ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
1
AI ScoreShort StoriesNews reports (UPI)Political Speeches
2
An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge (Ambrose Bierce, 1890): A man stood upon a railroad bridge in northern Alabama, looking down into the swift water twenty feet below. The man's hands were behind his back, the wrists bound with a cord. A rope closely encircled his neck. It was attached to a stout cross-timber above his head and the slack fell to the level of his knees. Some loose boards laid upon the sleepers supporting the metals of the railway supplied a footing for him and his executioners--two private soldiers of the Federal army, directed by a sergeant who in civil life may have been a deputy sheriff. At a short remove upon the same temporary platform was an officer in the uniform of his rank, armed. He was a captain. A sentinel at each end of the bridge stood with his rifle in the position known as "support," that is to say, vertical in front of the left shoulder, the hammer resting on the forearm thrown straight across the chest--a formal and unnatural position, enforcing an erect carriage of the body. It did not appear to be the duty of these two men to know what was occurring at the center of the bridge; they merely blockaded the two ends of the foot planking that traversed it. Beyond one of the sentinels nobody was in sight; the railroad ran straight away into a forest for a hundred yards, then, curving, was lost to view. Doubtless there was an outpost farther along. The other bank of the stream was open ground--a gentle acclivity topped with a stockade of vertical tree trunks, loopholed for rifles, with a single embrasure through which protruded the muzzle of a brass cannon commanding the bridge. Midway of the slope between the bridge and fort were the spectators--a single company of infantry in line, at "parade rest," the butts of the rifles on the ground, the barrels inclining slightly backward against the right shoulder, the hands crossed upon the stock. A lieutenant stood at the right of the line, the point of his sword upon the ground, his left hand resting upon his right. Excepting the group of four at the center of the bridge, not a man moved. The company faced the bridge, staring stonily, motionless. The sentinels, facing the banks of the stream, might have been statues to adorn the bridge. The captain stood with folded arms, silent, observing the work of his subordinates, but making no sign. Death is a dignitary who when he comes announced is to be received with formal manifestations of respect, even by those most familiar with him. In the code of military etiquette silence and fixity are forms of deference.Grayed but unbowed, Mandela is freed (Jack Reed, 1990): CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Feb. 11, 1990 (UPI) -- Black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela walked free Sunday from 27 years in prison and told a rally marred by two deaths and 200 shotgun wounds that South Africa's blacks must not yet abandon the armed struggle to end white domination. But the silver-haired symbol of the fight against apartheid also offered an olive branch to whites on his first day of freedom in almost three decades, saying there was room in a democratic South Africa for all races. Violence, he said, may still be necessary, but he said he hoped freedom for South Africa's oppressed majority could be achieved ultimately through negotiation. Mandela, standing under the shadow of the green, yellow and black flag of the once-outlawed African National Congress, shouted, ''Amandla!'' -- ''Power!'' -- and gave a clenched-fist salute to a Cape Town throng of more than 40,000. ''I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all,'' Mandela began his address. ''Today, the majority of South Africans, black and white, recognize that apartheid has no future. Our march to freedom is irreversible.'' Mandela's first taste of freedom was marred by clashes between police and youths on the Cape Town rally's fringes who smashed shop windows and began looting. Police fired birdshot, killing one black man in a display window, witnesses and paramedics said. A second black man was stabbed to death by other rampaging youths, many of them drunk. Scores of people were wounded by birdshot, including CBS Radio reporter Mike Sullivan and other journalists. Paramedics said at least 200 people received emergency treatment. Officials at three Cape Town hospitals said they had treated 71 people, most suffering birdshot injuries. Two were in serious condition."King James Bible" speech (David Cameron, 2011): It’s great to be here and to have this opportunity to come together today to mark the end of this very special 400th anniversary year for the King James Bible. I know there are some who will question why I am giving this speech. And if they happen to know that I’m setting out my views today in a former home of the current Archbishop of Canterbury …and in front of many great theologians and church leaders…they really will think I have entered the lions’ den. But I am proud to stand here and celebrate the achievements of the King James Bible. Not as some great Christian on a mission to convert the world. But because, as Prime Minister, it is right to recognise the impact of a translation that is, I believe, one of this country’s greatest achievements. The Bible is a book that has not just shaped our country, but shaped the world. And with 3 Bibles sold or given away every second… a book that is not just important in understanding our past, but which will continue to have a profound impact in shaping our collective future. In making this speech I claim no religious authority whatsoever. I am a committed – but I have to say vaguely practising – Church of England Christian, who will stand up for the values and principles of my faith…but who is full of doubts and, like many, constantly grappling with the difficult questions when it comes to some of the big theological issues. But what I do believe is this.The King James Bible is as relevant today as at any point in its 400 year history.
3
GPTZero5%1%5%
4
ZeroGPT70%33%38%
5
The Little Match Girl (H.C. Andersen, 1845): Most terribly cold it was; it snowed, and was nearly quite dark, and evening-- the last evening of the year. In this cold and darkness there went along the street a poor little girl, bareheaded, and with naked feet. When she left home she had slippers on, it is true; but what was the good of that? They were very large slippers, which her mother had hitherto worn; so large were they; and the poor little thing lost them as she scuffled away across the street, because of two carriages that rolled by dreadfully fast. One slipper was nowhere to be found; the other had been laid hold of by an urchin, and off he ran with it; he thought it would do capitally for a cradle when he some day or other should have children himself. So the little maiden walked on with her tiny naked feet, that were quite red and blue from cold. She carried a quantity of matches in an old apron, and she held a bundle of them in her hand. Nobody had bought anything of her the whole livelong day; no one had given her a single farthing. She crept along trembling with cold and hunger--a very picture of sorrow, the poor little thing! The flakes of snow covered her long fair hair, which fell in beautiful curls around her neck; but of that, of course, she never once now thought. From all the windows the candles were gleaming, and it smelt so deliciously of roast goose, for you know it was New Year's Eve; yes, of that she thought. In a corner formed by two houses, of which one advanced more than the other, she seated herself down and cowered together. Her little feet she had drawn close up to her, but she grew colder and colder, and to go home she did not venture, for she had not sold any matches and could not bring a farthing of money: from her father she would certainly get blows, and at home it was cold too, for above her she had only the roof, through which the wind whistled, even though the largest cracks were stopped up with straw and rags. Her little hands were almost numbed with cold. Oh! a match might afford her a world of comfort, if she only dared take a single one out of the bundle, draw it against the wall, and warm her fingers by it. She drew one out. "Rischt!" how it blazed, how it burnt! It was a warm, bright flame, like a candle, as she held her hands over it: it was a wonderful light. It seemed really to the little maiden as though she were sitting before a large iron stove, with burnished brass feet and a brass ornament at top. The fire burned with such blessed influence; it warmed so delightfully. The little girl had already stretched out her feet to warm them too; but--the small flame went out, the stove vanished: she had only the remains of the burnt-out match in her hand. She rubbed another against the wall: it burned brightly, and where the light fell on the wall, there the wall became transparent like a veil, so that she could see into the room. On the table was spread a snow-white tablecloth; upon it was a splendid porcelain service, and the roast goose was steaming famously with its stuffing of apple and dried plums. And what was still more capital to behold was, the goose hopped down from the dish, reeled about on the floor with knife and fork in its breast, till it came up to the poor little girl; when--the match went out and nothing but the thick, cold, damp wall was left behind. She lighted another match. Now there she was sitting under the most magnificent Christmas tree: it was still larger, and more decorated than the one which she had seen through the glass door in the rich merchant's house.Thousands defy curfew to protect Yeltsin headquarters (Michael Collins, 1991): MOSCOW, Aug. 20, 1991 (UPI) - Thousands of Muscovites early Wednesday defied an overnight curfew imposed by the Kremlin's new hard-line leadership to protect Boris Yeltsin's Russian government headquarters in a showdown against Soviet mechanized troops. At least two people were killed. The confrontation came as Soviet Premier Valentin Pavlov was replaced on the ruling State of Emergency Committee due to ill health, and the independent Soviet news agency Interfax issued an unconfirmed report that two other members of the eight-man panel had quit. Soviet forces also were reported to have moved against the Baltic republic of Latvia and the second-largest Soviet city, Leningrad. These reports had not been confirmed. In Moscow, sporadic automatic weapons fire could be heard in the area of the Russian government building for about 90 minutes beginning at midnight, but as dawn broke four hours later there had not yet been a move directly against the building or the main body of demonstrators. Witnesses, including a Western correspondent and a Russian medical worker, said they saw two bodies at the site of a clash between civilians and soldiers in mechanized vehicles about two blocks from the Russian government building. Various unconfirmed local news reports said as many as five people were killed and 10 wounded by Soviet troops ordered to put down the resistance to Monday's overthrow of Mikhail Gorbachev. Ambulances converged on the Russian government building. Tens of thousands of civilians, singing folk songs and chanting, rallied all day Tuesday at the building, where Yeltsin, the president of Russia and leader of the resistance, had been holed up since Monday.Foreign Secretary's speech, William Hague 2012: Thank you Nicola, and thank you also to my outstanding team in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Sayeeda Warsi, David Lidington, Hugo Swire, Alistair Burt, Mark Simmonds, Stephen Green and my PPS Keith Simpson. Give them all a round of applause. And we should always thank our country's trusted diplomats, tireless aid workers, superb intelligence agencies and brave Armed Forces. They help Britain walk tall in the world and do immense good for others, so let's show our appreciation for them. This summer when we hosted our inspirational Olympic and Paralympic Games we showed the world what Britain can do and what we stand for. Ours were the first Olympic Games in which women competed in every sport, the first Paralympics to be sold out, the first Olympic Truce which every UN member state supported, the first Games to be celebrated as the greenest ever, and the scene of Britain's greatest sporting success in over a hundred years. Visitors were bowled over by the warmth of our volunteers, by the good sportsmanship of our crowds, and by the brilliance of our ceremonies. And yes, let us be proud that it was one of ours, Seb Coe, who brought the Games to Britain and made them such a triumph. Our coalition government is determined to help liberate that ingenuity and talent across our national life and to carry it all over the world. Whatever the crisis, whatever the danger, however steep the path, we in Britain should never be downhearted. Think of the immense assets and advantages that are ours. The English language, connecting us to billions of people; links to every other nation on earth through our history and diverse society; skills in financial services, engineering, science and technology that are second to none; the British Council, BBC World Service and our historic universities beacons for democratic values around the world. And this is achieved, let us note, not by England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland separately, but by the United Kingdom, including Scotland, together.
6
2%1%2%
7
59%0%0%
8
The Cask of Amontillado (E.A. Poe, 1919): THE thousand injuries of Fortunato I had borne as I best could, but when he ventured upon insult I vowed revenge. You, who so well know the nature of my soul, will not suppose, however, that gave utterance to a threat. At length I would be avenged; this was a point definitely, settled --but the very definitiveness with which it was resolved precluded the idea of risk. I must not only punish but punish with impunity. A wrong is unredressed when retribution overtakes its redresser. It is equally unredressed when the avenger fails to make himself felt as such to him who has done the wrong. It must be understood that neither by word nor deed had I given Fortunato cause to doubt my good will. I continued, as was my in to smile in his face, and he did not perceive that my to smile now was at the thought of his immolation. He had a weak point --this Fortunato --although in other regards he was a man to be respected and even feared. He prided himself on his connoisseurship in wine. Few Italians have the true virtuoso spirit. For the most part their enthusiasm is adopted to suit the time and opportunity, to practise imposture upon the British and Austrian millionaires. In painting and gemmary, Fortunato, like his countrymen, was a quack, but in the matter of old wines he was sincere. In this respect I did not differ from him materially; --I was skilful in the Italian vintages myself, and bought largely whenever I could. It was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of the carnival season, that I encountered my friend. He accosted me with excessive warmth, for he had been drinking much. The man wore motley. He had on a tight-fitting parti-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells. I was so pleased to see him that I thought I should never have done wringing his hand. I said to him --"My dear Fortunato, you are luckily met. How remarkably well you are looking to-day. But I have received a pipe of what passes for Amontillado, and I have my doubts." "How?" said he. "Amontillado, A pipe? Impossible! And in the middle of the carnival!" "I have my doubts," I replied; "and I was silly enough to pay the full Amontillado price without consulting you in the matter. You were not to be found, and I was fearful of losing a bargain."Bomb tears apart Oklahoma City federal building (Jade Boyd, 1995): OKLAHOMA CITY, April 19, 1995 (UPI) -- A car bomb tore apart a federal government building Wednesday in downtown Oklahoma City, killing an undetermined number of people and injuring 300 others in a shattering explosion felt 55 miles away. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of people died in the blast. The governor's office put the confirmed death toll at 26 late Wednesday, but the number was expected to rise as rescuers searched the wreckage. Among the dead were young children whose day-care center was near the center of the destruction. The FBI issued an all-points bulletin for three suspects described as Middle Eastern men in connection with the blast that struck the Alfred Murrah Federal Building just after 9 a.m. ''One-half of the building is sheared away. It's as if somebody came and sheared off an entire half of the building,'' said Tara Blume, a witness. A visibly angry President Clinton swore the United States would root out and prosecute the killers. ''The bombing in Oklahoma City was an attack on innocent children and defenseless citizens,'' Clinton told reporters at a White House news briefing. ''It was an act of cowardice and it was evil. The United States will not tolerate it. And I will not allow the people of this country to be intimidated by evil cowards.'' The explosion at the building at 5th and Robinson streets was caused by a car bomb, said John Magaw, director of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. ''Clearly the major explosion occurred outside the building,'' Magaw said. ''What we reconstruct at this point is that a vehicle was pulled up in front of the building and it detonated shortly after 9 o'clock.''"Transforming the British economy: Coalition strategy for economic growth", Shipley 2010 (David Cameron): This is my first major speech as Prime Minister – and I am going to address the first priority of this government: transforming our economy. Today, Britain is at a turning point. The decisions we make now will live with us for decades to come. For many years we have been heading in the wrong direction. Our economy has become more and more unbalanced, with our fortunes hitched to a few industries in one corner of the country, while we let other sectors like manufacturing slide. It has become over-reliant on welfare, with mass worklessness accepted as a fact of life and around five million people now on out-of-work benefits. It has become increasingly hostile to enterprise, with business investment in the past decade growing at around one per cent each year – only a quarter of what it was the decade before. It has become far too dependent on the public sector, with over half of all jobs created in the last ten years associated in some way with public spending. And, of course, as a country we have become indebted on an unprecedented scale. Our huge deficit and rapidly growing public debt are the clearest manifestations of our economic mistakes – the glaring warning sign overhead telling us we have taken the wrong route. We have been sleepwalking our way to an economy that is unsustainable, unstable, unfair and, frankly, uninspiring. Now that this country is waking up to it, the people of Britain – the people of the world – want to know: can we turn this around? Can we rebalance economic power across our regions, across different industries, so that more people have a stake in our success? Can we end the inevitability of millions on long-term welfare and bring hope to those unemployed? Can we inject new life into the private sector, so that enterprise can drive not just our recovery but the re-building beyond it? Can we go from an economy built on debt and borrowing to one built on saving and investment? Can we re-open Britain for business?
9
2%1%7%
10
60%72%47%
11
The Skylight Room (O. Henry, 1906): First Mrs. Parker would show you the double parlours. You would not dare to interrupt her description of their advantages and of the merits of the gentleman who had occupied them for eight years. Then you would manage to stammer forth the confession that you were neither a doctor nor a dentist. Mrs. Parker's manner of receiving the admission was such that you could never afterward entertain the same feeling toward your parents, who had neglected to train you up in one of the professions that fitted Mrs. Parker's parlours. Next you ascended one flight of stairs and looked at the second- floor-back at $8. Convinced by her second-floor manner that it was worth the $12 that Mr. Toosenberry always paid for it until he left to take charge of his brother's orange plantation in Florida near Palm Beach, where Mrs. McIntyre always spent the winters that had the double front room with private bath, you managed to babble that you wanted something still cheaper. If you survived Mrs. Parker's scorn, you were taken to look at Mr. Skidder's large hall room on the third floor. Mr. Skidder's room was not vacant. He wrote plays and smoked cigarettes in it all day long. But every room-hunter was made to visit his room to admire the lambrequins. After each visit, Mr. Skidder, from the fright caused by possible eviction, would pay something on his rent. Then--oh, then--if you still stood on one foot, with your hot hand clutching the three moist dollars in your pocket, and hoarsely proclaimed your hideous and culpable poverty, nevermore would Mrs. Parker be cicerone of yours. She would honk loudly the word "Clara" she would show you her back, and march downstairs. Then Clara, the coloured maid, would escort you up the carpeted ladder that served for the fourth flight, and show you the Skylight Room. It occupied 7x8 feet of floor space at the middle of the hall. On each side of it was a dark lumber closet or storeroom. In it was an iron cot, a washstand and a chair. A shelf was the dresser. Its four bare walls seemed to close in upon you like the sides of a coffin. Your hand crept to your throat, you gasped, you looked up as from a well--and breathed once more. Through the glass of the little skylight you saw a square of blue infinity. "Two dollars, suh," Clara would say in her half-contemptuous, half- Tuskegeenial tones.Lone French yachtswoman rescue (Bill Perry, 1994): SYDNEY, Australia, Jan. 1 -- Lone French yachtswoman Isabelle Autissier has been plucked to safety from her stricken yacht wallowing in high seas 800 miles (1,287 km) south of Australia. A helicopter from the Australian warship HMAS Darwin winched her safely aboard and landed her, unharmed but cold and tired, on the ship's deck, ending a dramatic four-day rescue operation. BOC Round the World Challenge spokesman Dan McConnell, who spoke to Autissier, 38, by radio, said she was in good health and spirits, but relieved to be off her dismasted yacht, the 60 ft (18.3 m) sloop Ecureuil Poitou Charentes II. 'She said she is sorry for all the trouble she has caused,' McConnell said Sunday. He said her yacht, which was taking water, had been abandoned. 'This rescue has always been about saving her life,' McConnell said. He paid tribute to the Australian armed forces and maritime safety authorities for their cooperation in the successful rescue operation, estimated to have cost around $600,000. 'They have been fantastic, just tremendous,' he said. The Australian air force had kept a 24-hour vigil in the air over Autissier's yacht for three days after she activated her distress beacons when huge seas disabled the boat. A C-130 Hercules circled above during the day, and was relived overnight by a P-3 Orion equipped for night surveillance. HMAS Darwin was dispatched from Adelaide late Thursday to race to her aid. The ship was returning to Adelaide Sunday, and was expected to dock Monday night.Leader's speech, Blackpool 2002 (Tony Blair): The paradox of the modern world is this: we've never been more interdependent in our needs; and we've never been more individualist in our outlook. Globalisation and technology open up vast new opportunities but also cause massive insecurity. The values of progressive politics - solidarity, justice for all - have never been more relevant; and their application never more in need of modernisation. Internationally, we need a new global partnership, that moves beyond a narrow view of national interest. At home, it means taking the great progressive 1945 settlement and reforming it around the needs of the individual as consumer and citizen for the 21st century. What we did for the Labour party in the new clause IV, freeing us from outdated doctrine and practice, we must now do, through reform, for Britain's public services and welfare state. We are at a crossroads: Party, Government, country. Do we take modest though important steps of improvement? Or do we make the great push forward for transformation? I believe we're at our best when at our boldest. So far, we've made a good start but we've not been bold enough. Interdependence is obliterating the distinction between foreign and domestic policy. It was the British economy that felt the aftermath of 11 September. Our cities who take in refugees from the 13 million now streaming across the world from famine, disease or conflict. Our young people who die from heroin imported from Afghanistan. It is our climate that is changing.
12
2%1%7%
13
0%41%0%
14
An Angel in Disguis (T.S. Arthur, 1851): Idleness, vice, and intemperance had done their miserable work, and the dead mother lay cold and still amid her wretched children. She had fallen upon the threshold of her own door in a drunken fit, and died in the presence of her frightened little ones.Death touches the spring of our common humanity. This woman had been despised, scoffed at, and angrily denounced by nearly every man, woman, and child in the village; but now, as the fact of her death was passed from lip to lip, in subdued tones, pity took the place of anger, and sorrow of denunciation. Neighbors went hastily to the old tumble-down hut, in which she had secured little more than a place of shelter from summer heats and winter cold: some with grave-clothes for a decent interment of the body; and some with food for the half-starving children, three in number. Of these, John, the oldest, a boy of twelve, was a stout lad, able to earn his living with any farmer. Kate, between ten and eleven, was bright, active girl, out of whom something clever might be made, if in good hands; but poor little Maggie, the youngest, was hopelessly diseased. Two years before a fall from a window had injured her spine, and she had not been able to leave her bed since, except when lifted in the arms of her mother."What is to be done with the children?" That was the chief question now. The dead mother would go underground, and be forever beyond all care or concern of the villagers. But the children must not be left to starve. After considering the matter, and talking it over with his wife, farmer Jones said that he would take John, and do well by him, now that his mother was out of the way; and Mrs. Ellis, who had been looking out for a bound girl, concluded that it would be charitable in her to make choice of Katy, even though she was too young to be of much use for several years."I could do much better, I know," said Mrs. Ellis; "but as no one seems inclined to take her, I must act from a sense of duty expect to have trouble with the child; for she's an undisciplined thing--used to having her own way." But no one said "I'll take Maggie." Pitying glances were cast on her wan and wasted form and thoughts were troubled on her account. Mothers brought cast-off garments and, removing her soiled and ragged clothes, dressed her in clean attire. The sad eyes and patient face of the little one touched many hearts, and even knocked at them for entrance. But none opened to take her in. Who wanted a bed-ridden child?No. 22 Nebraska 108, Appalachian St 71 (1994): LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 31 -- Erick Strickland scored 21 points to lead eight players in double figures Saturday and lift No. 22 Nebraska to its 11th straight victory, a 108-71 defeat of Appalachian State. Nebraska (11-1), which dropped a 92-81 decision to Appalachian State (2-8) last season, jumped out to a 47-25 halftime lead and was never threatened. The 37-point victory marked the sixth time this season that the Cornhuskers have beaten an opponent by 20-or-more points. The Cornhuskers made 22 of 34 shots, including 6 of 8 three-point attempts, in the second half. The Huskers 108 points equalled their 12th-highest output ever. 'I thought we played real well,' said Nebraska coach Danny Nee. 'I'll be honest, this type of game is really tough to coach. Once we established pourselves and got a substantial, 20-point lead it was hard to stay focused and do the job.' Tom Wald had a career-high 11 assists without a turnover for Nebraska. Wald became the first Nebraska player since Chris Cresswell in 1991 to record a double-digit assist game. Junior Braswell scored 15 points for Appalachian State, which was playing for the first time in 11 days. 'When our two point guards got into foul trouble in the first 10 minutes of the game, that's when we got into trouble,' said Appalachian State coach Tom Apke. 'They were able to really exploit us at that time.' Nebraska has won its last two games by a combined total of 79 points."Third anniversary of the Human Rights Act", London 2003 (David Lammy): Many of you will have received a letter from me on 2 October, the occasion of the third anniversary of the Human Rights Act coming into force. I am pleased to have this opportunity to speak to you all even more directly. The general work of the Audit Commission is, of course, well known, and needs no advertisement from me. But your pioneering work on the response of public authorities to human rights is perhaps less familiar. It seemed to me to deserve a wider audience. It makes for important bedtime - and day time - reading for anyone involved in the delivery of public services. And that is why my recent letter to all chief executives of local authorities and health trusts enclosed a free copy of the most recent report of the Commission. Of course it is the publication of that report that brings us together today. What messages does the report carry? I would summarise them simply: one, that public authorities are generally in a more vulnerable legal state than they need to be; and, two, that many are missing important opportunities to lever up their delivery of public services using the Human Rights Act. From the Government's point of view, these messages chime in with information that has also been coming back to us from other sources. The British Institute of Human Rights, for one. And the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights for another. My Department delivers a programme of road shows around the country and I have to say that anecdotal evidence from people who come to these fits with the general picture as well. In many ways it is the second of the two messages - the one about missing opportunities to develop good practice and lever up public service delivery standards that is the most important. We didn't bring in the Human Rights Act to give work to lawyers. We didn't do it because we wanted to encourage disputes and a great litigation fest. We brought it in because we wanted to see the development of a culture of respect for human rights across this country, with public authorities in the lead. And when I say that the culture is about "respect for human rights" I mean just that: this is about balancing rights and responsibilities, about upholding the rights of all, including the rights of the wider community.
15
2%7%2%
16
0%83%0%
17
The Split Cherry Tree (Jesse Stuart, 1939): "I don't mind staying after school," I says to Professor Herbert, "but I'd rather you'd whip me with a switch and let me go home early. Pa will whip me anyway for getting home two hours late." "You are too big to whip," says Professor Herbert, "and I have to punish you for climbing up in that cherry tree. You boys knew better than that! The other five boys have paid their dollar each. You have been the only one who has not helped pay for the tree. Can't you borrow a dollar?" "I can't," I says. "I'll have to take the punishment. I wish it would be quicker punishment. I wouldn't mind." Professor Herbert stood and looked at me. He was a big man. He wore a grey suit of clothes. The suit matched his grey hair. "You don't know my father," I says to Professor Herbert. "He might be called a little old-fashioned. He makes us mind him until we're twenty-one years old. He believes: 'If you spare the rod you spoil the child.' I'll never be able to make him understand about the cherry tree. I'm the first of my people to go to high school." "You must take the punishment," says Professor Herbert. "You must stay two hours after school today and two hours after school tomorrow. I am allowing you twenty-five cents an hour. That is good money for a high-school student. You can sweep the schoolhouse floor, wash the blackboards, and clean windows. I'll pay the dollar for you." I couldn't ask Professor Herbert to loan me a dolIar. He never offered to loan it to me. I had to stay and help the janitor and work out my fine at a quarter an hour. I thought as I swept the floor, "What will Pa do to me? What lie can I tell him when I go home? Why did we ever climb that cherry tree and break it down for anyway? Why did we run crazy over the hills away from the crowd? Why did we do all of this? Six of us climbed up in a little cherry tree after one little lizard! Why did the tree split and fall with us? It should have been a stronger tree! Why did Eif Crabtree just happen to be below us plowing and catch us in his cherry tree? Why wasn't he a better man than to charge us six dollars for the tree?"Khmer Rouge amnesty to end (Tricia Fitzgerald, 1994): PHNOM PENH, Dec. 31 -- Khmer Rouge guerrillas must defect to the government before Jan. 15, Cambodia's two Prime Ministers said in a 'final appeal,' released by the Information Ministry Saturday. 'The time for delaying is nearly over,' said First Prime Minister Prince Norodom Ranariddh and his co-Prime Minister Hun Sen in the statement. 'The amnesty given to political members and armed forces of the Khmer Rouge is no longer effective from Jan. 15,' the statement said. 'After Jan. 15, the Royal Government cannot be responsible for those people who continue to live with the leaders of the Khmer Rouge who are traitors,' the two Prime Ministers said. Not extending the amnesty period past Jan. 15 will force the government to stop accepting Khmer Rouge defectors who have been coming over to join the government in increasing numbers in the past two months. The move conflicts with statements made by Ranariddh and defence officials Thursday, which said the defection program 'represented a major victory for the government' and was to be continued. Over 5,000 Khmer Rouge soldiers, militias and their families have defected in the last year, according to the government, under the defection program which offers amnesty and economic support to the former guerrillas. High ranking Khmer Rouge officers were included in the defections which had resulted from inter-factional fighting in the guerrilla ranks and dissatisfaction over new orders to burn local villages, provincial authorities said. Lack of salary and shortage of ammunition were also sited as reasons why so many Khmer Rouge were deciding to walk out of guerrilla controlled areas and hand in their weapons.April 25, 1980: Statement on the Iran Rescue Mission (Jimmy Carter): Late yesterday, I cancelled a carefully planned operation which was underway in Iran to position our rescue team for later withdrawal of American hostages, who have been held captive there since November 4. Equipment failure in the rescue helicopters made it necessary to end the mission. As our team was withdrawing, after my order to do so, two of our American aircraft collided on the ground following a refueling operation in a remote desert location in Iran. Other information about this rescue mission will be made available to the American people when it is appropriate to do so. There was no fighting; there was no combat. But to my deep regret, eight of the crewmen of the two aircraft which collided were killed, and several other Americans were hurt in the accident. Our people were immediately airlifted from Iran. Those who were injured have gotten medical treatment, and all of them are expected to recover. No knowledge of this operation by any Iranian officials or authorities was evident to us until several hours after all Americans were withdrawn from Iran. Our rescue team knew and I knew that the operation was certain to be difficult and it was certain to be dangerous. We were all convinced that if and when the rescue operation had been commenced that it had an excellent chance of success. They were all volunteers; they were all highly trained. I met with their leaders before they went on this operation. They knew then what hopes of mine and of all Americans they carried with them. To the families of those who died and who were wounded, I want to express the admiration I feel for the courage of their loved ones and the sorrow that I feel personally for their sacrifice. The mission on which they were embarked was a humanitarian mission. It was not directed against Iran; it was not directed against the people of Iran. It was not undertaken with any feeling of hostility toward Iran or its people. It has caused no Iranian casualties.
18
1%2%23%
19
0%0%11%
20
The Lady, or The Tiger? (Frank Stockton, 1882): IN THE very olden time, there lived a semi-barbaric king, whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors, were still large, florid, and untrammelled, as became the half of him which was barbaric. He was a man of exuberant fancy, and, withal, of an authority so irresistible that, at his will, he turned his varied fancies into facts. He was greatly given to self-communing; and, when he and himself agreed upon any thing, the thing was done. When every member of his domestic and political systems moved smoothly in its appointed course, his nature was bland and genial; but whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his orbs got out of their orbits, he was blander and more genial still, for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight, and crush down uneven places. Among the borrowed notions by which his barbarism had become semified was that of the public arena, in which, by exhibitions of manly and beastly valor, the minds of his subjects were refined and cultured. But even here the exuberant and barbaric fancy asserted itself. The arena of the king was built, not to give the people an opportunity of hearing the rhapsodies of dying gladiators, nor to enable them to view the inevitable conclusion of a conflict between religious opinions and hungry jaws, but for purposes far better adapted to widen and develop the mental energies of the people. This vast amphitheatre, with its encircling galleries, its mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of poetic justice, in which crime was punished. Or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance. When a subject was accused of a crime of sufficient importance to interest the king, public notice was given that on an appointed day the fate of tile accused person would be decided in the king's arena,--a structure which well deserved its name; for, although its form and plan were borrowed -from afar, its purpose emanated solely from the brain of this man, who, every barleycorn a king, knew no tradition to which he owed more allegiance than pleased his fancy, and who ingrafted on every adopted form of human thought and action the rich growth of his barbaric idealism. When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of royal state on one side of the arena, he gave a signal, a door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the amphitheatre. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the enclosed space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by side. It was the duty and the privilege of the person on trial, to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased: he was subject to no guidance or influence but that of the aforementioned impartial and incorruptible chance. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him, and tore him to pieces, as a punishment for his guilt. The moment that the case of the criminal was thus decided, doleful iron bells were clanged, great wails went up from the hired mourners posted on the outer rim of the arena, and the vast audience, with bowed heads and downcast hearts, wended slowly their homeward way, mourning greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have merited so dire a fate.China reports drop in grain output (1994): BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- China reported Saturday that it had an 11.9 million ton drop its grain output compared with 1993 and vowed to increase supplies while controlling prices. 'It is a challenge for the central government,' a state statistics bureau official told the China Daily. 'The side-effects will eventually add more difficulties to the government's efforts to stifle inflation,' he said. The grain output for 1994 reached 444.6 million tons. China reported record grain production in 1993, averaging about 838 lbs (380 kg) per person but still short of the goal of 882 lbs (400 kg) per person every year by the end of the century. Although heavy storms and floods devastated some of the country's grain-producing areas, bureau economists said the production of animals, fish and a cluster of cash crops still held great promise. However, the setback in grain yields is triggering considerable price increases for animal feed and other farm products, the economists were quoted by the paper as saying. They said every 3 percentage point increase in agricultural output would help the central government knock down inflation by about 1 percent. The ministry of internal trade said the state had purchased 66.9 million tons of grain by Dec. 10, or 4.78 million tons more than last year. The state's grassroots purchasing units have also bought 2.63 million tons of cotton and 1.3 million tons of edible oil, the newspaper reported. The state planning commission has announced a package of emergency measures to lower the cost of producer goods such as fertilizers and insecticides in a attempt to persuade farmers to grow grain instead of going after more lucrative crops.June 12, 1987: Address from the Brandenburg Gate (Berlin Wall) (Ronald Reagan): Thank you very much. Chancellor Kohl, Governing Mayor Diepgen, ladies and gentlemen: Twenty-four years ago, President John F. Kennedy visited Berlin, speaking to the people of this city and the world at the city hall. Well, since then two other presidents have come, each in his turn, to Berlin. And today I, myself, make my second visit to your city. We come to Berlin, we American Presidents, because it's our duty to speak, in this place, of freedom. But I must confess, we're drawn here by other things as well: by the feeling of history in this city, more than 500 years older than our own nation; by the beauty of the Grunewald and the Tiergarten; most of all, by your courage and determination. Perhaps the composer, Paul Lincke, understood something about American Presidents. You see, like so many Presidents before me, I come here today because wherever I go, whatever I do: "Ich hab noch einen koffer in Berlin." [I still have a suitcase in Berlin.] Our gathering today is being broadcast throughout Western Europe and North America. I understand that it is being seen and heard as well in the East. To those listening throughout Eastern Europe, I extend my warmest greetings and the good will of the American people. To those listening in East Berlin, a special word: Although I cannot be with you, I address my remarks to you just as surely as to those standing here before me. For I join you, as I join your fellow countrymen in the West, in this firm, this unalterable belief: Es gibt nur ein Berlin. [There is only one Berlin.] Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, those barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and guardtowers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and checkpoints all the same—still a restriction on the right to travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state. Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar.
21
15%2%2%
22
0%0%55%
23
The Lady with the Dog (Anton Chekhov, 1899): It was said that a new person had appeared on the sea-front: a lady with a little dog. Dmitri Dmitritch Gurov, who had by then been a fortnight at Yalta, and so was fairly at home there, had begun to take an interest in new arrivals. Sitting in Verney’s pavilion, he saw, walking on the sea-front, a fair-haired young lady of medium height, wearing a béret; a white Pomeranian dog was running behind her. And afterwards he met her in the public gardens and in the square several times a day. She was walking alone, always wearing the same béret, and always with the same white dog; no one knew who she was, and every one called her simply “the lady with the dog.” “If she is here alone without a husband or friends, it wouldn’t be amiss to make her acquaintance,” Gurov reflected. He was under forty, but he had a daughter already twelve years old, and two sons at school. He had been married young, when he was a student in his second year, and by now his wife seemed half as old again as he. She was a tall, erect woman with dark eyebrows, staid and dignified, and, as she said of herself, intellectual. She read a great deal, used phonetic spelling, called her husband, not Dmitri, but Dimitri, and he secretly considered her unintelligent, narrow, inelegant, was afraid of her, and did not like to be at home. He had begun being unfaithful to her long ago — had been unfaithful to her often, and, probably on that account, almost always spoke ill of women, and when they were talked about in his presence, used to call them “the lower race.” It seemed to him that he had been so schooled by bitter experience that he might call them what he liked, and yet he could not get on for two days together without “the lower race.” In the society of men he was bored and not himself, with them he was cold and uncommunicative; but when he was in the company of women he felt free, and knew what to say to them and how to behave; and he was at ease with them even when he was silent. In his appearance, in his character, in his whole nature, there was something attractive and elusive which allured women and disposed them in his favour; he knew that, and some force seemed to draw him, too, to them. Colombians confiscate drug planes (1994): BOGOTA, Dec. 31 -- Colombian officials confiscated nine airplanes thought to be used to transport cocaine in recent anti-drug operations in the country's main airports, officials said Saturday. Colombian National Police and other authorities confiscated the nine airplanes and detained 150 people with suspected drug links in the 'Golondrina' operation. The operation has been carried out in the last two days in airports in the cities of Bogota, Cali and Neiva. Meanwhile, Col. Leonardo Gallego, the anti-drug police head, said Saturday that 59,750 pounds (27,159 kg) of pure cocaine had been confiscated in 1994. Another 45.1 tons (41 metric tons) of paste used to make cocaine were confiscated and 25,113 acres (10,045 hectares) of fields of poppy, used to make heroin, were destroyed. Gallego said 523 cocaine labs were destroyed, up 23 percent from last year, 2,099 people with suspected links to Colombia's drug cartels were arrested and 62 clandestine airstrips were destroyed.January 28, 2008: State of the Union Address (George W. Bush): Madam Speaker, Vice President Cheney, members of Congress, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens: Seven years have passed since I first stood before you at this rostrum. In that time, our country has been tested in ways none of us could have imagined. We faced hard decisions about peace and war, rising competition in the world economy, and the health and welfare of our citizens. These issues call for vigorous debate, and I think it's fair to say, we've answered the call. Yet history will record that amid our differences, we acted with purpose, and together we showed the world the power and resilience of American self-government. All of us were sent to Washington to carry out the people's business. That is the purpose of this body. It is the meaning of our oath. It remains our charge to keep. The actions of the 110th Congress will affect the security and prosperity of our nation long after this session has ended. In this election year, let us show our fellow Americans that we recognize our responsibilities and are determined to meet them. Let us show them that Republicans and Democrats can compete for votes and cooperate for results at the same time. From expanding opportunity to protecting our country, we've made good progress. Yet we have unfinished business before us, and the American people expect us to get it done. In the work ahead, we must be guided by the philosophy that made our nation great. As Americans, we believe in the power of individuals to determine their destiny and shape the course of history. We believe that the most reliable guide for our country is the collective wisdom of ordinary citizens. And so in all we do, we must trust in the ability of free peoples to make wise decisions and empower them to improve their lives for their futures. To build a prosperous future, we must trust people with their own money and empower them to grow our economy. As we meet tonight, our economy is undergoing a period of uncertainty. America has added jobs for a record 52 straight months, but jobs are now growing at a slower pace. Wages are up, but so are prices for food and gas. Exports are rising, but the housing market has declined. At kitchen tables across our country, there is a concern about our economic future.
24
10%1%7%
25
14%44%93%
26
A Scandal in Bohemia (Arthur Conan Doyle, 1891): To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer—excellent for drawing the veil from men’s motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory. I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other. My own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my attention, while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul, remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature. He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police. From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder, of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland. Beyond these signs of his activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press, I knew little of my former friend and companion. One night—it was on the twentieth of March, 1888—I was returning from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker Street. As I passed the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet, I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes again, and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers. His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind. He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him. To me, who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work again. He had risen out of his drug-created dreams and was hot upon the scent of some new problem. I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which had formerly been in part my own.Egyptian industry faces problem (1994): CAIRO, Dec. 31 -- The daily English-language Egyptian Gazette commented editorially Saturday on environment as one of the problems facing industrial producton saying in part: 'The pattern of public versus private ownership in Egypt has changed radically as a result of the government's reform programme. 'Several important service companies had already been sold to the private sector by the end of 1993, and by early 1994 two major bottling companies, Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola, had also been privatized. 'Law 230, of 1989, permitting complete ownership of manufacturing companies by non-Egyptian investors, has stimulated a strong growth of private and foreign investment. 'Since the late 1970s, the government has also established several new cities on non-agriculture land which, in addition to decreasing urban congestion in Cairo, Alexandria and other parts of lower Egypt, are aimed at attracting new industries. 'In addition, the government has also established several free zones in Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, Suez and Ismailia, which provide special incentives to investors. 'One of the main problems facing industrial production is the environment. As the rapid expansion of industry in recent years has exacerbated the already serious enviromental problems caused by the high population density and the acceleration of urbanization, especially in Cairo, Alexandria and Nile Delta. 'This prompted the People's Assembly to enact a comprehensive environmental protection bill in February this year which gives special powers to the Environmental Affairs Agency (EAA) to enforce clean air regulations and to monitor pollution. 'Measures to establish an environmental police unit are also being considered. 'Under the new law, all proposed industrial and tourism projects must be subjected to environmental impact studies prior to approval.April 8, 2013: Speech on Gun Violence (Barrack Obama): Hello, Connecticut. (Applause.) Thank you. Well, thank you so much, everybody. Let me begin by thanking Nicole, and Ian, for your brave words. (Applause.) I want to thank them and all the Newtown families who have come here today, including your First Selectman, Pat Llodra. (Applause.) Nobody could be more eloquent than Nicole and the other families on this issue. And we are so grateful for their courage and willingness to share their stories again and again, understanding that nothing is going to be more important in making sure the Congress moves forward this week than hearing from them. I want to thank all the educators from Sandy Hook Elementary who have come here as well -- (applause) -- the survivors -- AUDIENCE MEMBERS: We love you, Obama! THE PRESIDENT: I love you back. I do. (Applause.) -- the survivors who still mourn and grieve, but are still going to work every day to love and raise those precious children in their care as fiercely as ever. I want to thank Governor Malloy for his leadership. (Applause.) Very proud of him. I want to thank the University of Hartford for hosting us this afternoon. (Applause.) Thank you, Hawks. (Applause.) And I want to thank the people of Connecticut for everything you’ve done to honor the memories of the victims -- (applause) -- because you’re part of their family as well. One of your recent alumni, Rachel D’Avino, was a behavioral therapist at Sandy Hook. Two alumni of your performing arts school, Jimmy Greene and Nelba Marquez-Greene, lost their daughter, Ana -- an incredible, vibrant young girl who looked up to them, and learned from them, and inherited their talents by singing before she could talk. So every family in this state was shaken by the tragedy of that morning. Every family in this country was shaken. We hugged our kids more tightly. We asked what could we do, as a society, to help prevent a tragedy like that from happening again. And as a society, we decided that we have to change. We must. We must change. (Applause.) I noticed that Nicole and others refer to that day as “12/14.” For these families, it was a day that changed everything. And I know many of you in Newtown wondered if the rest of us would live up to the promise we made in those dark days -- if we’d change, too; or if once the television trucks left, once the candles flickered out, once the teddy bears were carefully gathered up, that the country would somehow move on to other things.
27
7%2%2%
28
76%0%26%
29
The Unexpected (Jack London, 1906): It is a simple matter to see the obvious, to do the expected. The tendency of the individual life is to be static rather than dynamic, and this tendency is made into a propulsion by civilization, where the obvious only is seen, and the unexpected rarely happens. When the unexpected does happen, however, and when it is of sufficiently grave import, the unfit perish. They do not see what is not obvious, are unable to do the unexpected, are incapable of adjusting their well-grooved lives to other and strange grooves. In short, when they come to the end of their own groove, they die. On the other hand, there are those that make toward survival, the fit individuals who escape from the rule of the obvious and the expected and adjust their lives to no matter what strange grooves they may stray into, or into which they may be forced. Such an individual was Edith Whittlesey. She was born in a rural district of England, where life proceeds by rule of thumb and the unexpected is so very unexpected that when it happens it is looked upon as an immorality. She went into service early, and while yet a young woman, by rule-of-thumb progression, she became a lady’s maid. The effect of civilization is to impose human law upon environment until it becomes machine-like in its regularity. The objectionable is eliminated, the inevitable is foreseen. One is not even made wet by the rain nor cold by the frost; while death, instead of stalking about grewsome and accidental, becomes a prearranged pageant, moving along a well-oiled groove to the family vault, where the hinges are kept from rusting and the dust from the air is swept continually away. Such was the environment of Edith Whittlesey. Nothing happened. It could scarcely be called a happening, when, at the age of twenty-five, she accompanied her mistress on a bit of travel to the United States. The groove merely changed its direction. It was still the same groove and well oiled. It was a groove that bridged the Atlantic with uneventfulness, so that the ship was not a ship in the midst of the sea, but a capacious, many-corridored hotel that moved swiftly and placidly, crushing the waves into submission with its colossal bulk until the sea was a mill-pond, monotonous with quietude. And at the other side the groove continued on over the land—a well-disposed, respectable groove that supplied hotels at every stopping-place, and hotels on wheels between the stopping-places.Washington St. 10, Baylor 3 (1994): SAN ANTONIO, Dec. 31 -- Kevin Hicks scored on a one-yard run on the opening possession of the game Saturday night and the powerful defense of No. 23 Washington State made it stand up for a 10-3 victory over Baylor in the second Alamo Bowl. Tony Truant added a second-quarter field goal for the Cougars (8-4), who for the ninth time this season limited their opponent to 10 points or less. Washington State was making its first bowl appearance since a win over Utah in the 1992 Copper Bowl. Baylor threatened to tie the game late in the fourth quarter when freshman quarterback Jeff Watson hit Kalief Muhammad with a 33-yard pass to the Cougars' 11. But a pair of running plays lost yardage, a pass went incomplete and Watson's fourth-down pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Todd Jensen. Jarvis Van Dyke kicked a 36-yard field goal, but also missed from 44 and 47 yards for the Bears (7-5). Although Washington State was a heavy favorite, Baylor's defense played the Cougars' on even terms after the first drive of the game. That march went 90 yards and was kept alive by a roughing penalty called when the Cougars punted the ball away from their own 15-yard line.January 27, 2000: State of the Union Address (Bill Clinton): Mr. Speaker, Mr. Vice President, members of Congress, honored guests, my fellow Americans: We are fortunate to be alive at this moment in history. Never before has our nation enjoyed, at once, so much prosperity and social progress with so little internal crisis and so few external threats. Never before have we had such a blessed opportunity and, therefore, such a profound obligation to build the more perfect Union of our Founders’ dreams. We begin the new century with over 20 million new jobs; the fastest economic growth in more than 30 years; the lowest unemployment rates in 30 years; the lowest poverty rates in 20 years; the lowest African-American and Hispanic unemployment rates on record; the first back-to-back surpluses in 42 years; and next month, America will achieve the longest period of economic growth in our entire history. We have built a new economy. And our economic revolution has been matched by a revival of the American spirit: crime down by 20 percent, to its lowest level in 25 years; teen births down seven years in a row; adoptions up by 30 percent; welfare rolls cut in half, to their lowest levels in 30 years. My fellow Americans, the state of our Union is the strongest it has ever been. As always, the real credit belongs to the American people. My gratitude also goes to those of you in this chamber who have worked with us to put progress over partisanship. Eight years ago, it was not so clear to most Americans there would be much to celebrate in the year 2000. Then our nation was gripped by economic distress, social decline, political gridlock. The title of a best-selling book asked: "America: What Went Wrong?" In the best traditions of our nation, Americans determined to set things right. We restored the vital center, replacing outmoded ideologies with a new vision anchored in basic, enduring values: opportunity for all, responsibility from all, a community of all Americans. We reinvented government, transforming it into a catalyst for new ideas that stress both opportunity and responsibility and give our people the tools they need to solve their own problems. With the smallest federal work force in 40 years, we turned record deficits into record surpluses and doubled our investment in education. We cut crime with 100,000 community police and the Brady law, which has kept guns out of the hands of half a million criminals.
30
7%2%2%
31
0%0%66%
32
Average5%2%6%
33
28%27%34%
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100