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Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Billy and Ruth Graham May 2, 1996

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Remarks at a Dinner Honoring Billy and Ruth Graham May 2, 1996 784 May 2 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 Remarks at a Dinner Honoring calls upon us to minister to the poor and the Billy and Ruth Graham needy as they did in trying to help disaster May 2, 1996 victims in Guatemala and countless other places. And I know yesterday Billy and I were Good evening. The first time I ever met talking about how proud he was of the work Paul Harvey, he and his son played through that his son, Franklin, has done, and I saw a foursome I was in on his golf course in some of that when I sent our troops into Chicago. He never told me the score. But Bosnia and I met some people who had since then he's tried to tell me the score worked with Franklin Graham to try to help about a lot of other things. [Laughter] And the poor children in that war-torn land. I've enjoyed it every time. Billy and Ruth Graham have practiced the To the members of the Graham family, the ministry of good citizenship, being friends Members of Congress who are here, ladies with Presidents of both parties, counseling and gentlemen: I'm deeply honored to join them in countless ways, always completely with you tonight in honoring two of Ameri- private, always completely genuine. Yester- ca's finest citizens, two of the world's greatest day we sat in the Oval Office reminiscing and human resources, Billy and Ruth Graham. talking about current circumstances, and I When Billy and Ruth received the Con- asked for Billy Graham's prayers for the wis- gressional Gold Medal today, they received dom and guidance of God. That is a part of only the 114th medal in the 220-year history his ministry as well. of this country. Since, as Paul Harvey said, Perhaps the most moving example of that George Washington started receiving the came when Billy Graham spoke along with first one in 1776, Thomas Edison, Marian me and a number of others at the first service Anderson, Elie Wiesel, Winston ChurchillÐ shortly after the bombing in Oklahoma City. Billy and Ruth Graham belong in their com- And he knew he was speaking to a vast array pany, and more. of people who had been wounded by that I am going to make a presentation in a incident. Most of them were Christians, but moment related to that, but I wanted to say not all of them were. And yet he sought to a few words first. I'm very proud that Billy speak to all of them, and he gave what I and Ruth have decided to share this honor thought was one of the most honest messages with the Billy and Ruth Graham children's I had ever heard a minister of the Word give. center of Memorial Mission Hospital in And I thought to myself as I watched him Asheville, North Carolina. give it that only a man completely convicted, In Galatians 6, St. Paul said that while each completely secure in his own faith, could of us must make our own efforts to sustain have looked out at that vast wounded array ourselves, we are also reminded to ``bear ye of human beings and said, ``I wish I could one another's burdens and so fulfill the law tell you that I understand completely why of Christ.'' Sharing this medal in this way things like this happen. But I don't. Even does that. But in so many ways Billy and Ruth after all these years, I don't. I don't know have fulfilled the law of Christ, in the min- why this happened. I don't have an expla- istry of the Word going into all nations. nation for it. But the God we love is a God I hardly ever go to a place, as President, of love and mercy amidst all the suffering Billy Graham hadn't been there before me we are asked to endure. We are not supposed preaching. [Laughter] And I feel like a poor to understand everything but instead to lean substitute from time to time, because a lot on God.'' of the time what I'm trying to do is get people And he made it more powerful because to lay down the hatreds of the heart and he was able to say to his fellow Americans, reach down into their spirit and treat people ``Even after all these years, after I have who are different from them with the same searched the Scriptures and prayed for wis- dignity that all God's children are entitled dom, I do not understand everything. I can- to. not explain this, but that makes the case for Billy and Ruth have practiced the ministry our faith even stronger.'' I'll remember that of the deed. Hundreds of times the Bible for as long as I live. VerDate 28-OCT-97 11:28 Jan 07, 1998 Jkt 010199 PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 1244 Sfmt 1244 W:\DISC\P18MY4.003 p18my4 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1996 / May 3 785 Finally, I thank Billy Graham and Ruth about their life, their work, their trips to the Graham for the ministry of their life and their Holy Land, and the life to come. There was personal example, for their extraordinary no one there. There were no cameras; there achievement of 5 children, 19 grandchildren, were no reporters; there was nothing to be and I think now 8 great-grandchildren. If that gained. It was a simple, private, personal ex- achievement could be mirrored by every pression of common Christianity and grati- adult in America, we would have about 10 tude for the life of a person who had given percent of the problems we've got today in his life for their shared faith. this great country of ours. And finally, he got up to go. Billy looked I thank them for countless personal ges- at my pastor, W.O. Vaught, shriveled to less tures that demonstrate that as private people than 100 pounds, and he said, ``Smile, W.O., they are what they seem to be in public. I next time I see you we'll be outside the East- thank them for always doing things that will ern Gates.'' I'll never forget that as long as enable them to minister to people they may I live. not even know. I have said this in public be- So the Congress did a great thing; you have fore, but I want to say it again. When I was done a great thing; Billy and Ruth Graham a small boy, about 12 years old, Billy Graham have done a great thing in sharing this award came to Little Rock, Arkansas, to preach a with future generations of people who will crusade. That town was torn part by racial need their help and their ministry even after conflict. Our high schools were closed there, they have passed their time on this Earth. and there were those who asked Billy Gra- For all that, as President and in my personal ham to segregate his audience in War Memo- role as a citizen and a Christian, I am pro- rial Stadium so as not to roil the waters. foundly grateful. And I'll never forget that he saidÐand it I'd like Reverend Graham to come out was in the paperÐthat if he had to speak now, and I will give him a copy of the bill the Word of God to a segregated audience, which I signed and the pen with which I he would violate his ministry, and he would signed it. And perhaps he'd like to say a word not do it. And at the most intense time in to you tonight. the modern history of my State, everybody Billy. caved, and blacks and whites together poured into the football stadium. And when the invi- NOTE: The President spoke at 9:08 p.m. in the Ballroom at the Renaissance Hotel. In his re- tation was given, they poured down together, marks, he referred to radio commentator Paul down the aisles, and they forgot that they Harvey. were supposed to be mad at each other, angry at each other, that one was supposed to consider the other somehow less than Statement on Signing Technical equal. Corrections to the Omnibus And he never preached a word about inte- Consolidated Rescissions and grating the schools. He preached the Word Appropriations Act of 1996 of God, and he lived it by the power of his May 2, 1996 example. And one young boy from a modest family for a long time thereafter took just Today I have signed into law Senate Joint a little money out of his allowance every Resolution 53 (``Resolution''). This Resolu- month and sent it to Billy Graham's Crusade. tion makes technical corrections to Public And I've lived with that all my life. Law 104±134, the ``Omnibus Consolidated I'll never forget that when Billy Graham Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996'' came back to Little Rock 30 years later, prob- (``Act''), which I signed into law on April 26, ably the most well-known man of God and 1996. faith in the world, he took time out one day Two of the corrections merit comment. to let me take him to see my pastor who The Resolution repeals two paragraphs re- he'd known 30 years before, because he was lating to the Tongass National Forest, which dying.
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