frymðu

above all else, the time has come for us to renew our faith in ourselves and in america.

in recent years, that faith has been challenged.

our children have been taught to be ashamed of their country, ashamed of their parents, ashamed of america's record at home and of its role in the world.

at ever turn, we have been beset by those who find everything wrong with america and little that is right. but i am confident that this will not be the judgment of history on these remarkable times in which we are privileged to live.

america's record in this century has been unparalleled in the world's history for its responsibility, for its generosity, for its creativity, and for its progress.

let us be proud that our system has produced and provided more freedom and more abundance, more widely shared, than any other system in the history of the world.

let us be proud that in each of the four wars we have been engaged in this century, including the one we are now bringing to an end, we have fought not for our selfish advantage, but to help others resist aggression.

let us be proud that by our bold, new initiatives, and by our steadfastness for peace with honor, we have made a break-through toward creating in the world what the world has not known before – a structure of peace that can last, not merely for our time, but generations to come.

we are embarking today on an era that presents challenges great as those any nation, or any generation, has ever faced.

we shall answer to god, to history, and to our conscience for the way in which we use these years.

as i stand in this place, so hallowed by history, i think of others who have stood here before me. i think of the dreams they had for america, and i think of how each recognized that he need help far beyond himself in order to make those dreams come true.

today, i ask your prayers that in the years ahead i may have god's help in making decisions that are right for america, and i pray for your help so that together we may be worthy of our challenge.


–richard milhous nixon, 37th president of the united states
second inaugural address, january 20, 1973