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Annual Hollyhock Lane Independence Day Celebration, Grand Rapids, MI, July 5, 1971
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4526371
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Annual Hollyhock Lane Independence Day Celebration, Grand Rapids, MI, July 5, 1971
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The original documents are located in Box D31, folder "Annual Hollyhock Lane
Independence Day Celebration, Grand Rapids, MI, July 5, 1971" of the Ford
Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D31 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
ANNUAL HOLLYHOCK LANE INDEPENDENCE DAY
CELEBRATION, JULY 5, 1971.
TODAY I WANT TO TALK ESPECIALLY
TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE HERE. WHAT
DAY WAS YESTERDAY? IT WASN'T THE USUAL
SUNDAY. IT WAS THE 195TH BIRTHDAY OF THIS
GREAT AND GLORIOUS COUNTRY OF OURS. IT
MARKED THE DAY 195 YEARS AGO WHEN THE
FIRST AMERICANS DECLARED THEMSELVES TO BE
A FREE AND INDEPENDENT PEOPLE.
WHAT DAY WAS YESTERDAY? IN A
WAY, IT WAS THANKSGIVING DAY, JUST AS MUCH
AS THE THANKSGIVING DAY WE CELEBRATE IN
NOVEMBER.
THE FOURTH OF JULY IS A VERY
SPECIAL HOLIDAY BECAUSE IT IS A REMINDER
OF THE GREAT BLESSINGS THAT GOD HAS
BESTOWED ON THIS COUNTRY AND THE AMERICAN
-2-
PEOPLE. IT'S A REMINDER OF WHAT MADE
AMERICA GREAT
AMERICA DIDN'T BECOME GREAT JUST
BECAUSE OF MATERIAL WEALTH ALONE. IT WAS
FAITH IN A SUPREME BEING THAT GAVE EARLY
AMERICANS THE COURAGE TO TAKE HOLD OF
THIS COUNTRY WITH THEIR BARE HANDS AND TO
BUILD A MIGHTY NATION. EARLY AMERICANS
HAD THE COURAGE TO FIGHT AND SURVIVE IN THE
WILDERNESS BECAUSE THEY DREW STRENGTH FROM
GOD.
THAT AMERICANS HAVE ALWAYS HAD
AN ABIDING FAITH IN GOD IS EVIDENT IN
NEARLY EVERY GREAT DOCUMENT AND SONG THAT
HAS COME DOWN TO US TODAY.
ON THE DAY OF THIS COUNTRY'S
BIRTH, OUR FOUNDING FATHERS SPOKE IN THE
PREAMBLE TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE
OF HOW MEN WERE "ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR
-3-
WITH CERTAIN UNALIENABLE RIGHTS." IN OTHER
WORDS, THESE RIGHTS CAME FROM GOD.
IN CONCLUDING THE DECLARATION OF
INDEPENDENCE, OUR FOREFATHERS AFFIRMED
THEIR "RELIANCE ON THE PROTECTION OF
DIVINE PROVIDENCE." THEY LOOKED TO GOD
FOR THE STRENGTH TO CARRY THEM THROUGH THE
ORDEAL THAT SEPARATION OF THE COLONIES
FROM ENGLAND WOULD BRING.
WE SPEAK ALSO OF OUR DIVINE HERITAGE
WHEN WE RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO
THE FLAG. WE SAY, "I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO
THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION UNDER GOD."
THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY,
MOST OF OUR LEADERS HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED
BY JUDAEO-CHRISTIAN ETHICS, THE SOURCE OF
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH
-4-
AMERICAN TRADITION KNOWS THAT THE CONCEPT
OF DIVINE GUIDANCE WAS NEVER FAR FROM THE
MINDS OF THOSE WHO HAVE PLAYED SIGNIFICANT
ROLES IN SHAPING THE DESTINY OF THE
UNITED STATES.
IN THE EMANCIPATION
PROCLAMATION, ABRAHAM LINCOLN INVOKED NOT
ONLY "THE CONSIDERATE JUDGMENT OF MANKIND"
BUT ALSO "THE GRACIOUS FAVOR OF ALMIGHTY
GOD." AND IN HIS GETTYSBURG ADDRESS
LINCOLN ASKED THAT "WE HERE HIGHLY
RESOLVE THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD
SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF FREEDOM."
IN HIS INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF
1961, PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY DECLARED
THAT "THE RIGHTS OF MAN COME NOT FROM THE
GENEROSITY OF THE STATE BUT FROM THE HAND
OF GOD."
IN OUR NATIONAL HYMN, "AMERICA,"
LIDRARY
-5-
WE SING TO GOD AS THE "AUTHOR OF LIBERTY."
AND WE CONCLUDE THAT SONG WITH THE
INVOCATION, "PROTECT US BY THY MIGHT,
GREAT GOD, OUR KING."
IN THE SONG, "AMERICA, THE
BEAUTIFUL," WE SING, "AMERICA! AMERICA!
GOD SHED HIS GRACE ON THEE."
THE "BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC"
BEGINS, "MINE EYES HAVE SEEN THE GLORY OF
THE COMING OF THE LORD," AND IT CONCLUDES,
"WHILE GOD IS MARCHING ON."
IN OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM, "THE
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER," WE SAY, "AND THIS BE
OUR MOTTO: IN GOD IS OUR TRUST AND WE
USE THE MOTTO, "IN GOD WE TRUST," ON OUR
COINS AND OUR PAPER MONEY.
THIS IS AMERICA. MY COUNTRY.
YOUR COUNTRY. WE LOVE IT. WE HAVE GOOD
REASON TO LOVE IT. IT IS NOT PERFECT,
-6-
BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT PERFECT. BUT IT IS
THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON THE FACE OF THE
EARTH AND IT HAS DONE MORE FOR THE GOOD
AND WELFARE OF ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE
WORLD THAN ANY OTHER NATION THAT HAS
EVER EXISTED.
IT IS BECAUSE WE FEEL THAT WAY
ABOUT AMERICA THAT WE WAVE THE FLAG ON THE
FOURTH OF JULY. CAN WE WAVE THE FLAG TOO
MUCH ? NOT AT ALL, SO LONG AS WE WAVE IT
WITH INTEGRITY.
WE WAVE THE FLAG BECAUSE WE ARE
PROUD OF AMERICA, AND WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT
TO BE.
WE WAVE THE FLAG BECAUSE WE ARE
GRATEFUL FOR OUR HERITAGE AS AMERICANS.
IT IS RIGHT AND PROPER FOR US TO BE PROUD
HUMBLY PROUD, THAT WE LIVE IN THIS WONDERFUL
LAND OF OURS.
-7-
AND TO YOU YOUNG PEOPLE I SAY
NEVER BECOME SO SOPHISTICATED THAT YOU LOOK
UPON PATRIOTISM AS OLD-FASHIONED AND SILLY.
I HOPE YOUR LOVE FOR YOUR COUNTRY AND
RESPECT FOR ITS IDEALS WILL GROW AS YOU
GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE, I HOPE
YOU WILL DO YOUR PART TO MAKE AMERICA EVER
BETTER IN. THE YEARS TO COME. AND I HOPE
YOU WILL NEVER FAIL TO KEEP THE AMERICAN
DREAM ALIVE IN YOUR HEARTS FOR THIS IS
THE GREATEST NATION ON EARTH.
--END--
Rev Interm
Mary-Awoh.
Mmh Brown
Bot 27!
Grandwith
N/h,
102/sx.
distribution
Full 20 my District mr Ford papers)
air mail pm 7/1/71
M Office Capy
CONGRESSMAN
NEWS
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE IN AM's--
Monday, July 5, 1971
Remarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford at the annual Hollyhock Lane Independence Day
Observance
Today I want to talk especially to the young people who are here. What day
was yesterday? It wasn't the usual Sunday. It was the 195th birthday of this great
and glorious country of ours. It marked the day 195 years ago when the first
Americans declared themselves to be a free and independent people.
What day was yesterday? In a way, it was Thanksgiving Day, just as much as
the Thanksgiving Day we celebrate in November.
The Fourth of July is a very special holiday because it is a reminder of the
great blessings that God has bestowed on this country and the American people.
It's a reminder of what made America great.
America didn't become great just because of material wealth alone. It was
faith in a Supreme Being that gave early Americans the courage to take hold of this
country with their bare hands and to build a mighty nation. Early Americans had
the courage to fight and survive in the wilderness because they drew strength from
God.
That Americans have always had an abiding faith in God is evident in nearly
every great document and song that has come down to us today.
On the day of this country's birth, our Founding Fathers spoke in the preamble
to the Declaration of Independence of how men were "endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights " In other words, these rights came from God.
In concluding the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers affirmed their
"reliance on the protection of Divine Providence." They looked to God for the
strength to carry them through the ordeal that separation of the colonies from
England would bring.
We speak also of our divine heritage when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance
to the Flag. We say, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God."
Throughout our country's history, most of our leaders have been influenced
by Judaeo-Christian ethics, the source of the Ten Commandments. Anyone familiar
FORD
with American tradition knows that the concept of divine guidance was never far
(more)
GERALD
LIBRAR
-2-
from the minds of those who have played significant roles in shaping the destiny of
the United States.
In the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln invoked not only "the
considerate judgment of mankind" but also "the gracious favor of Almighty God."
And in his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln asked that "we here highly resolve
that
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.'
In his inaugural address of 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that
"the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of
God."
In our national hymn, "America," we sing to God as the "Author of liberty."
And we conclude that song with the invocation, "Protect us by Thy might, great
God, our King!"
In the song, "America, the Beautiful," we sing, "America! America! God shed
his grace on thee."
The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" begins, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of
the coming of the Lord," and it concludes, "While God is marching on."
In our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," we say, "And this be our
motto: 'In God is our trust!'" And we use the motto, "In God We Trust," on our
coins and our paper money.
This is America. My country. Your country. We love it. We have good reason
to love it. It is not perfect, because people are not perfect. But it is the
greatest country on the face of the earth, and it has done more for the good and
welfare of all the peoples of the world than any other nation that has ever existed.
It is because we feel that way about America that we wave the Flag on the
Fourth of July. Can we wave the Flag too much? Not at all, so long as we wave it
with integrity.
We wave the Flag because we are proud of America, and we have every right to
be.
We wave the Flag because we are grateful for our heritage as Americans. It
is right and proper for us to be proud, humbly proud, that we live in this wonderful
land of ours.
And to you young people I say never become so sophisticated that you look
upon patriotism as old-fashioned and silly. I hope your love for your country and
respect for its ideals will grow as you grow in knowledge and experience. I hope
you will do your part to make America ever better in the years to come. And I hope
you will never fail to keep the American dream alive in your hearts, for this is
the greatest nation on earth.
###
NEWS
CONGRESSMAN
GERALD R. FORD
HOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER
RELEASE
--FOR RELEASE IN AM's--
Monday, July 5, 1971
Remarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford at the annual Hollyhock Lane Independence Day
Observance
Today I want to talk especially to the young people who are here. What day
was yesterday? It wasn't the usual Sunday. It was the 195th birthday of this great
and glorious country of ours. It marked the day 195 years ago when the first
Americans declared themselves to be a free and independent people.
What day was yesterday? In a way, it was Thanksgiving Day, just as much as
the Thanksgiving Day we celebrate in November.
The Fourth of July is a very special holiday because it is a reminder of the
great blessings that God has bestowed on this country and the American people.
It's a reminder of what made America great.
America didn't become great just because of material wealth alone. It was
faith in a Supreme Being that gave early Americans the courage to take hold of this
country with their bare hands and to build a mighty nation. Early Americans had
the courage to fight and survive in the wilderness because they drew strength from
God.
That Americans have always had an abiding faith in God is evident in nearly
every great document and song that has come down to us today.
On the day of this country's birth, our Founding Fathers spoke in the preamble
to the Declaration of Independence of how men were "endowed by their Creator with
certain unalienable Rights." In other words, these rights came from God.
In concluding the Declaration of Independence, our forefathers affirmed their
"reliance on the protection of Divine Providence." They looked to God for the
strength to carry them through the ordeal that separation of the colonies from
England would bring.
We speak also of our divine heritage when we recite the Pledge of Allegiance
to the Flag. We say, "I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of
America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God."
Throughout our country's history, most of our leaders have been influenced
by Judaeo-Christian ethics, the source of the Ten Commandments. Anyone familiar
with American tradition knows that the concept of divine guidance was never far
(more)
GERAL
LIBRARY
-2-
from the minds of those who have played significant roles in shaping the destiny of
the United States.
In the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln invoked not only "the
considerate judgment of mankind" but also "the gracious favor of Almighty God."
And in his Gettysburg Address, Lincoln asked that "we here highly resolve
that
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom."
In his inaugural address of 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared that
"the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of
God. "
In our national hymn, "America," we sing to God as the "Author of liberty."
And we conclude that song with the invocation, "Protect us by Thy might, great
God, our King!"
In the song, "America, the Beautiful," we sing, "America! America! God shed
his grace on thee."
The "Battle Hymn of the Republic" begins, "Mine eyes have seen the glory of
the coming of the Lord," and it concludes, "While God is marching on."
In our national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner," we say, "And this be our
motto: 'In God is our trust!' And we use the motto, "In God We Trust," on our
coins and our paper money.
This is America. My country. Your country. We love it. We have good reason
to love it. It is not perfect, because people are not perfect. But it is the
greatest country on the face of the earth, and it has done more for the good and
welfare of all the peoples of the world than any other nation that has ever existed.
It is because we feel that way about America that we wave the Flag on the
Fourth of July. Can we wave the Flag too much? Not at all, so long as we wave it
with integrity.
We wave the Flag because we are proud of America, and we have every right to
be.
We wave the Flag because we are grateful for our heritage as Americans. It
is right and proper for us to be proud, humbly proud, that we live in this wonderful
land of ours.
And to you young people I say
never become so sophisticated that you look
upon patriotism as old-fashioned and silly. I hope your love for your country and
respect for its ideals will grow as you grow in knowledge and experience. I hope
you will do your part to make America ever better in the years to come. And I hope
you will never fail to keep the American dream alive in your hearts, for this is
the greatest nation on earth.
###