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NOTE: The address was recorded at 1:32 p.m. The transcript was made available by the Of- on January 18 in the Cabinet Room at the fice of the Press Secretary on January 18 but White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on was embargoed for release until the broad- January 19. In his remarks, the President re- cast. The Office of the Press Secretary also ferred to Title I of the Improving America’s released a Spanish language transcript of this Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–382), address. The Martin Luther , Jr., Fed- which amended Title I of the Elementary eral Holiday proclamation of January 17 is and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Public listed in Appendix D at the end of this vol- Law 89–10); and the Individuals with Dis- ume. abilities Education Act (Public Law 94–142).

Remarks at a Martin Luther King, Jr., Holiday Celebration January 21, 2002

Well, thank you all very much for com- I appreciate all the members of my team ing. Mrs. King, thanks for this beautiful who are here, in particular, Condoleezza portrait. I can’t wait to hang it. [Laughter] Rice, the National Security Adviser. Thank I want to welcome you all to the White you for coming, Condi. It’s good to see House. We’ve gathered in tribute to Dr. the Mayor. Mr. Mayor and the first lady, Martin Luther King, Jr., to the ideals he Diane, are with us today. Thank you all held and the life he lived. We remember for coming. The Mayor is a good man. I a man who brought much good into the can assure you, Mr. Mayor, we paid our world by the power of his voice and the property taxes. [Laughter] truth of his words. I appreciate so many members of the For some of you here this afternoon, Dr. diplomatic corps for being here. Ambas- King was and is a special part of your life sadors from all across the world are here as a colleague and a friend and a brother. to say hello to Mrs. King and her family. Four call him ‘‘Dad,’’ and we are pleased And thank you all for coming to pay honor that two of his children are here with us to such a great American. Thank you very today. We welcome Bernice and Martin much. Luther King III. I know your dad would On a summer night in 1964, right here be incredibly proud of you. I also welcome in the East Room, President Lyndon Baines , Dr. King’s sister. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act and , Isaac Farris, Jr., Arthur handed a pen to Martin Luther King, Jr. Bagley, and Arturo Bagley, family mem- The law marked a true turning point in bers, are here as well. Thank you all for the life of our country. As Dr. King put coming. And of course, we’re honored to it, ‘‘The Civil Rights Act was the end of be in the presence of such a distinguished a century of slumber.’’ More laws would and delightful lady, . be needed, and more would follow. But I appreciate Secretary Rod Paige for on that day, our Federal Government ac- being here. In honor of Dr. King, the De- cepted the duty of securing freedom and partment of Education will soon announce justice for every American. the Martin Luther King, Jr., scholars pro- Standing in the White House, marking gram to promising students all across Amer- a national holiday in Dr. King’s memory, ica. we are now two generations and a world

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away from Montgomery, Selma, and Bir- its own standards, to live out the true mingham as he knew them. It would be meaning of its creed. easy to forget the great obstacles he over- We see Martin Luther King in many came and the years of effort and the daily ways. Perhaps, above all, we should see him courage that turned a cause into a move- as a minister of the Gospel. He said, ‘‘I ment. Perhaps without Martin Luther King, decided early to give my life to something there might still have been a Civil Rights eternal and absolute, not to these little gods Act. There’s no doubting that the law came that are here today and gone tomorrow but as it did, when it did, because of him. to God, who is the same yesterday, today, Yet, he was not one to claim credit for and forever.’’ himself. The civil rights law, he said, was That faith gave Dr. King the grace to first written in the streets by many thou- forgive and the . He refused sands of black citizens and others who to answer hatred with hatred or meet vio- shared their goals. Their movement rose lence with violence. He appealed not to from generations of bitter experience, the resentment but to reason, not to anger but slights, the cruelties, the pervasive wrongs to conscience. He was on this Earth just that marked the lives of many black Ameri- 39 years. On the last night of his life, he cans. did seem to sense that grave danger was lying in wait. But he trusted in the ways As a small boy, Martin had seen his fa- of providence, not fearing any man, certain ther, a gifted and learned man, retain great that no man could ever finally prevent the dignity while being insulted, ordered about, purposes of Almighty God. and spoken down to. ‘‘I don’t care how ‘‘Here on all the roads of life,’’ said Dr. long I have to live with this system,’’ said King in a sermon, ‘‘God is striving in our Martin Luther King, Sr., ‘‘I will never ac- striving. As we struggle to defeat the forces cept it.’’ The son would not accept it either. of evil, the God of the universe struggles Years afterwards, he related the story of with us. Evil dies on the seashore, not going to the back of the bus, day after merely because of man’s endless struggle day, putting his mind up in the front seat. against it but because of God’s power to He told himself, ‘‘One of these days I’m defeat it.’’ Martin Luther King, Jr., lived going to put my body where my mind is.’’ in that belief and died in that belief. In time, he did so, as did others, some Some figures in history, renowned in of whose names are also honored in our their day, grow smaller with the passing history. Along the way, he was beaten and of time. The man from , , stabbed, jailed, and came close to losing only grows larger with the years. America his wife and baby daughter when their is a better place because he was here, and house was bombed. At a certain point, even we will honor his name forever. a strong man might have yielded. Dr. King It is now my honor to sign the proclama- never did, and he never gave up on his tion. country. He believed that whatever one would change, one must first love—and he NOTE: The President spoke at 4:12 p.m. in loved America. the East Room at the White House, after His most powerful arguments were unan- receiving a portrait of Martin Luther King, swerable, for they were the very words and Jr., for the White House. In his remarks, he principles of our Declaration and Constitu- referred to Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. tion. When he came to this Capital City King, and their children and and stood before the figure of the Great Martin Luther King III; Alveda King and Emancipator, it was not to assail or threat- Isaac Farris, Jr., niece and nephew of Dr. en. He had come to hold this Nation to King; and Mayor Anthony A. Williams of the

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District of Columbia and his wife, Diane. Jr., Federal Holiday proclamation of January Following his remarks, the President signed 17, which is listed in Appendix D at the end and presented to the King family a com- of this volume. memorative copy of the Martin Luther King,

Letter to Congressional Leaders Reporting on Continued Operations of United States Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina January 21, 2002

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:) NATO nations and 17 others, including In my report to the Congress of July Russia, provided military personnel or other 24, 2001, I provided information on the support to SFOR. Most U.S. forces in Bos- deployment of combat-equipped U.S. nia and Herzegovina are assigned to Multi- Armed Forces to Bosnia and Herzegovina national Division, North, centered in the and other states in the region in order to city of Tuzla. Other U.S. military personnel participate in and support the North Atlan- are deployed to other countries in the re- tic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Sta- gion in support of SFOR. These deploy- bilization Force (SFOR). The SFOR began ments include approximately 50 U.S. mili- its mission and assumed authority from the tary personnel presently deployed to Hun- NATO-led Implementation Force on De- gary and Croatia in order to provide cember 20, 1996. I am providing this sup- logistical and other support. The U.S. plemental report, based upon information forces continue to support SFOR efforts provided to me and consistent with the to apprehend persons indicted for war War Powers Resolution (P.L. 93–148), to crimes. In the last 6 months, U.S. forces help ensure that the Congress is kept fully have not sustained any combat-related fa- informed on continued U.S. contributions talities. in support of peacekeeping efforts in the I have directed the participation of U.S. former Yugoslavia. Armed Forces in these operations pursuant The U.N. Security Council authorized to my constitutional authority to conduct Member States to continue SFOR for a U.S. foreign relations and as Commander period of 12 months in U.N. Security in Chief and Chief Executive. Council Resolution 1357 of June 21, 2001. I am providing this report as part of my The mission of SFOR is to provide a fo- efforts to keep the Congress fully informed cused military presence in order to deter about developments in Bosnia and hostilities, stabilize, and consolidate the Herzegovina and other states in the region. peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, con- I will continue to consult closely with the tribute to a secure environment, and pro- Congress regarding our efforts to foster vide, within its means and capabilities, se- peace and stability in the former Yugo- lective support to key areas and key civil slavia. implementation organizations. Sincerely, The U.S. force contribution to SFOR in GEORGE W. BUSH Bosnia and Herzegovina is approximately 3,100 personnel. United States personnel NOTE: Identical letters were sent to J. Den- comprise just under 18 percent of the total nis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Rep- SFOR force of approximately 17,500 per- resentatives, and Robert C. Byrd, President sonnel. During the last half of 2001, 19 pro tempore of the Senate. This letter was

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