This is the heritage of your land and mine. The people who came here wanted to better their lives and the lives of their children. The frontier of the New World didn't offer streets paved with gold. It offered opportunity and the spirit of freedom. Today, freedom-loving people around the world are tremendously encouraged by your stable transition back to democracy.
History proves that the freer a people become, the more their creative energies are unleashed.
You touched on this last year when you outlined your commitment to representative government. Last month about 50 million of your countrymen became political activists instead of spectators. Your legislative and gubernatorial elections demonstrated the vigor and vitality of the democratic ideal in this hemisphere. The peace we've known has been a precious asset for the Americas. Instead of allocating a great share of their resources on military spending, the developing countries of this hemisphere have invested in the future.