Let me speak about immigration. The right and obligation of a sovereign nation to control its own borders is beyond debate. We should not have here a single illegal immigrant. But the question of immigration is broader than that and let me be specific. A family from Mexico who arrived here this morning legally has as much right to the American dream as the direct descendants of the founding fathers.
Ds Republican Party is broad and inclusive. It represents many streams of opinion and many points of view. But if there is anyone who has mistakenly attached himself to our party in the belief that we are not open to citizens of every race and religion, then let me remind you. Tonight this hall belongs to the party of Lincoln, and the exits, which are clearly marked, are for you to walk out of as I stand this ground without compromise.
And though I can only look up, and though I can only look up and at a very steep angle to Washington and Lincoln, let me remind you of their concern for the sometimes delicate unity of the people. The notion that we are and should be one people rather than “peoples” of the United States seems so self-evident and obvious that it is hard for me to imagine that I must defend it.
When I was growing up in Russell, Kansas, it was clear to me that my pride and my home were in America, not in any faction and not in any division. In this, I was heeding, even as I do unto this day Washington’s eloquent rejection of factionalism. I was honoring, even as I do unto this day, Lincoln’s words, his life and his sacrifice.
Article extracted from this publication >> August 21, 1996
