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Text of Remarks by the President to Be Delivered at a Public Forum, West Texas State University Gymnasium, Canyon, Texas [Ford Speech or Statement]
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7343463
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Text of Remarks by the President to Be Delivered at a Public Forum, West Texas State University Gymnasium, Canyon, Texas [Ford Speech or Statement]
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White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
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1976-04-10
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1976
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Digitized from Box 24 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL
APRIL 10, 1976
6:00 pm EST (5:00 pm CST)
Office of the White House Press Secretary
(Dallas, Texas)
THE WHITE HOUSE
TEXT OF REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
TO BE DELIVERED
AT A PUBLIC FORUM
WEST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY GYMNASIUM
CANYON, TEXAS
Texas is a proud state. It's a proud state because the people of Texas
have always been tough, hard-working, and independent minded. You have
the frontier spirit, and you can be rightly proud of it.
The guiding principle of our nation's greatness has not been a reliance on
what the government does for the people -- but what the people have done
for themselves.
Here in Texas you have never lost sight of one basic truth: That a govern-
ment big enough to give us everything we want, is a government big enough
to take from us everything we have.
Americans can only be successful, strong and proud if they are free -- and
the duty of my Administration is to preserve that freedom. As your
President for the last 20 months, that is the goal I have consistently
pursued.
America's freedom takes many forms. The most fundamental freedom is
the freedom from outside threats. Preserving that freedom through a strong
national defense is one of the Federal government's most important
responsibilities.
I have always, in my 27 years in government, stood for a strong defense
capability. If I learned one thing from my experience in World War II -- that
was it. My voting record on defense has been clear and consistent for
27 years, and I'm proud to stand on it.
As President I have to deal in facts -- and fact number one is, today our
military strength is sufficient to keep us free and secure. Our national
defenses -- our two million men and women in uniform and the strategic
might they underwrite -- are the finest in the world.
Some countries -- the Soviet Union for example -- must protect their
borders with large standing armies. But, fortunately, we have friends on
both of our land borders.
We do have a fine army -- an all-volunteer army -- well equipped, well run,
and well coordinated with the armies of our many powerful allies around the
world.
But our basic strength in protecting our freedom lies in our abilities to
protect our power by air and sea around the world.
MORE
- 2 -
And in those categories where our military planners call for clear-cut
superiority--the fact is we are first. The United States has the most accurate
ballistic missiles. The United States of America has many, many more
missile warheads than the Soviet Union. Furthermore, we also have a
vast superiority in strategic bombers. We have aircraft carriers, and
carrier task forces at sea.
There are those who would seek to raise false alarms--by saying, for
example, that the Soviet Union has more ships than we do. But the fact is,
you do not compare navies by numbers. You compare total firepower, you
compare tonnage and combat capability--and you find we are on top.
Let me put it this way--would you say a football team was better than the
Dallas Cowboys just because it had more players on the roster? Of course
not. You have to know how good those players are. You compare the teams'
talents, their strengths and their strategies. And in terms of quality and
technological superiority, the national defenses of the United States of
America are unsurpassed. And what is more, we are going to stay that way
so long as I am your President.
It is the strength of our military forces which makes credible our diplomatic
initiatives for peace and which provides the firm foundation of our leadership
in the international community.
But let me add that our strength involves more than our military might. Cur
nation's real power is measured more completely by considering a combination
of its military, agricultural, industrial, technological and moral strength.
All these contribute to our national security. And in every one of these areas,
the number one nation in the world is the United States of America.
But even within a physically secure United States, there can be other threats
to freedom. Just think back to the state of our economy a year and a half
ago, and you will see what I mean. When I became President 20 months ago,
the national economic climate was bad--and getting worse. As a result,
American citizens were losing their freedom to live the way they wanted to.
Consumers had less choice about what to buy, because inflation was eating
up the value of their incomes. Businessmen had lost the freedom to invest,
and to expand and improve their operations. And, tragically, many Americans
had lost the freedom to earn a decent living, because our nose-diving economy
did not need their services.
My Administration fought hard to regain America's economic freedom--and
it is clear that we are winning. The figures show us that the rate of in-
flation has been cut in half. Incomes are once again rising faster than the
cost of living. The March figures show us that not only have we recovered
all the jobs we had lost to the recession--but there are more Americans
working today than ever before in our history.
And most important of all, the figures show us that the confidence of the
American people is rising, steadily and strongly. We are going to keep
America's confidence rising. We are going to keep protecting your economic
freedom just as steadfastly as we protect all of America's freedoms.
One way I will do that, with the cooperation of the Congress, is by sticking
to the path of fiscal responsibility. Let me remind you of the budget I
submitted this year--and those I plan to submit in the next four years.
My plans will bring a balanced budget in 1979.
(MORE)
- 3 -
And that will bring you another major tax cut. That will give you the freedom
to spend more of your money the way you want to spend it. And finally,
and most importantly, I will continue to protect your freedom by being honest
with you. When I gave you my first state of the union message, I knew
things looked bad for the economy, and I said so. I did not raise any false
hopes, and I never will.
But I will not conjure up any false fears, either. Because irresponsible and
misleading statements threaten our progress and your freedom--and my job
is to protect them.
That is why America needs a realistic government. A government that
promises only what it can deliver--and delivers everything it promises.
A government that protects its people's freedoms by being strong, steady
and responsible without being afraid of the future--and without retreating
into the past.
That is the kind of government we have given you for the last 20 months.
And with your help next month and next November, that is the kind of
government we will give you for the next four years as well.
###