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My fellow citizens, I stand here today humbled by the task before us,

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grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors.

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I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

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Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath.

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The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace.

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Yet every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms.

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At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office,

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but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebearers, and true to our founding documents.

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So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

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That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood.

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Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred.

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Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some,

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but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age.

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Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered.

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Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many,

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and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

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These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics.

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Less measurable, but no less profound, is a sapping of confidence across our land,

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a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, that the next generation must lower its sights.

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Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious, and they are many.

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They will not be met easily or in a short span of time,

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but know this America: they will be met.

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On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

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On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises,

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the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics.

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We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things.

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The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history,

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to carry forward that precious gift -- that noble idea -- passed on from generation to generation:

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the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

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In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.

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Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less.

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Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America.

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For everywhere we look, there is work to be done.

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The state of our economy calls for action -- bold and swift.

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And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth.

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We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together.

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We will restore science to its rightful place and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its costs.

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We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories,

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and we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age.

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All this we can do. All this we will do.