Posted on 07/04/2008 6:11:56 PM PDT by silent_jonny
On this 4th of July, President Bush attended the 46th Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia (Transcript)
Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and races and religions. But you all have one thing in common -- and that is a shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our nation together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans.
You may have heard about the uninvited guests at today's ceremony. More on that below.
Vice President & Mrs. Cheney participated in the annual Turnaround Ceremony aboard the USS Constitution today in Boston Harbor.
Former President George H. W. Bush attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new US Embassy in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel joined the president for the ceremony.
In Baghdad, General David Petraeus administered the oath of re-enlistment to over 1200 soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen in Al-Faw Palace, one of Saddam Hussein’s former cribs. This was possibly the largest re-enlistment ceremony in the history of our all-volunteer military.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill: These warriors are doing what they joined to do … They can see the fruit of their labor and see the fruit of the sacrifices of those who have gone before them. It makes them feel good about what they are doing.” (Source)
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Laura and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our good friend and a great American: Senator Jesse Helms. Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Dot, and all the members of the Helms family.Throughout his long public career, Senator Jesse Helms was a tireless advocate for the people of North Carolina, a stalwart defender of limited government and free enterprise, a fearless defender of a culture of life, and an unwavering champion of those struggling for liberty. Under his leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee was a powerful force for freedom. And today, from Central America to Central Europe and beyond, people remember: in the dark days when the forces of tyranny seemed on the rise, Jesse Helms took their side.
Jesse Helms was a kind, decent, and humble man and a passionate defender of what he called "the Miracle of America." So it is fitting that this great patriot left us on the Fourth of July. He was once asked if he had any ambitions beyond the United States Senate. He replied: "The only thing I am running for is the Kingdom of Heaven." Today, Jesse Helms has finished the race, and we pray he finds comfort in the arms of the loving God he strove to serve throughout his life. (Transcript)
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island 
Quote of the Day:
A lady in the audience to one of the screaming Pinkos: SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!
[Ma’am, whoever you are, God bless you.]
Photo of the Day:
President George W. Bush holds Julia White Freeman, formerly of China, after she took the Oath of Citizenship at Monticello's 46th Annual Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony Friday, July 4. 2008, in Charlottesville, VA.
Hi!
Jonny!
Thanks for the ping. Great photo of the day and great quote of the day!!!!
Hi! You’re a close second :)
I so admired Senator Jesse Helms.
Thanks for including that tribute, jonny.
People at the White House watch as Marine One lifts off with President George W. Bush July 4, 2008 in Washington, DC.
Happy Independence Day to you too. :)
Not to put a downer on the thread, Gateway has video via Freep family of those moonbats you heard in the background... as he attempted to speak.
http://gatewaypundit.blogspot.com
Scroll down.
P.S. Also an amazing video of the troops re-enlisting 1200 strong in Saddam’s palace.
Dan Jordan (R), the president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, leads President George W. Bush, and Virginia Governor Tim Kaine (2nd R) on a tour of Monticello, the estate of former US president Thomas Jefferson, on July 4, 2008 in Charlottesville, Virginia. At left is Kain's wife Anne Holton, and Jordan's wife Lou, (2nd L). Jefferson died in the bed shown in the foreground. Bush is at Monticello to attend an Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony.
One of my Freeper friends who chats in the same room I do. Told us this morning that her husband had gotten a call from some friends in Iraq and they told him about the 1200 plus troops enlisting. She correctly predicted that none of the LSM will report any of it. Sure enough none did, not even FNC. I checked ABC/CBS/CNN/MSNBC, nada, nothing zilch
President Bush holds his hand to his heart as the National Anthem is played during the 46th annual Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony at Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, Friday, July 4, 2008 in Charlottesville, Va.
I have been anxiously awaiting the Dose today and so far am not disappointed. The little girl in the photo of the day is adorable in her red, white and blue.
Thanks, jonny.
Bet he did not ask “who are those guys up there?” unlike a certain person.
You can view this video at youtube, but be warned: the moonbats have swarmed that site with their disgusting comments. The video is worth watching though because it shows three things that I'm sure the pinkos and moonbats overlooked.
1) President Bush never loses his cool. He says calmly over the screams: "To my fellow citizens to be, we believe in free speech in the United States of America." (Applause.)
2) The pinkos are completely alone in this audience. There are no cheers for them, only boos and looks of annoyance.
3) The "Shut up and sit down!" comment by an audience member is priceless and ends the clip perfectly :)
Desiree Farooz, one of the hatchet-faced whores from Code Pink, is dragged away by the Secret Service after running toward the President carrying a large pink banner.
You may remember Farooz …
She’s the same lunatic that got dangerously close to Condoleezza Rice at a Senate hearing last October.
President Bush: And this is a fitting place to celebrate our nation's independence. Thomas Jefferson once said he'd rather celebrate the Fourth of July than his own birthday. For me, it's pretty simple -- the Fourth of July weekend is my birthday weekend. (Applause.)For some of you, today will be your first Fourth of July as American citizens. A few moments, you will take part in the 46th annual Monticello Independence Day Celebration and Naturalization Ceremony. When you raise your hands and take the oath, you will complete an incredible journey. That journey has taken you from many different countries; it's now made you one people. From this day forward, the history of the United States will be part of your heritage. The Fourth of July will be part of your Independence Day. And I will be honored to call you a fellow American. (Applause.)
silent_jonny: THANK YOU for posting tonight’s VERY special Independence Day DOSE . . . I heartily endorse your featured quote and photo!!
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Predictably, the MSM has focussed on the handful of ‘disrupters’ at the beginning of the President’s speech rather than the warm, enthusiastic responses from the 3,000 other attendees for the remainder of the President’s speech, as well as during his personal acknowledgement (i.e., handshake/hug/kiss) for each of the 76 naturalized citizens!
(PRESIDENT) BUSH WELCOMES NEW CITIZENS
By Rachana Dixit and Brian McNeill
Published: July 4, 2008
Mary Patricia McFadyen, a native of Scotland, stepped up to the microphone just moments after being sworn in as an American citizen and thanked her friends and neighbors.
But, she added, President Bush was also a powerful influence in her decision.
“Mr. President, I’d like to thank you for inspiring me to complete this process,” she said. “Without you, this day may have never come.”
For new citizens like McFadyen, it seemed especially fitting that the president honored 72 new citizens and reflected on Thomas Jefferson’s legacy during the 46th annual Independence Day and Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello.
You can read the entire article here:
http://www.dailyprogress.com/cdp/news/local/article/bush_welcomes_new_citizens/24397/
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WHY WE WENT TO WAR IN IRAQ
By DOUGLAS J. FEITH
July 3, 2008; Page A11
A lot of poor commentary has framed the Iraq war as a conflict of “choice” rather than of “necessity.” In fact, President George W. Bush chose to remove Saddam Hussein from power because he concluded that doing so was necessary.
President Bush inherited a worrisome Iraq problem from Bill Clinton and from his own father. Saddam had systematically undermined the measures the U.N. Security Council put in place after the Gulf War to contain his regime. In the first months of the Bush presidency, officials debated what to do next.
You can read the entire commentary here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121504452359324921.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries
What losers!!!
President Bush: Today we know history had other plans. After many years of war, the United States won its independence. The principles that Thomas Jefferson enshrined in the Declaration became the guiding principles of the new nation. And at every generation, Americans have rededicated themselves to the belief that all men are created equal, with the God-given right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. (Applause.)Thomas Jefferson understood that these rights do not belong to Americans alone. They belong to all mankind. And he looked to the day when all people could secure them. On the 50th anniversary of America's independence, Thomas Jefferson passed away. But before leaving this world, he explained that the principles of the Declaration of Independence were universal. In one of the final letters of his life, he wrote, "May it be to the world, what I believe it will be -- to some parts sooner, to others later, but finally to all -- the Signal of arousing men to burst the chains, and to assume the blessings and security of self-government."
We honor Jefferson's legacy by aiding the rise of liberty in lands that do not know the blessings of freedom. And on this Fourth of July, we pay tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform of the United States of America. (Applause.)
President Bush: Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30 different nations. You represent many different ethnicities and races and religions. But you all have one thing in common -- and that is a shared love of freedom. This love of liberty is what binds our nation together, and this is the love that makes us all Americans.
President Bush: But we must remember that the desire for freedom burns inside every man and woman and child. More than two centuries ago, this desire of freedom was -- had inspired the subjects of a mighty empire to declare themselves free and independent citizens of a new nation. Today that same desire for freedom has inspired 72 immigrants from around the world to become citizens of the greatest nation on Earth -- the United States of America. (Applause.) I congratulate you. I welcome you. I wish you all a happy Fourth of July. Thanks for inviting me. May God bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. (Applause.)
Wonderful photo Jonny. A sudden thought has struck me though the President can do something that a few years ago was open to other men but unfortunately nowadays men can no longer make fuss of or even speak to child that they do not know.
What a sad reflection of society in the modern western world
By the way thanks for the dose
President Bush , top center, and Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, top right, applaud new citizens after their swearing in during the 46th annual Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony at Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Va., Friday, July 4, 2008.
President Bush hugs new U.S. citizen Mya Soe of Burma, during the 46th annual Independence Day celebration and naturalization ceremony at Monticello, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Va., Friday, July 4, 2008
President Bush: One man with special appreciation for liberty is Mya Soe from Burma. As a member of the Shan ethnic group, Mya faced discrimination and oppression at the hands of Burma's military junta. When he tried to reach local villagers -- when he tried to teach local villagers how to read and write the Shan language, the regime interrogated him and harassed him. In 2000, he left a life of fear for a life of freedom. He now works as a painter in the Charlottesville community. Today we welcome this brave immigrant as a citizen-to-be of the United States of America. (Applause.)
Thanks for the links
Vice President Dick Cheney, right, talks with Commanding Officer of the USS Constitution, William A. Bullard, III before departing on the ship's annual turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor, Friday, July 4, 2008, in Boston.
The oldest commissioned warship in the US Navy, U.S.S. Constitution, heads out into Boston Harbor on its annual turnaround cruise, Friday, July 4, 2008, in Boston. Aboard the ship is Vice President Dick Cheney who was scheduled to take part in a military reenlistment ceremony. The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Bataan, which is visiting Boston, is seen in background, right.
Lovely experession on the President’s face on the last photo of this post
Thank you for posting the last July 4th with this President. I am overwhelmed tonight with love for our Country. Such glorious fireworks everywhere we looked tonight all gathered together with family.
Then watching CBS tonight starting at 10 pm edt and the beautiful performance by the Boston Pops and hosted by Greg Ferguson who became a US citizen this year. It was a beautiful program.
I will miss this President. I can not imagine any one filling his shoes.
Good Night. God Bless the United States of America.
God Bless, America. HAPPY 4TH ALL and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BUSH AND VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY.
Army Command Sgt. Maj. Marvin L. Hill: “We are extremely proud of the accomplishments we have made in security on the ground as well as proud of all of our great warriors for the work they are doing since they arrived in theater … We recognize the sacrifices they make and the sacrifices their families and communities make as they serve in Iraq.”These servicemembers know the cost of war and they are still re-enlisting, Hill said. Some serve in “the most austere conditions -- meaning they are in patrol bases and combat outposts,” he noted. Some of the re-enlisting servicemembers are in places where the troops “hot-bunk it” -- that is, they take turns using limited sleeping space -- and burn human waste because they lack plumbing. Others are based in more comfortable surroundings. The vast majority of the servicemembers tell Hill and others that they are re-enlisting because “they are doing what they joined the military to do,” he said ….
Multinational Force Iraq Commander Army Gen. David H. Petraeus will preside. Hill and Petraeus will speak at the ceremony, then Petraeus will administer the oath of enlistment.
A 50-gun salute will honor of the nation’s birthday, and then all will sing “God Bless America.” The ceremony will end with a medley of service songs. [All of that inside one of Saddam Hussein’s former palaces!]
All components of the military are represented in the ceremony. Officials said 738 active-duty soldiers, 188 National Guard soldiers, and 122 Army Reserve soldiers are re-enlisting, along with 54 Marines, 39 sailors and 16 airmen.
(Source)
US soldiers from various branches of the military stand at attention during a mass reenlistment ceremony at the Al-Faw Palace, one of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's main palaces, in Baghdad on July 4, 2008. More than 1,200 US service members took a reenlisment oath on the 4th of July, the anniversary of US independence, led by top commander in Iraq General David Petraeus.
General David Petraeus and others stand at attention as the US National Anthem is performed.
General David Petraeus (top), head of the Multi-National Forces-Iraq, applauds with other service members during a mass reenlistment ceremony at the Al-Faw Palace, one of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's main palaces, in Baghdad on July 4, 2008.
Soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen recite an oath during a mass reenlistment ceremony at the Al-Faw Palace, one of former Iraqi president Saddam Hussein's main palaces, in Baghdad on July 4, 2008.
I hope you're having a relaxing weekend planned .. any new artistic subjects? Did you watch Taylor Hicks on Capitol 4th? This was a fantastic show, with Hughie Lewis and News, Jerry Lee Lewis and the military bands. among other stirring performances. I always cry during these, and Jimmy Smits sure brought tears with his heartfelt thanks to our awesome troops.
Wouldn't you have just loved to see the anti-American BDS-ers at this celebration? Boy ... the crowd would mass against them .. the twisted weasels... and I'd pay to watch.
May the soul of Sen. Jesse Helms rest in peace. He was a consequential and instrumental conservative .. a man with a spine and perfect clarity on what mattered. We owe him so much for his staunch defense of American values, a seemingly lost practice in Congress.
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Helms writing in 1959 on compromise in politics."
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That picture with Pres. Bush and the new adorable little citizen is so sweet.
People are literally dying and enduring great hardship to get to this bountiful and free country and doing whatever is required of them to become official Americans, and our fabulous troops are re-enlisting at a record pace.
Those pictures of the re-enlistment ceremony in the former tyrant's palace are simply breathtaking. Imagine the depravity and filth once in that building. Now, it has been sanitized just by the very presence and goodness of the best troops on the globe. It will be a sin if those pics aren't shown somewhere on the MSM .. dare I dream? Wow .. talk about juxtaposition to the stain of the pinkos' behavior at Monticello ... and we know thinking, sane, "uninfected" folks get it.
Thank God for this singularly inspired and blessed country, wrought by the courage, blood and devotion of the true Patriots. Prayers and so much gratitude for those whose selflessness through these 232 years allows us to click on keyboards and sleep secure tonight in the comfort of our homes, and most especially those who fight the most vicious and savage enemy today, 24/7.
May God's mercy and protection ever bless our devoted and unparallelled military. We can NEVER repay them and their families.
Here are a few additional photos from the opening ceremony of the new American Embassy in Berlin
OH my - blurry screen alert was needed before showing those soldiers re-enlisting!
And there have been many tears today....
Tears in remembering and missing the great Senator Jesse Helms who died today, on our Independence day!
By the way WRAL TV (which is where Jesse got his start in the public eye by doing a 5 minute editorial after the nightly news)...has had some good segments on Senator Helms - including this one: http://www.wral.com/news/local/video/3155829/ in which he announces he will not run for a sixth term.
How we have missed and now will greatly miss this great man’s leadership - just was we will so greatly miss President George W Bush’s leadership when he is out of office.
Thanks for posting the President and First Lady’s comments on the death of our beloved Jesse Helms.
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