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1252875
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5/20/76 - Filmed Message for the Heritage Groups Council Convention Banquet
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document
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1
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id
1252875
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
5/20/76 - Filmed Message for the Heritage Groups Council Convention Banquet
citationUrl
collections
President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
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Republican National Committee (U.S.)
Speeches, addresses, etc.
Presidential messages
Ethnic groups
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1252875
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20
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1976-05-20
month
5
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1976
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day
20
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1976-05-20
month
5
year
1976
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nara-archive
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The original documents are located in Box 32, "5/20/76 - Filmed Message for the Heritage
Groups Council Convention Banquet" of the President's Speeches and Statements:
Reading Copies 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. Gerald Ford 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States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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 32 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
FILM MESSAGE:
REPUBLICAN HERITAGE GROUPS COUNCIL
THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1976
-1-
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN
I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GREET
THE DELEGATES AND GUESTS OF THE REPUBLICAN HERITAGE GROUPS
COUNCIL AT YOUR ANNUAL CONVENTION
HOW APPROPRIATE AND FITTING THAT YOU ARE MEETING
IN PHILADELPHIA, THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE, THE VERY CRADLE
OF LIBERTY
IT WAS HERE IN PHILADELPHIA THAT THE FIRST
CONTINENTAL CONGRESS MET AND IT WAS HERE, IN 1776
THAT 13 STRUGGLING COLONIES GAVE BIRTH TO THE GREATEST NATION
IN THE WORLD -- A NATION WHICH ENDURES 200 YEARS LATER
BECAUSE OF THE ZEAL, DETERMINATION AND IDEALISM OF ITS PEOPLE,
WHO CAME HERE FROM MANY LANDS TO SHARE IN THE AMERICAN
EXPERIENCE
-2-
AS WE CELEBRATE THE BICENTENNIAL OF OUR NATION,
MORE AND MORE AMERICANS ARE MINDFUL OF THEIR BI-NATIONAL
HERITAGE
THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE REPUBLIC AS SET FORTH
IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND IN THE CONSTITUTION
OF THE UNITED STATES AND AS THEY EVOLVED OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS,
HAVE RESULTED IN A UNIQUELY AMERICAN CONCERN FOR FREEDOM,
NOT ONLY IN AMERICA BUT THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
TODAY AMERICA STILL CARES
AND THE TORCH
IN THE STATUE OF LIBERTY BURNS VERY BRIGHTLY
WE STAND FOR FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE IN 1976 AS WE STOOD
FOR FREEDOM AND INDEPENDENCE IN 1776.
-3-
I AM KEENLY AWARE OF THE ANXIETY WHICH SOME
OF YOU FEEL CONCERNING YOUR HOMELAND, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF YOU
FROM EASTERN EUROPE, AN AREA OF THE WORLD WITH WHICH WE
IN AMERICA HAVE so MANY FAMILY AND CULTURAL TIES
ON APRIL SECOND, I MET WITH A NUMBER OF ETHNIC
LEADERS IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, AND I MADE IT CLEAR
THAT AMERICA'S POLICY TOWARDS EASTERN EUROPE IS FULLY, CLEARLY
AND FORMALLY DOCUMENTED
IT IS A CREATIVE AND COOPERATIVE
POLICY TOWARDS THE NATIONS OF EASTERN EUROPE
IT IS A POLICY WHICH EMBRACES OUR MOST IMPORTANT IDEALS
AS A NATION
IT IS A POLICY THAT I REPEATED IN MESSAGES
TO AMERICANS OF ESTONIAN, LATVIAN, LITHUANIAN AND UKRAINIAN
ANCESTRY
-4-
THE UNITED STATES STRONGLY SUPPORTS THE ASPIRATIONS FOR FREEDOM,
AND NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE OF THE PEOPLE OF EASTERN EUROPE
OUR POLICY IN NO SENSE -- AND I EMPHASIZE THIS -- IN NO SENSE
ACCEPTS SOVIET DOMINION OF EASTERN EUROPE OR ANY KIND
OF ORGANIC UNION
NOR IS IT IN ANY WAY DESIGNED TO PERMIT
THE CONSOLIDATION FOR SUCH DOMINION
THERE IS NO SECRET
WASHINGTON POLICY IN THIS REGARD -- NO DOUBLE STANDARD
THIS IS A POLICY THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE WITH PATIENCE,
WITH FIRMNESS AND WITH PERSISTENCE -- A POLICY FROM WHICH
THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT WAIVER
I BELIEVE THAT AMERICA'S MANY DIFFERENT CULTURAL
BACKGROUNDS MAKE UP A RICH MOSAIC -- A NATIONAL TREASURE
-5-
THE PROUD TRADITIONS, THE SENSE OF IDENTITY THEY CONTRIBUTE
TO THE AMERICAN CHARACTER, SHOULD BE PRESERVED AND ENCOURAGED
THROUGH YOUR POLITICAL PARTICIPATION, YOU ARE
HELPING TO ENSURE THAT IT WILL BE PRESERVED, AND THAT YOUR
HERITAGE WILL BE KEPT ALIVE
YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION HAS LISTENED AND BEEN RESPONSIVE TO YOUR
CONCERNS AND WE WILL KEEP ON DOING so
THE VALUES THAT FLOW FROM AMERICA'S ROOTS --
ITS FAMILIES, NEIGHBORHOODS, RELIGIOUS AND LOCAL GROUPS --
ARE UNIQUE
WORKING TOGETHER, WE WILL PRESERVE THOSE VALUES
FOR THE MANY GENERATIONS YET TO COME
THANK YOU VERY MUCH
END OF TEXT