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Words of Freedom
 The following are selected speeches about democracy:
"Letter
to Touro Synagogue" (George Washington, 1790)
Religious minorities in the U.S. will be not merely
tolerated but, like all Americans, possess liberty of conscience and all the
privileges of citizenship.
"Electric
Cord Speech" (Abraham Lincoln, 1858)
American identity is not a matter of blood but a state of mind, based in acceptance of the principle that "all men are created equal."
"The New
Colossus" (Emma Lazarus, 1883)
Poem inscribed on the Statue of Liberty pedestal expresses
America’s tradition of welcoming immigrants.
"Non-Violence
Is the First Article of My Faith" (Mohandas K. Gandhi, 1922)
Explanation and justification of non-violent resistance.
“[A]s evil can only be sustained by violence, withdrawal of support of evil
requires complete abstention from violence.”
"The Four
Freedoms" (Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1941)
Establishes as national goals, creation of a world founded
upon freedom of speech and of worship; freedom from want and from fear.
“I Have a
Dream” (Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963)
The great civil rights leader offers his vision for a
better future.  Audio
“I
am Prepared to Die” (Nelson Mandela, 1964)
Democracy as the only solution which will guarantee racial
harmony and freedom.
"The American
Promise"(Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965)
All Americans must have all the privileges of citizenship,
including voting rights, regardless of race. Equality depends not on force of
arms but the force of moral right, on respect for law and order and for
peaceful protest.
"Nobel
Acceptance Speech" (Andrei Sakharov, 1975)
Links respect for human rights guarantees with
international cooperation for peace.
“The
Fifth Modernization” (Wei Jingsheng,1978)
True democracy requires that the people possess the power
to choose their own representatives to work according to their will and in
their interests.
"The Crusade for Freedom" (Ronald Reagan, 1982)
Humans prefer democracy to dictatorship and ultimately
will resist repressive regimes. Advocates helping other peoples develop the
institutions—free press, trade unions, political parties and universities—that
empower them to choose their own path.
"Freedom From
Fear" (Aung San Suu Kyi, 1991)
Political systems that deny basic human rights inculcate
fear that must be confronted with courage and endurance grounded in ethical
principles of truth, justice and compassion.
"Remarks
at the International Republican Institute Dinner" (President George W. Bush,
2005)
Established democracies should help new democracies build
free institutions, such as a vibrant free press, freedom of assembly and
opposition, an independent judiciary, freedom of worship, and a free economy
"Remarks
at the Institut d'Etudes
Politiques de Paris" (Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, 2005)
A call to “make the pursuit of global freedom the
organizing principle of the 21st century.”
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