Dec. 3 / Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995

The lesson I draw as an American from this a wit to do with military might; it was all about trip in terms of the budget negotiations is that values. And we should do nothing at home with- if we’re going to be strong abroad, we have in our own borders that undermines our ability to be strong at home. And the policy we are to project those values to the rest of the world. following is working. The economy is better than Prime Minister Gonzalez. Thank you. I have it was 3 years ago. We’re making progress on promised firmly to keep on schedule, and we’ve our social problems. We should not take a rad- reached the end. Thank you. ical detour from the disciplined direction we have gone to grow the economy, to expand the NOTE: The President’s 109th news conference middle class, to shrink the under class. And we began at 11:50 a.m. at the Moncloa Palace. The should do nothing that would send the signal President met with Prime Minister Felipe Gon- to the world that we are less successful economi- zalez of Spain, President of the European Council, cally, that we are promoting inequality, that we and Jacques Santer, President of the European are being less humane and less caring and less Commission. Prime Minister Gonzalez spoke in sensitive as a country to our own people within Spanish, and his remarks were translated by an our borders. That is what I know. interpreter. In his remarks, the President referred We have to continue—the power of the to President Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Sir United States goes far beyond military might. Leon Brittan, Vice President of the European What you saw in Ireland, for example, had not Commission.

Remarks at the Reception December 3, 1995

I am delighted to see you here. I am de- At such a time we have to do everything we lighted to see you here on this, what is really can to imagine the right kind of future and the first day of our Christmas season. It is true to remember what is best and constant about that Hillary saw these decorations a couple of human nature throughout all ages. And so at hours ago, but I went up and crashed. You this time we need our artists in a special way, saw them all before I did. [Laughter] in a profound way. And so, especially at this This is a happy time at the White House, Christmas season, I welcome all of you to the and this is an appropriate way to begin. As all White House. of you know, we’ve just come home from Eu- Joseph Jacques d’Amboise was a natural ath- rope, from a trip to London, Belfast, Dublin, lete and a tough street kid in New York City. to see our forces in Germany, and to Madrid. He discovered his true gift one day when he I was especially moved again, as I think every took his sister to ballet class and discovered person who goes to Ireland is, by the incredible the new sport of dance. Ever since that day, power of the art of Ireland. The Irish playwright he has taken ballet into the neighborhoods and John Millington Synge wrote of artists that they consciousness of America in a way that no other know the stars, the flowers, and the birds and performer has. He has made ballet strong as converse with the mountains, moors, and ferns. well as beautiful through his performances in Today we honor five such artists, and I am ‘‘Carousel,’’ ‘‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,’’ delighted to see so many more in the audience and ‘‘Stars and Stripes,’’ a distinctively American tonight joining us. ballet created especially for him. He danced I think all of us know that our Nation and until he was 50, which may be young in some our world are in a period of profound change, careers, but not in ballet; I’m not so sure it’s perhaps the most sweeping period of change young in others as well. [Laughter] Today we in the way we work and live and relate to one thank you for sharing your talents by teaching another in a hundred years. We know that there dance to a whole new generation of performers. is an enormous amount of possibility in this We thank you for your work as a performer period and still a great deal to trouble the soul.

1840 Administration of William J. Clinton, 1995 / Dec. 3 and choreographer and for giving new dimen- other person, he would remove those signs from sion to the world of ballet. the world of film. He broke these barriers by Marilyn Horne made her professional debut sheer force of his powerful presence on screen. at the age of 4 when she sang at a fundraiser From the start, he was a leading man, and his for President Roosevelt. That’s Franklin Roo- performances have become landmarks in Amer- sevelt—[laughter]—and it was very late in his ica’s consciousness of itself. When he filmed term of service. [Laughter] Showing good judg- ‘‘Cry, the Beloved Country,’’ he had to enter ment in art and politics, she still had a glitch South Africa as an indentured servant to the or two in the road. Her career didn’t exactly director. But we are all grateful to him and take off in a straight line. In fact, she was re- in his service for the way he has graced the jected from her grade school glee club because screen with films like ‘‘To Sir, With Love,’’ her voice was too powerful. By age 17, however, ‘‘Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,’’ ‘‘A Raisin she was back on track giving a solo recital in in the Sun,’’ and many, many others. He has the and dubbing the music for captivated us with his performances and re- the title role in the film ‘‘ Jones.’’ She minded us that excellence comes in all colors. went on to form a legendary partnership with Thank you for entertaining and educating Amer- , to record remarkable Christ- ica with dignity, strength, and grace, Sidney mas carols and, most of all, to light up the Poitier. houses of the world with a spirit as mag- Marvin ’s humor distills the es- nificent as her songs. And today as she continues sence of his life and our lives, sometimes wheth- to perform, she is passing on her sheer love er we like it or not. [Laughter] He has written of music and her generous spirit. the lines behind the laughs of Phil Silvers, Victor In addition, Marilyn, to thanking you on be- Borge, Buddy Hackett, and Jackie Gleason. He half of the American people, let me thank you collaborated with Sid Caesar on what many peo- again for your several years of friendship to me ple hailed as the best show ever on television. and to Hillary and for gracing our Inauguration He has written a string of magnificent hit plays with your beautiful voice. unprecedented in the history of the American Thank you. theater. Audiences found them so funny that Riley B. King was known during his days on at first, that few people noticed the gentle, deep, Memphis’s Beale Street as ‘‘the blues boy.’’ and sometimes sharp truths behind the comedy. Eventually he became known to all America Felix and Oscar became American archetypes. simply as B.B. King. For generations of Ameri- We saw what it was to grow up in ‘‘Brighton cans the music and the man are synonymous. Beach Memoirs’’ and to grow older in ‘‘The Like nearly everyone else my age, I grew up Sunshine Boys.’’ We saw flaws and foibles and listening to ‘‘Three O’Clock Blues.’’ B.B. King faults, but always, through them all, the indomi- was a troubadour on the American road. He tability of the human spirit. Neil Simon takes spent decades touring, perfecting, and inventing. his work seriously, but he challenges us and The sounds he created became the soul of a himself never to take ourselves too seriously. new music, with Jerry Garcia, Eric Clapton, and Thank you for the wit and the wisdom. all modeling their music after Today we meet at the summit of five lives his. He has traveled the world to represent our of artistic grace and greatness. Jacques country and set hands clapping from London d’Amboise, Marilyn Horne, B.B. King, Sidney to Lagos. He still averages—listen to this—275 Poitier and Neil Simon, we are pleased to honor performances a year. Music is his life, and yes, all of you for your work. But more importantly, the blues is B.B. King. we honor you for your spirit and your heart. When left Cat Island in the Thank you, and congratulations. Bahamas for Miami at the age of 15, he was stunned at the signs of segregation, signs that NOTE: The President spoke at 6:03 p.m. in the read ‘‘colored’’ and ‘‘white.’’ More than any East Room at the White House.

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