Remarks by the President in Visit with Angel Tree Children
Shiloh Baptist Church
Alexandria, Virginia
3:20 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much, Reverend Lee. Thank you so much for having us here. Lee, thank you very much. Merry Christmas to everybody.
We are so honored to be here to celebrate the Angel Tree Christmas. This is a program in which people who love you a lot want you to have a merry Christmas. And I want to thank Chuck Colson and Mark Earley of the Prison Fellowship program, which has been hosting and organizing the Angel Tree program since 1982. Six million boys and girls have received their gift on Christmas. And I want to thank you very much for doing that. (Applause.)
Our attitude is, I know the Reverend here at Shiloh shares this attitude, that we change America one heart and one soul at a time; that everybody matters, everybody counts; that every child has got a hopeful and bright future; and each of us has a responsibility of loving that child with all our heart and all our soul. And it's important that all of us during this time of -- joyous time, this holiday, recognize that probably the greatest gift you can possibly give is to love a neighbor just like you'd like to be loved yourself.
And that's what we're doing today. We're honoring that call to love and the call to service. And so Laura and I are thrilled that you're here. We look forward to joining the good Reverend here as we pass out some of the gifts to the boys and girls.
REVEREND EARL: Absolutely. And thank you for the gifts that you provided.
THE PRESIDENT: Well, thank you very much. We're honored to be here. (Applause.)
We want to wish you a merry Christmas. And we've got some gifts to give out, don't we, Laura?
MRS. BUSH: Yes, we have a lot of gifts to give out.
THE PRESIDENT: Where do we want to start? Right over here? Okay, good.
END 3:23 P.M. EST
President's Remarks
Remarks by the President at the Menorah Lighting Ceremony
Bookseller's Area the White House
4:32 P.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you all; welcome. Hanukkah celebrates a great miracle and a great victory: the triumph of faith over tyranny.
More than 2,000 years ago, the land of ancient Israel had been conquered, and the practice of Judaism was outlawed. Yet a patriot, named Judah Maccabee, and his followers courageously captured Jerusalem. As the Maccabees prepared to rededicate the holy temple, they found enough oil last for only one day. But the oil lasted for eight days, a miracle that we remember by lighting the menorah.
The Jewish tradition calls on us to honor every commandment with works of beauty. This beautiful menorah, more than two centuries old, is from the Spertus Museum in Chicago, and Laura and I are honored to have it here at the White House.
I want to thank Kol Sasson from the great University of Maryland for joining us today, and thank you for lending your beautiful voice for this occasion.
Tonight, as we prepare to light the candles, we hope and pray that all who live under tyranny will see their day of freedom, and that the light of faith will always shine through the darkness. We also pray for the brave men and women of our armed forces, many of whom are spending the holiday season far from home and their loved ones. We are grateful for their service to America, we're grateful for the support and sacrifice of their families.
And now, Jacob Murphy and Sidney Hallem will help us light the candles. Their fathers are serving in our United States Armed Forces with distinction and with honor.
(The menorah is lighted.)
* * * * *
Q Mr. President, do you have any words for Americans who are worried about traveling this holiday season?
THE PRESIDENT: My words are these: our government is doing everything we can to protect our country. We've got a lot of really decent hardworking Americans who will be working over the holiday season to do everything we can to protect Americans from harm. And I want to thank them for their efforts, thank them for their hard work. American citizens need to go about their lives, but as they do so, they need to know that governments at all levels are working as hard as we possibly can to protect the American citizens.
Thank you, all.
END 4:40 P.M. EST
