend the land we love and

In America, we’ve not always lived up to our ideals, yet we always reached

for them. We believe that everyone deserves a chance, that everyone has

value, that no insignificant person was ever born. We believe that all

are diminished when any are hopeless. We are one people, committed to building

America rejects bigotry. (Applause.) We reject every act of hatred against

people of Arab background or Muslim faith. (Applause.) We reject the ancient

evil of anti-Semitism, whether it is practiced by the killers of Daniel

America values and welcomes peaceful people of all faiths — Christian, Jewish,

Muslim, Sikh, Hindu and many others. Every faith is practiced and protected

here, because we are one country. Every immigrant can be fully and equally

American because we’re one country. Race and color should not divide us,

These American ideals of opportunity and equality come to us across the generations.

And they have attracted millions from across the world. Yet there are young

Americans growing up here, under this flag, who doubt the promise and justice

of our country. They live in neighborhoods occupied by gangs and ruled

by fear. They are entitled by law to an education, yet do not receive an

education. They hear talk of opportunity and see little evidence of opportunity

Every American must believe in the promise of America. And to reach this noble,

necessary goal, there is a role for government. America doesn’t need more

big government, and we’ve learned that more money is not always the answer.

If a program is failing to serve people, it makes little difference if

we spend twice as much or half as much. The measure of true compassion

Yet we cannot have an indifferent government either. We are a generous and

caring people. We don’t believe in a sink-or-swim society. The policies

of our government must heed the universal call of all faiths to love a

neighbor as we would want to be loved ourselves. We need a different approach

than either big government or indifferent government. We need a government

that is focused, effective, and close to the people; a government that

Government cannot solve every problem, but it can encourage people and communities

to help themselves and to help one another. Often the truest kind of compassion

is to help citizens build lives of their own. I call my philosophy and

approach “compassionate conservatism.” It is compassionate to

actively help our fellow citizens in need. It is conservative to insist

on responsibility and on results. And with this hopeful approach, we can

Compassionate conservatism places great hope and confidence in public education.

Our economy depends on higher and higher skills, requiring every American

to have the basic tools of learning. Every public school should be the

Yet, sadly enough, many are the dead-end of dreams. Public schools are some

of the most important institutions of democracy. (Applause.) They take

children of every background, from every part of the world, and prepare

them for the obligations and opportunities of a free society. Public schools

are Americans great hope, and making them work for every child is America’s