George W. Bush
Thursday, January 20, 2005
1 On this day, prescribed by law and marked by ceremony, we celebrate the durable wisdom of our Constitution, and recall the deep commitments that unite our country. I am grateful for the honor of this hour, mindful of the consequential times in which we live, and determined to fulfill the oath that I have sworn and you have witnessed.
2 At this second gathering, our duties are defined not by the words I use, but by the history we have seen together. For a half a century, America defended our own freedom by standing watch on distant borders. After the shipwreck of communism came years of relative quiet, years of repose, years of sabbatical—and then there came a day of fire.
3 We have seen our vulnerability—and we have seen its deepest source. For as long as whole regions of the world simmer in resentment and tyranny—prone to ideologies that feed hatred and excuse murder—violence will gather, and multiply in destructive power, and cross the most defended borders, and raise a mortal threat. There is only one force of history that can break the reign of hatred and resentment, and expose the pretensions of tyrants, and reward the hopes of the decent and tolerant, and that is the force of human freedom.
4 We are led, by events and common sense, to one conclusion: The survival of liberty in our land increasingly depends on the success of liberty in other lands. The best hope for peace in our world is the expansion of freedom in all the world.
5 America’s vital interests and our deepest beliefs are now one. From the day of our Founding, we have proclaimed that every man and woman on this earth has rights, and dignity, and matchless value, because they bear the image of the Maker of Heaven and earth. Across the generations we have proclaimed the imperative of self-government, because no one is fit to be a master, and no one deserves to be a slave. Advancing these ideals is the mission that created our Nation. It is the honorable achievement of our fathers. Now it is the urgent requirement of our nation’s security, and the calling of our time.
6 So it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world.
To what is President Bush alluding when he mentions "a day of fire" at the end of the second paragraph?
Responses
A D-Day invasion in 1944D-Day invasion in 1944
B invasion of Iraq in 2003invasion of Iraq in 2003
C Hiroshima bombing in 1945Hiroshima bombing in 1945
D San Francisco earthquake in 1989San Francisco earthquake in 1989
E Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001
3 answers
E. Attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001
In this context, "a day of fire" refers to the September 11 attacks, which were a significant turning point in U.S. history and had a profound impact on national security and foreign policy, leading to the global War on Terror.
B. The information in the timeline supports statements in the inaugural address.
The timeline details significant events in American history, particularly regarding the struggle for freedom and rights, which aligns with President Bush's emphasis on liberty and the promotion of human rights in his second inaugural address. These themes of freedom and the fight against tyranny resonate across both pieces of text.
