'The Most Natural Instinct Is To Walk Away': Biden Discusses The Fragility Of Democracy

3 months ago

President Biden delivered remarks on Friday in France about freedom where he invoked D-Day.

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Transcript

00:00We talk about democracy, American democracy.

00:04We often talk about the ideals of life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.

00:09What we don't talk about is how hard it is,

00:13how many ways we're asked to walk away,

00:16how many instincts there are to walk away.

00:19The most natural instinct is to walk away,

00:22to be selfish, to force our will upon others,

00:27to seize power, never give up.

00:30American democracy asks the hardest of things,

00:33to believe that we're part of something bigger than ourselves.

00:37So democracy begins with each of us.

00:40It begins when one person decides

00:42there's something more important than themselves.

00:45When they decide the person they're serving alongside of

00:49is someone to look after.

00:51When they decide the mission matters more than their life.

00:55When they decide that their country matters more than they do.

01:00That's what the Rangers at Pointe du Hoc did.

01:05That's what they decided.

01:07That's what every soldier, every Marine who stormed these beaches decided.

01:13A feared dictator had conquered a continent,

01:17had finally met his match.

01:19Because of them, the war turned.

01:22They stood against Hitler's aggression.

01:25Does anyone doubt, does anyone doubt

01:30that they would want America to stand up against

01:32Putin's aggression here in Europe today?

01:35They stormed the beaches alongside their allies.

01:39Does anyone believe these Rangers would want America to go it alone today?

01:45They fought to vanquish a hateful ideology in the 30s and 40s.

01:50Does anyone doubt they would move heaven and earth

01:53to vanquish hateful ideologies of today?

01:56These Rangers put mission and country above themselves.

02:00Does anyone believe they would exact any less from every American today?

02:06These Rangers remembered with reverence

02:10those who gave their lives in battle.

02:13Could they or anyone ever imagine

02:17that America would do the same, wouldn't do the same?

02:20They believed America was the beacon of the world.

02:23I'm certain they believed that it would be that way forever.

'The Most Natural Instinct Is To Walk Away': Biden Discusses The Fragility Of Democracy

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