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Holiday Radio Address
December 27, 2008
Good morning. This week, Americans are gathering with family and friends across
the country to celebrate the blessings of Christmas and the holiday season.
As we celebrate this joyous time of year, our thoughts turn to the brave men and
women who serve our country far from home. Their extraordinary and selfless
sacrifice is an inspiration to us all, and part of the unbroken line of heroism that
has made our freedom and prosperity possible for over two centuries.
Many troops are serving their second, third, or fourth tour of duty. And we are
reminded that they are more than dedicated Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and
Coast Guard – they are devoted fathers and mothers; husbands and wives; sons and
daughters; and sisters and brothers.
This holiday season, their families celebrate with a joy that is muted knowing that a
loved one is absent, and sometimes in danger. In towns and cities across America,
there is an empty seat at the dinner table; in distant bases and on ships at sea, our
servicemen and women can only wonder at the look on their child’s face as they
open a gift back home.
Our troops and military families have won the respect and gratitude of their
broader American family. Michelle and I have them in our prayers this Christmas,
and we must all continue to offer them our full support in the weeks and months to
come. .
These are also tough times for many Americans struggling in our sluggish
economy. As we count the higher blessings of faith and family, we know that
millions of Americans don’t have a job. Many more are struggling to pay the bills
or stay in their homes. From students to seniors, the future seems uncertain.
That is why this season of giving should also be a time to renew a sense of
common purpose and shared citizenship. Now, more than ever, we must rededicate
ourselves to the notion that we share a common destiny as Americans – that I am
my brother’s keeper, I am my sister’s keeper. Now, we must all do our part to serve
one another; to seek new ideas and new innovation; and to start a new chapter for
our great country.
That is the spirit that will guide my Administration in the New Year. If the
American people come together and put their shoulder to the wheel of history, then
I know that we can put our people back to work and point our country in a new
direction. That is how we will see ourselves through this time of crisis, and reach
the promise of a brighter day.
After all, that is what Americans have always done.
232 years ago, when America was newly born as a nation, George Washington and
his Army faced impossible odds as they struggled to free themselves from the grip
of an empire.
It was Christmas Day—December 25th, 1776 – that they fought through ice and
cold to make an improbable crossing of the Delaware River. They caught the
enemy off guard, won victories in Trenton and Princeton, and gave new momentum
to a beleaguered Army and new hope to the cause of Independence.
Many ages have passed since that first American Christmas. We have crossed many
rivers as a people. But the lessons that have carried us through are the same lessons
that we celebrate every Christmas season—the same lessons that guide us to this
very day: that hope endures, and that a new birth of peace is always possible.
Video to Xmas Radio Address