George Herbert Walker Bush

“ At no time of year are Americans more mindful of our heritage as one Nation under God than at Thanksgiving—a day when people of every race, creed, and walk of life join in celebrating the many blessings that we have received as individuals and as a Nation. ”

“ The winning of freedom is not to be compared to the winning of a game, with the victory recorded forever in history. Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirits of men, and so it must be daily earned and refreshed—else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ”

“ Ever grateful for our freedom and security, we Americans have worked to share these blessings with others, and today we rejoice in the fact that the seeds of democratic thought sown on these shores more than 300 years ago continue to blossom around the globe. ”

“ Since the earliest days of our Republic, Americans have been deeply aware of our indebtedness to the Almighty and our obligations as a people He has blessed. Even in the course of long, difficult journeys to these shores, our ancestors gratefully acknowledged the sustaining power or God—and the faithfulness they owed in return. ”

“ Yet, even as we give thanks for the demise of imperial communism and for the current harvest of liberty throughout the world, like our ancestors we also recall our duties as stewards of this great and blessed land. ”

“ I urge all Americans to gather in their homes and in places of worship on that day to offer thanks to the Almighty for the many blessings that He has granted us as individuals and as a Nation. May we always strive to remain worthy of them. ”