I attended the 2001 National Jamboree at Fort A. P. Hill in Virginia. I am ashamed to look back and look back to see that I was blissfully unaware of the civil rights fight that was being carried out at the time, with the BSA on the wrong side of. Unbeknownst to me one of my best friends and at least one of my teammates were in the victimized class. I strive today to not turn a blind eye to oppression like I had as a child who sold popcorn to fund such activity. I was proud to be an Eagle in Maryland when Troop 52 of Chevy Chase celebrated to Court of Honor for Pascal Tessier.
Today I have been an Eagle Scout for half my life, I have attended a National Jamboree, I have run for US Congress, I have served in the Department of Defense, and I am now working on raising two boys of my own. From this experience and perspective, please allow me to walk through today's speech. It will be long, as my quick estimate puts the transcript at nearly 4,000 words. I am using the transcript text from C-SPAN which is "compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning" so there are slight errors.
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I AM THRILLED TO BE HERE. THRILLED. AND IF YOU THINK THAT WAS AN EASY TRIP, YOU'RE WRONG. BUT I AM THRILLED. 19th BOY SCOUT, JAMBOREE. WOW AND TO ADDRESS SUCH A TREMENDOUS GROUP. BOY YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE.Just a greeting. The whole thing about how hard or easy the trip was is a bit strange considering his audience of hikers. I assume he arrived by either helicopter or motorcade.
THE PRESS WILL SAY IT'S ABOUT 200 PEOPLE. IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 45,000 PEOPLE. YOU SET A RECORD TODAY. YOU SET A RECORD. THAT'S A GREAT HONOR, BELIEVE ME.Right off the bat the speech begins with an attack on the integrity of the American press and a lie to the audience. Most high ranked Scouts will have completed their Citizenship in the Nation badge and should appreciate the importance of First Amendment guarantees of a free press. The words of the President of the United States carry weight and that weight should not be used to impugn the integrity of that press.
I don't know if that 45,000 value was provided by the Jamboree leadership, but the marketing releases of AT&T put the expected count of total attendees at over 40,000. The past attendances as recorded on the Wikipedia page put the Jamborees of 1953, 1957, 1960, and 1964 at well over 40,000. 1960 was well over 50,000.
TONIGHT WE PUT ASIDE ALL OF THE POLICY FIGHTS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. YOU'VE BEEN HEARING ABOUT WITH THE FAKE NEWS AND ALL OF THAT. WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT -- WE'RE GOING TO PUT THAT ASIDE.Don't spend time talking about what you are not going to talk about, they attendees don't care. Plus there is another jab at the
AND INSTEAD WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SUCCESS, ABOUT HOW ALL OF YOU AMAZING YOUNG SCOUTS WILL ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS. WHAT TO THINK OF WHAT I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT.Thirteen rambling sentences in and finally a point that fits what one expects a leader to say when speaking to youth.
YOU WANT TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS, I SAID WHO THE HELL WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT POLITICS WHEN I'M IN FRONT OF THE BOY SCOUTS? RIGHT? [CHEERING]Again, talking about what you are not going to talk about. Just talk about what you are going to talk about.
THERE ARE MANY GREAT HONOR THAT IS COME WITH THE JOB OF BEING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. BUT LOOKING OUT AT THIS INCREDIBLE GATHERING OF MOSTLY YOUNG PATRIOTS. MOSTLY YOUNG.I think the repeat of "mostly young" is to keep the previous line from being taken as "mostly patriots", although a very long discussion could be had as to what "patriot" means. From the Scout Oath, "do my duty to ... my country" should likely fall into most meanings. Of course since those discussed as the original patriots are traitors against their king and country... anyway. I will give the benefit of the doubt and say that this is an acknowledgement of their Citizenship goals rather than a dog whistle call for obedience. Those come later.
I'M ESPECIALLY PROUD TO SPEAK TO YOU AS THE HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA. [CHEERING]This sounded weird to me, but apparently it is a thing. It is even on my Eagle card.
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| Look at that. George Bush, Honorary President |
YOU ARE THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY WHO WILL SERVE AS LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND UPHOLD THE SACRED VALUES OF OUR NATION.Speaking right to what the Boy Scouts pride themselves on, though as I discussed earlier, it has in the past been used to exclude classes of people. Even today the Eagle Scout can only be earned by less than half of the youth of the United States. That rank and honor is only extended to theists and boys. My brother had the privilege of attending the 19th World Jamboree in Chile over the 1999 new year. Other nations sent boys and girls because it was the World Scout Jamboree. There is nothing enriching to boys in the BSA that would not also benefit girls and the networking opportunities of Eagle celebrations and National Eagle Scout Association are denied to women as a class.
I WANT TO THANK BOY SCOUTS PRESIDENT RANDALL STEPHENSON, CHIEF SCOUT EXECUTIVE MICHAEL SURBAUGH, JAMBOREE CHAIRMAN RALPH DE LA VEGA AND THE THOUSANDS OF VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THIS A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE FOR ALL OF YOU.A good set of acknowledgements. Expected of a leader.
AND THEY WHEN ASKED ME TO BE HERE I SAID ABSOLUTELY YES. [ CHEERS AND APPLAUSE ]Feels a bit like he's making it about himself here, but the delivery has an emphasis on the "absolutely" that drives home the privilege of getting to speak to this audience in particular. The compliment was well received, judging by the crowd response.
FINALLY -- AND WE CAN'T FORGOT THESE PEOPLE. I ESPECIALLY WANT TO SALUTE THE MOMS AND THE DADS AND TROOP LEADERS WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT. THANK YOU FOR MAKING SCOUTING POSSIBLE. THANK YOU, MOM AND DAD, TROOP LEADERS. WHEN YOU VOLUNTEER FOR THE BOY SCOUTS YOU ARE NOT ONLY SHAPING YOUNG LIVES, YOU ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.
Well delivered. This is very appropriate for this speech.
THE UNITED STATES HAS NO BETTER CITIZENS THAN ITS BOY SCOUTS. NO BETTER.No better citizens than Boy Scouts? That is a pretty harsh statement considering that currently atheists and women are currently blocked as classes. Until recently queer boys were an excluded class. Judging by the recent various Red State legislative actions I would be surprised to learn that trans boys are not officially excluded still.
THE VALUES, TRADITIONS, AND SKILLS YOU LEARN HERE WILL SERVE YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIVES. AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY, THEY WILL SERVE YOUR FAMILIES, CITIES AND IN THE FUTURE AND IN THE PRESENT WILL SERVE YOUR COUNTRY.Exactly what is to be expected by a speech to the Boy Scouts. The "traditions" part is clearly something that needs some meditation on. "Tradition" is too often toted as a way of maintaining that status quo and not having to consider who was damaged by it in the past and whose suffering is ongoing.
THE SCOUTS BELIEVE IN PUTTING AMERICA FIRST. [CHEERING]Here he is injecting his political messaging into the speech. I wonder if he is familiar with Lord Baden-Powell. Again, high ranked Scouts in the audience probably have earned their Citizenship in the World badge. I am concerned by the level of cheering. This audience is not weighing their responsibilities as citizens in the world with the feel good rhetoric of a demagogue. The energy of the crowd cheering with them will stick in their minds and subconscious longer than the details. This cheering is not considering why they should pay extra for materials that did not come from conflict zones. They are not thinking about all the boys who cannot be in Scouts because of 'America First' needing those boys to be making cheap clothing. They are not seeing how 'international law' is "a tool for conflict resolution", despite that being an exact quote from the requirements for Citizenship in the World.
YOU KNOW, I GO TO WASHINGTON AND I SEE ALL THESE POLITICIANS. ANISE AND I SEE THE SWAMP. AND IN FACT I SAID WE OUGHT TO CHANGE IT FROM THE WORD SWAMP TO THE WORD CESSPOOL OR PERHAPS SEWER. BUT IT'S NOT GOOD. NOT GOOD. AND I SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. AND BELIEVE ME I'D MUCH RATHER BE WITH YOU, THAT I CAN TELL YOU. [CHEERING]This has no place in a speech to Boy Scouts. It is really beyond the pale to both appeal to their duty to country and then follow that up by describing the mechanics of that country as a cesspool. This is less than five minutes into the speech.
I'LL TELL YOU THE REASON THAT I LOVE THIS, AND THE REASON THAT I REALLY WANTED TO BE HERE, IT'S BECAUSE AS PRESIDENT, I RELY ON FORMER BOY SCOUTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND SO DO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY BOY SCOUTS WE HAVE AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF OUR GREAT GOVERNMENT. MANY OF MY TOP ADVISERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE WERE SCOUTS. TEN MEMBERS OF MY CABINET WERE SCOUTS. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT? TEN. SECRETARY OF STATE REX TILLERSON IS NOT ONLY A BOY SCOUT, HE IS YOUR FORMER NATIONAL PRESIDENT. THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, MIKE PENCE WAS A SCOUT, AND IT MEANT SO MUCH TO HIM. SOME OF YOU HERE TONIGHT MIGHT EVEN HAVE CAMPED OUT IN THIS YARD WHEN MIKE WAS THE GOVERNOR OF INDIANA. BUT THE SCOUTING WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. AND BY THE WAY, WHERE ARE OUR INDIANA SCOUTS TONIGHT?Highlighting the presence of former Scouts and Eagle Scouts within leadership; this is an appropriate, and motivating, part of this speech.
I WONDER IF THE TELEVISION CAMERAS WILL FOLLOW YOU? THEY DON'T DOING THAT WHEN THEY SEE THE MASSIVE CROWDS THEY DON'T LIKE DOING IT THAT.Again, using the bully pulpit to attack the press. This is an ongoing attempt to shape the minds of future leaders.
[LONG SILENCE AND WAVING] HI, FOLKS. [LONG SILENCE AND WAVING]Just working the crowd, building enthusiasm. This is a showman in action.
THERE'S A LOT OF LOVE IN THIS BIG BEAUTIFUL PLACE. A LOT OF LOVE. AND A LOT OF LOVE FOR OUR COUNTRY. AND A LOT OF LOVE FOR OUR COUNTRY. SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR, RYAN ZINKE IS HERE TON. COME HERE, RYAN. RYAN IS AN EAGLE SCOUT FROM BIG SKY COUNTRY IN MONTANA. AND BY THE WAY, HE IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB.Positivity and highlighting the accomplishment of an Eagle Scout.
HE MAKES SURE THAT WE LEAVE OUR NATIONAL PARKS AND FEDERAL LANDS BETTER THAN WE FOUND THEM IN THE BEST SCOUTING TRADITION. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, RYAN.This is an interesting statement... well another bald faced lie. The President has tasked Ryan Zinke with reviewing the current national parks and federal lands to find where the designation and protection can be removed. This would leave less parks and land than they found. The requested FY18 budget critically guts all manner of environmental protection, rebuilding, and study. This would leave the land and water in much worse shape than they found them.
SECRETARY OF ENERGY RICK PERRY OF TEXAS, AN EAGLE SCOUT FROM THE GREAT STATE. THE FIRST TIME HE CAME TO THE NATIONAL JAMBOREE WAS IN 1964. HE WAS VERY YOUNG THEN. AND RICK TOLD ME JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, IT TOTALLY CHANGED HIS LIFE. SO, RICK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND WE'RE DOING -- WE'RE DOING A LOT WITH ENERGY.Another highlight of an accomplished Eagle Scout. At my Board of Review I was challenged that for the rest of my life I would be Eagle Scout Matthew Molyett. If I made poor decisions it would be "Eagle Scout MM convicted of DUI" and if I made positive decisions it would be "Eagle Scout Matthew Molyett is a challenger for Congressional seat." The President is demonstrating this.
AND VERY SOON, RICK, WE WILL BE AN ENERGY EXPORTER. ISN'T THAT NICE? AN ENERGY EXPORTER? IN OTHER WORDS, WE'LL BE SELLING OUR ENERGY INSTEAD OF BUYING IT FROM EVERYBODY ALL OVER THE GLOBE. SO THAT'S GOOD. WE WILL BE ENERGY DOMINANT.Again, the rhetoric is playing up the America First messaging. What does this mean for the audience as Scouts with a duty to understand Citizenship in the World? When America imports products there is a mutually beneficial transaction taking place. Selling requires that the buyers have to have the resources to purchase, thus it can't be all America First or healthy relationships won't be there to keep the buyers peaceful and prosperous.
AND THE FOLKS AT WEST VIRGINIA BOY HAVE WE KEPT OUR PROMISE. WE LOVE WEST VIRGINIA. WE THANK YOU. WHERE IS WEST VIRGINIA BY THE WAY? THANK YOU.Hearkening back to campaign messaging even though this audience is primarily 12 to 17 year old boys. They don't care about campaign promises. Talk to them, not about yourself.
SECRETARY TOM PRICE IS ALSO HERE TODAY. DR. PRICE STILL LIVES THE SCOUT OATH, HELPING TO KEEP MILLIONS OF AMERICANS STRONG AND HEALTHY AS OUR SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. AND HE IS DOING A GREAT JOB. AND HOPEFULLY HE GETS THE VOTES TOMORROW TO START OUR PATH TOWARD KILLING THIS HORRIBLE THING KNOWN AS OBAMACARE THAT'S REALLY HURTING US. [ CHANTING ]"Killing this horrible thing"? So much for the attempts at positive tone. Also "Keep millions of Americans strong and healthy" is an interesting phrasing since the bill in question is estimated by the CBO to result in single policyholder deductibles raising to $13,000. The CBO projects that such policyholders would not even secure coverage since the deductible could climb as high as a full one-half of the annual gross income.
BY THE WAY? ARE YOU GOING TO GET THE VOTES? HE BETTER GET THEM. HE BETTER GET THEY WILL. OTHERWISE I'LL SAY TOM, YOU'RE FIRED. I'LL GET SOMEBODY.Nothing says positive message like threatening the livelihood of someone in front of 40,000+ people. Being fired is a fairly stressful event and it doesn't say much about a person that can just casually throw that out at their subordinates. Is this the behavior that the Scouts should be emulating? SPL: "Quartermaster, the cooks tomorrow better not burn our foil packs or you are hiking back to the trail-head alone."
HE BETTER GET SENATOR CAPITO TO VOTE FOR IT. GOTTA GET THE OTHER SENATORS TO VOTE FOR IT. IT'S TIME. AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF SAYING REPEAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO NOW THEY DO IT. HOPEFULLY THEY'LL DO IT.This is not the audience for this. At the beginning it was said that this speech wouldn't be about politics. Go back to talking to Scouts, this is not a campaign rally.
AS WE CAN SEE JUST BY LOOKING AT OUR GOVERNMENT, IN AMERICA SCOUTS LEAD THE WAY.This is true. Remember that combined with the excluded classes. America's tradition of honoring Scouts is paired directly with withholding that same honor from the previously discussed classes.
AND ANOTHER THING I'VE NOTICED -- AND I'VE NOTICED IT ALL MY LIFE -- THERE IS A TREMENDOUS SPIRIT WITH BEING A SCOUT, MORE SO THAN ALMOST ANYTHING I CAN THINK OF. SO WHATEVER IS GOING ON, KEEP DOING IT IT'S INCREDIBLE TO WATCH. BELIEVE ME.Encouragement, acknowledgement, and support. Appropriate for the speech.
EACH OF THESE LEADERS WILL TELL THAT YOU THEIR ROAD TO AMERICAN SUCCESS -- AND YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, THEIR AMERICAN SUCCESS -- AND THEY ARE A GREAT, GREAT STORY WAS PAVED WITH THE PATRIOTIC AMERICAN VALUES AND TRADITIONS THEY LEARNED IN THE BOY SCOUTS. AND SOME DAY, MANY YEARS FROM NOW WHEN YOU LOOK BACK ON ALL THE ADVENTURES IN YOUR LIVES YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SAY THE SAME, I GOT MY START AS A SCOUT, JUST LIKE THESE INCREDIBLY GREAT PEOPLE THAT ARE DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB FOR OUR COUNTRY. SO THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.Correct for the audience and event.
BOY SCOUT VALUES ARE AMERICAN VALUES. AND GREAT BOY SCOUTS BECOME GREAT, GREAT AMERICANS.The shrill, shrill scream of the dog whistle. Boy Scout values refuse women, atheists, and, until very recently, queer boys and leaders. If Boy Scout values are American values then what is being said about the very large block of Americans excluded from the Boy Scouts?
AS THE SCOUT LAW SAYS, A SCOUT IS TRUSTWORTHY, LOYAL -- WE COULD USE SOME MORE LOYALTY I WILL TELL THAT YOU --No example given. He tosses out this hint and lets the audience fill in any instance of disloyalty or insufficient loyalty they can think of. Solid rhetorical move from a demagogue, but not a particularly healthy tactic to use with teens.
[LONG PAUSE WHILE CROWD CHANTS (Scout Law?)]
THAT WAS VERY IMPRESSIVE. YOU'VE HEARD THAT BEFORE. BUT HERE YOU LEARN THE REWARDS OF HARD WORK AND PERSEVERANCE, NEVER, EVER GIVE UP. NEVER QUIT. PERSEVERE. NEVER EVER QUIT. YOU LEARN THE SATISFACTION OF BUILDING A ROARING CAMPFIRE REACHING A MOUNTAIN SUMMIT OR EARNING A MERIT BADGE AFTER MASTERING A SKILL. THERE IS NO BETTER FEELING THAN AN ACHIEVEMENT YOU'VE EARNED WITH YOUR OWN SWEAT, TEARS, RESOLVE, HARD WORK. THERE IS NOTHING LIKE IT. DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? [ CHEERS ]Here is what you talk about to an audience of Scouts.
I'M WAVING TO PEOPLE SO SMALL BACK THERE I CAN'T EVEN SEE THEM. MAN, THIS IS A LOT OF PEOPLE.Back to rambling.
TURN THOSE CAMERAS BACK THERE, PLEASE. THAT IS SO INCREDIBLE. BY THE WAY, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHANCES ARE THAT THIS INCREDIBLE MASSIVE CROWD, RECORD SETTING IS GOING TO BE SHONE ON TELEVISION TONIGHT? 1% OR ZERO? THE FAKE MEDIA WILL SAY, PRESIDENT TRUMP SPOKE -- YOU KNOW WHAT IS. PRESIDENT TRUMP SPOKE BEFORE A SMALL CROWD OF BOY SCOUTS TODAY. THAT'S SOME -- THAT IS SOME CROWD.This is a doubly insidious attack on the media. This audience will return to their tents without seeing the nightly news or the cable coverage. The President talks about how the media will behave without integrity to an audience that will not have a chance to refute it. The message will just simmer in their impressionable minds: The media is dishonest and you can only hear the truth from the President.
FAKE MEDIA. FAKE NEWS.Lügenpresse! Lügenpresse! Recall that this audience has probably previously heard about this subject being the "enemy of the people".
THANK YOU. AND I'M HONORED BY THAT BY THE WAY. ALL OF YOU PEOPLE THAT I CAN'T EVEN SEE YOU. THANK YOU. I HOPE YOU CAN HEAR.
Appreciation for the audience. This helps keep the listeners relating to him, which helps the seeds from the statements just before land on fertile mental ground.
THROUGH SCOUTING YOU ALSO LEARN TO BELIEVE IN YOURSELF, SO IMPORTANT, TO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR ABILITY AND TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR OWN LIFE. WHEN YOU FACE OH DOWN NEW CHALLENGES -- AND YOU WILL HAVE PLENTY OF THEM -- DEVELOP TALENTS YOU NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE, AND LEAD YOUR TEAMMATES THROUGH DARING TRIALS, YOU DISCOVER THAT YOU CAN HANDLE ANYTHING. AND YOU LEARN IT BY BEING A SCOUT. IT'S GREAT. [CHEERS]Appropriate for a speech at the National Jamboree.
YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. BUT IN ORDER TO SUCCEED, YOU MUST FIND OUT WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO. YOU HAVE TO FIND YOUR PASSION, NO MATTER WHAT THEY TELL YOU. IF YOU DON'T -- I LOVE YOU TOO. I DON'T KNOW. NICE GUY.Positive messaging to teens.
HEY, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? HE SOUNDS LIKE A NICE PERSON. HE. HE, HE, HE. I DO. I DO LOVE YOU. [ CHANTING ]. [CHANTING WE LOVE TRUMP]This point was a bit strange, which is when I realized the "I love you too" was about somebody shouting and not that he still loves you if you don't find your passion. All showman here. Reveling in the adoration of the crowd. This is not a chant for the BSA, this is not a chant for the USA. This is a chant for the Leader.
BY THE WAY, JUST A QUESTION. DID PRESIDENT OBAMA EVER COME TO A JAMBOREE? [CROWD SCREAMS NO AND BOOS - 18 SECONDS]The President just invoked Boos from an audience of Boy Scouts about the previous President. Screaming Boo about the most recent president is not a skill taught in Citizenship in the Nation. He did not attempt to minimize it. Even as a campaigning opponent, John McCain tried to promote respect for his election adversary. Here the President basked in the hate.
| McCain, as an active opponent of candidate Obama, gently shutting down conspiracy theory discussion about him. |
AND WE'LL BE BACK. THE ANSWER IS NO. BUT WE'LL BE BACK. [CHEERING]Continuing to trash on the past President. Remember, the audience has spent half to three quarters of their life living during the Obama administration. They literally have no frame of reference to justify this. It speaks entirely toward socialization and conditioning.
IN LIFE, IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL -- AND YOU PEOPLE ARE WELL ON THE ROAD TO SUCCESS -- YOU HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT MAKES YOU EXCITED? WHAT MAKES YOU WANT TO GET UP EACH MORNING AND GO TO WORK? YOU HAVE TO FIND IT. [CHEERS]Pretty standard motivational speaking stuff.
IF YOU LOVE WHAT YOU DO AND DEDICATE YOURSELF TO YOUR WORK, THEN YOU WILL GAIN MOMENTUM. AND LOOK YOU HAVE TO -- YOU NEED THE WORD MOMENTUM. YOU WILL GAIN THAT MOMENTUM. AND EACH SUCCESS WILL CREATE ANOTHER SUCCESS. THE WORD MOMENTUM.More motivational speaking norms.
I'LL TELL YOU A STORY THAT'S VERY INTERESTING FOR ME WHEN I WAS YOUNG THERE WAS A MAN NAMED WILLIAM LEVITT. ANYBODY HERE EVER HEAR OF LEVITTOWN. HE WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL. BECAME UNBELIEVABLE -- HE WAS A HOME BUILDER. BECAME AN UNBELIEVABLE SUCCESS AND GOT MORE AND MORE SUCCESSFUL. AND HE WOULD BUILD HOMES AND AT NIGHT HE WOULD GO TO THE MAJOR SITES WITH TEAMS OF PEOPLE AND HE WOULD SCOUR THE SITES FOR NAILS AND SAWDUST AND SMALL PIECES OF WOOD. AND THEY CLEANED THE SITE. SO WHEN THE WORKERS CAME IN THE NEXT MORNING, THE SITES WOULD BE SPOTLESS AND CLEAN. HE DID IT PROPERLY. AND HE DID THIS FOR 20 YEARS.Excellent build up with a motivational anecdote.
AND THEN HE WAS OFFERED A LOT OF MONEY FOR HIS COMPANY, AND HE SOLD HIS COMPANY. FOR A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY. AT THE TIME ESPECIALLY. THIS IS A LONG TIME AGO. SOLD HIS COMPANY FOR A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY.The success he found was... a big fat check? No description of the joy he took from these endeavors. No explanation of how the workers could perform better when they started each day with a clean work site. Just... money.
AND HE WENT OUT AND BOUGHT A BIG YACHT AND HE HAD A VERY INTERESTING LIFE. I WON'T GO ANY MORE THAN THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE BOY SCOUTS AND I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT HE DID. [LAUGHTER]What? This audience is mostly 11 to 17 years old.
SHOULD I TELL YOU? SHOULD I TELL YOU?Ridiculous. This story tells of a man that made a whole bunch of money and then just lived out his years in... apparently in obscene fashion. Can't say it to Boy Scouts. Must not just be Happily Ever After. Must not just be mentoring future home builders.
YOU'RE BOY SCOUTS, BUT YOU KNOW LIFE. YOU KNOW LIFE.Maybe the ones that come from farms think they know what you mean. Overall, no they don't know life, they are teenagers. I didn't think there would be a speaker that would even stand at a college graduation and tell the student "You know Life. You know Life". They don't! They are just barely starting out. Tell them things that will help with that path.
SO LOOK AT YOU. WHO WOULD THINK THIS IS THE BOY SCOUTS, RIGHT? SO HE HAD A VERY, VERY INTERESTING LIFE, AND THE COMPANY THAT BOUGHT HIS COMPANY WAS A BIG CONGLOMERATE AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUILDING HOMES AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT PICKING UP THE NAILS AND THE SAWDUST AND SELLING IT AND THE SCRAPS OF WOOD. THIS WAS A BIG CONGLOMERATE BASED IN NEW YORK CITY. AND AFTER ABOUT A TEN-YEAR PERIOD, THERE WERE LOSING A LOT WITH IT. IT DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING TO THEM. AND THEY COULDN'T SELL IT. SO THEY CALLED WILLIAM LEVITT UP AND THEY SAID WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY BACK YOUR COMPANY AND HE SAID YES, I WOULD. HE SO BADLY WANTED IT. HE GOT BORED WITH THIS LIFE OF YACHTS AND SAILING AND ALL OF THE THINGS HE DID IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND OTHER PLACES.
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| Like the BSA, traditions and Levitt fell more than slightly short of ideal |
YOU WON'T GET BORED, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, TRUTHFULLY, YOU'RE WORKERS. YOU'LL GET BORED TOO. BELIEVE ME. OF COURSE HAVING A FEW GOOD YEARS LIKE THAT ISN'T SO BAD. BUT WHAT HAPPENED IS HE BOUGHT BACK HIS COMPANY AND HE BOUGHT BACK A LOT RF EMPTY LAND AND HE WORKED HARD AT GETTING ZONING AND HE WORKED HARD AT STARTING TO DEVELOP AND IN THE END HE FAILED AND HE FAILED BADLY. LOST ALL OF HIS MONEY. HE WENT PERSONALLY BANKRUPT AND HE WAS NOW MUCH OLDER.This is supposed to motivate them?
AND I SAW HIM AT A COCKTAIL PARTY, AND IT WAS VERY SAD BECAUSE THE HOTTEST PEOPLE IN NEW YORK WERE AT THIS PARTY. IT WAS THE PARTY OF STEVE ROSS. STEVE ROSS, WHO WAS ONE OF THE GREAT PEOPLE -- HE CAME UP AND DISCOVERED REALLY FOUNDED TIME WARNER, AND HE WAS A GREAT GUY. HE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE AT THE PARTY.Kind of rambling again.
AND I WAS DOING WELL SO I GOT INVITED TO THE PARTY. I WAS VERY YOUNG. AND I GO IN, BUT I'M IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS AND I SEE A HUNDRED PEOPLE, SOME OF WHOM I RECOGNIZE AND THEY'RE BIG IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS. AND I SEE SITTING IN THE CORNER WAS A LITTLE OLD MAN WHO WAS ALL BY HIMSELF. NOBODY WAS TALKING TO HIM. I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED THAT THAT MAN WAS THE ONCE GREAT WILLIAM LEVITT OF LEVITTOWN AND I IMMEDIATELY WENT OVER. I WANTED TO TALK TO HIM MORE THAN THE HOLLYWOOD SHOW BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS PEOPLE. SO I WENT OVER AND TALKED TO HIM, AND I SAID MR. LEVITT, I'M DONALD TRUMP. HE SAID I KNOW. I SAID MR. LEVITT, HOW ARE YOU DOING? HE GOES NOT WELL, NOT WELL AT ALL. AND I KNEW THAT. BUT HE SAID NOT WELL AT ALL. AND HE EXPLAINED WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND HOW BAD IT'S BEEN AND HOW HARD IT'S BEEN. AND I SAID WHAT EXACTLY HAPPENED? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO YOU? YOU'RE ONE OF THE GRATES EVER IN OUR INDUSTRY. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN TO YOU?Seems like a good lesson. Speak to those who have succeeded and failed to learn from their mistake.
AND HE SAID DONALD, I LOST MY MOMENTUM. I LOST MY MOMENTUM. A WORD YOU NEVER HEAR WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SUCCESS WHEN SOME OF THESE GUYS THAT NEVER MADE TEN CENTS, THEY'RE ON TELEVISION GIVING YOU THINGS ABOUT HOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL, AND THE ONLY THING THEY EVER DID WAS A BOOK AND A TAPE. BUT I TELL YOU -- I'LL TELL YOU, IT WAS VERY SAD, AND I NEVER FORGOT THAT MOMENT. AND I THOUGHT ABOUT IT, AND IT'S EXACTLY TRUE. HE LOST HIS MOMENTUM, MEANING HE TOOK THIS PERIOD OF TIME OFF LONG, YEARS, AND THEN WHEN HE GOT BACK, HE DIDN'T HAVE THAT SAME MOMENTUM. IN LIFE I ALWAYS TELL THIS TO PEOPLE, YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE THE MOMENTUM.Ah, here we are getting to a good takeaway for this audience. They have school sports, decisions of what to do once they get their degree, even the decision to keep it up and get that degree. Stay the course, keep the momentum, or you might fall off track. The older Scouts will recognize the need from hiking. Loading up the backpack and getting started is hard. Continuing to hike once you are moving is easy... well, easier. Stop and lose momentum? Makes it difficult.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE IT, THAT'S OKAY. BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GO ON AND YOU'RE GOING TO LEARN AND YOU'RE GOING TO DO THINGS THAT ARE GREAT. BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT THE WORD MOMENTUM. BUT THE BIG THING, NEVER QUIT, NEVER GIVE UP. DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE. WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING YOU LOVE, AS I SCOUT, I SEE THAT YOU LOVE IT. BUT WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE, YOU'LL NEVER FAIL. WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO IS GIVE IT A SHOT AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. YOU'RE ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND REMEMBER THIS, YOU'RE NOT WORKING.This speech is rocking along quite nicely now.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE, LIKE I DO -- OF COURSE I LOVE MY BUSINESS, BUT THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. WE'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME. WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB. [LAUGHTER] DOING A GOOD JOB.Errrrrr, crash! We interrupt the momentum of a nice motivational speech to bring you this plug for how great the speaker is.
BUT WHEN YOU DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE, REMEMBER THIS. IT'S NOT WORK. SO YOU'LL WORK 24/7. YOU'RE GOING TO WORK ALL THE TIME AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR YOU'RE NOT REALLY WORKING. YOU DON'T THINK OF IT AS WORK. WHEN YOU'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT YOU LIKE OR WHEN YOU'RE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY DON'T LIKE, THAT'S CALLED WORK, AND IT'S HARD WORK. AND TEDIOUS WORK. SO AS MUCH AS YOU CAN DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVE. WORK HARD AND NEVER EVER GIVE UP, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL, TREMENDOUSLY SUCCESSFUL.The momentum was not entirely lost, this pickup after the Donald commercial was still successful. I'm not sure I'd say tremendously so.
NOW, WITH THAT, I HAVE TO TELL YOU OUR ECONOMY IS DOING GREAT, OUR STOCK MARKET HAS PICKED UP, SINCE THE ELECTION, NOVEMBER 8 -- DO WE REMEMBER THAT DAY? WAS THAT A BEAUTIFUL DAY?And back to celebrating Donald and celebrating the campaign.
WHAT A DAY. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT FAMOUS NIGHT ON TELEVISION, NOVEMBER 8th WHERE THEY SAID THESE DISHONEST PEOPLE, WHERE THEY SAID THERE IS NO PATH TO VICTORY FOR DONALD TRUMP.Pundits were wrong. They were not misleading the audience, they were not being dishonest. Folks like Nate Silver ran their analysis and discussed what they thought their data was saying. That is not dishonest and to call it such is to vilify them. Also, remember that the audience is make of teens. He is currently ranting about how people who made mistakes are dishonest villains. Remember kids, don't take a risk, don't put yourself out there, or the President might use his office to slander you and your intentions.
THEY FORGOT ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE. BY THE WAY, THEY'RE NOT FORGETTING ABOUT THE FORGOTTEN PEOPLE ANY MORE.Dog whistle alert. Remember, 58% of voters voted in that election. 46.4% of votes cast were for the President. That makes 26.9% of the population voted for him. Even though 73.1% of the population did not vote for the President, he is talking about how important that slice is. They were forgotten before, but no longer.
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| Source:CNN |
"They're", "Them", "They". These are teens, Scouts, not campaign rally goers.
THEY'RE GOING CRAZY TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT, BUT I TOLD THEM IT'S FAR TOO LATE. BUT YOU REMEMBER THAT INCREDIBLE NIGHT WITH THE MAPS AND THE REPUBLICANS ARE RED AND THE DEMOCRATS ARE BLUE, AND THAT MAP WAS SO RED IT WAS UNBELIEVABLE. AND THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY.
AND YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TREMENDOUS DISADVANTAGE IN THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE. POPULAR VOTE IS MUCH EASIER. BECAUSE NEW YORK, CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, YOU HAVE TO PRACTICALLY RUN THE EAST COAST. AND WE DID. WE WON FLORIDA, WE WON SOUTH CAROLINA, WE WON NORTH CAROLINA, WE WON PENNSYLVANIA. WE WON AND WON. SO WHEN THEY SAID THERE IS NO WAY TO VICTORY, THERE IS NO WAY TO 270 --UP, I WENT TO MAINE FOUR TIMES BECAUSE IT'S ONE VOTE, AND WE WON. WE WON. ONE VOTE. I WENT THERE BECAUSE I KEPT HEARING WE'RE AT 269. BUT THEN WISCONSIN CAME IN. MANY, MANY YEARS. MICHIGAN CAME IN. SO -- AND WE WORKED HARD THERE."We" vs "They", "We" vs "Them".
YOU KNOW, MY OPPONENT DIDN'T WORK HARD THERE, BECAUSE SHE WAS TOLD [BOOS AND YELLING] --Now, as a crowd, these "young patriots" are booing the defeated Presidential Candidate. The speech leading up to here was loaded with rhetorical devices to get the audience on his side and now that is paying off again.
SHE WAS TOLD SHE WAS GOING TO WIN MICHIGAN, AND I SAID WELL, WAIT A MINUTE. THE COAL INDUSTRY IS MOVING TO MEXICO, WHY IS SHE GONNA MOVE -- SHE'S THERE. WHY ARE THEY ALLOWING IT TO MOVE? AND BY THE WAY, DO YOU SEE THE CAR INDUSTRY, THEY'RE COMING BACK TO MICHIGAN, THEY'RE COMING BACK TO OHIO. THEY'RE STARTING TO PEEL BACK IN. [CHEERING] AND WE GO TO WISCONSIN. NOW, WISCONSIN HADN'T BEEN WON IN MANY, MONTH YEARS BY A REPUBLICAN.
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| Did something happen to help a change the pattern? Source: NYT |
BUT WE GO TO WISCONSIN, AND WE HAD TREMENDOUS CROWDS. AND I'D LEAVE THESE MASSIVE CROWDS, I'D SAY WHY ARE WE GOING TO LOSE THIS STATE? THE POLLS, THAT'S ALSO FAKE NEWS.
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| From Oct 28, 2016: FiveThirtyEight was pointing out that polls said a Trump win was possible |
THEY'RE FAKE POLLS.This gets in a double whammy: press and social sciences. This audience that he now has enthralled is still being told that the free press is bad and now adding in scientific research. Margin of error, sampling quality, and other factors all go into how predictive a poll is. Hopefully the alert Scouts were taking notes for their Public Speaking badge or even Salesmanship.
BUT THE POLLS ARE SAYING -- BUT WE WON WISCONSIN. SO I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WHAT WE DID, IN ALL FAIRNESS, IS AN UNBELIEVABLE TRIBUTE TO YOU AND ALL OF THE OTHER MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT AND VOTED FOR MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. [HUGE CHEER AND CHANTING - 50 SECONDS]Reminder here: no Scout working on earning Eagle or Eagle Palms as of July 2017 cast any legal vote for Donald. This audience is not a campaign rally, it is instead children in an organization that is subjecting them to the manipulations of a demagogue. They did not vote, yet here they are exploding into energy and support when the speaker says they did. The President waits and lets them celebrate the votes that he just said they cast for nearly a full minute before continuing.
AND I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, WE ARE INDEED MAKING AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. WHAT'S GOING ON IS INCREDIBLE. [CHEERING] WE HAD THE BEST JOBS REPORT IN 16 YEARS. THE STOCK MARKET OFF A DAILY BASIS IS HITTING AN ALL-TIME HIGH. WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING BACK VERY SOON TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS FROM COMPANIES THAT CAN'T GET THEIR MONEY BACK INTO THIS COUNTRY. AND THAT MONEY IS GOING TO BE USED TO HELP REBUILD AMERICA. WE'RE DOING THINGS THAT NOBODY EVER THOUGHT WAS POSSIBLE, AND WE'VE JUST STARTED. IT'S JUST THE BEGINNING, BELIEVE ME. [CHEERING]Twenty nine minutes in and there have been just bursts of useful, motivational speaking to this audience. One actionable suggestion: maintain motivation doing something you love.
YOU KNOW, IN THE BOY SCOUTS YOU LEARN RIGHT FROM WRONG. CORRECT? YOU LEARN TO CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR COMMUNITIES, TO TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR NATION, AND TO SEEK OUT OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE. YOU PLEDGE TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE AT ALL TIMES. IN THE SCOUT OATH YOU PLEDGE ON YOUR HONOR TO DO YOUR BEST AND TO DO YOUR DUTY TO GOD AND YOUR COUNTRY.Again pretty standard speaking-to-Scouts stuff.
AND BY THE WAY, UNDER THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION YOU'LL BE SAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN WHEN YOU GO SHOPPING, BELIEVE ME. [BIG CHEER] MERRY CHRISTMAS. THEY'VE BEEN DOWN PLAYING THAT LITTLE BEAUTIFUL PHRASE. YOU'RE GOING TO BE SAYING MERRY CHRISTMAS AGAIN, FOLKS. [CHEER]Dog whistle! Earlier I used an ellipsis to take a quote from the Scout Oath. Here is the first half of the Oath: "On my honor, I will do my best To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;" There is the explicit swearing that a Scout must be a theist. Theist, not a Christian. There is no inherent association between Boy Scouts and Christians, just Boy Scouts and Theists. This right here is the President taking a swipe at non-Christian faiths. Despite Jared and Ivanka, this is a pandering move to anti-Semites, since Chanukkah is the other commonly recognized religious holiday in late December. It also is appreciated by white supremacists since Kwanzaa, a secular celebration of the shared experiences among black Americans, is also at the end of December. Taken with his other speeches, I assume he is intending to include Islam and Muslims in those not being dog whistled to, though the Islamic lunar calendar does not line up with the Gregorian and so has no traditionally December holidays, plus they honor Jesus and his birth from Mary.
This dog whistle is even more apparent with the "They've been..." since there is no indication of who They is. They is the Others.
BUT THE WORDS DUTY, COUNTRY AND GOD ARE BEAUTIFUL WORDS. IN OTHER WORDS, BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS YOU'RE PLEDGING TO BE A GREAT AMERICAN PATRIOT. [CHEERS]Here is another call back to his campaign speech at Values Voter Summit where he equated being an American and being a Theist. He literally just said that being a great American patriot requires belief and duty to God. While consistent with the Oath of the Scouts, it is incompatible with the Constitution.
FOR MORE THAN A CENTURY THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR BOY SCOUTS HAVE BEEN. LAST YEAR YOU GAVE MORE THAN 15 MILLION HOURS OF SERVICE TO HELPING PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. PROUD OF THEM. THE THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE STAT. ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT WILL P CONTRIBUTE MORE THAN 100,000 HOURS OF SERVICE BY THE END OF THIS JAMBOREE. WHEN NATURAL DISASTER STRIKES, WHEN PEOPLE FACE HARDSHIP, WHEN THE BEAUTY AND GLORY OF OUR OUTDOOR SPACES MUST BE RESTORED AND TAKEN CARE OF, AMERICA TURNS TO THE BOY SCOUTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE BOY SCOUTS NEVER EVER, EVER LET US DOWN. [CHEERS]Celebrating the service record of the Scouts.
JUST LIKE YOU KNOW YOU CAN COUNT ON ME, WE KNOW WE CAN COUNT ON YOU BECAUSE WE KNOW THE VALUES THAT YOU LIVE BY. [CHEERS]Equates himself with the steadfastness of the Scouts which he just celebrated. This attempts to tie himself to the part of the audience that they hold onto the training of the Scouts. That training is driven home over the years of repetition, so having them associate that training with him will bind them very tightly.
YOUR VALUES ARE THE SAME VALUES THAT HAVE ALWAYS KEPT AMERICA STRONG, PROUD AND FREE.Praising the traditional-ness of the Boy Scout values with the history of the United States. This plays along the same line of Make America Great Again, both of which only work if you erase the damage that was being done from the oppression from the practiced values.
AND BY THE WAY, DO YOU SEE THE BILLIONS AND BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT WE'RE PUTTING BACK INTO OUR MILITARY? BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.Again, there is no inherent tie between Scouting and the military, but there has often been a strong association. The National Jamboree I attended actually took place on a military base: Fort A.P. Hill.
NEW PLANES, NEW SHIPS, GREAT EQUIPMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT ARE SO GREAT TO US. WE LOVE OUR VET'S. WE LOVE OUR SOLDIERS, AND WE LOVE OUR POLICE, BY THE WAY. [CHEERS] FIREMEN, POLICE. [CHEERS]Dog whistle! In the general case, there has never been any official indication of police having a lack of support. In 2014 the Supreme Court found that police searches were reasonable if the officer thinks a law is being broken even if the law they are thinking of does not exist. A New York court found in 2013 that officers have no special duty to protect. In 2014 a New York grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing in choking an unarmed man to death on video.
The emphasis on police is in contrast to the calls for increased police accountability over the past few years, and the most vocal call coming from #BlackLivesMatter. #BlackLivesMatter formed after the No True Bill decision in Missouri in the killing of Michael Brown and the immediate armed occupation of the city by county police. Police references are veiled calls to white supremacists for the violence against minorities which has been caught all too often on camera.
WE LOVE OUR POLICE. THOSE ARE ALL SPECIAL PEOPLE. UNIFORMED SERVICES. TWO DAYS AGO I TRAVELED TO NORFOLK, VIRGINIA TO COMMISSION AN AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER INTO THE FLEET OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY. [CHEERS] IT'S THE NEW WEST, LARGEST AND MOST ADVANCED AIRCRAFT CARRIER ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, AND ITS NAMED FOR AN EAGLE SCOUT, THE "USS GERALD R. FORD."This is a chance to tie Scouting and the military tighter in the minds of enthralled youth. Historically, demagogues have utilized organized youth groups, similar to the Boy Scouts, as pre-military and paramilitary units. The tighter the trust of the President himself and the military can be connected to the trust the audience has in Scouting then the more effective such an association will be.
EVERYWHERE EVERYWHERE IT SAILS THAT GREAT SCOUT'S NAME WILL BE FEARED AND REVERED BECAUSE THAT SHIP WILL BE A SYMBOL OF AMERICAN POWER, PRESTIGE AND STRENGTH.Explicitly associating Scouting and American Exceptionalism.
OUR NATION HONORS PRESIDENT GERALD R. FORD TODAY BECAUSE HE LIVED HIS LIFE THE SCOUTING WAY. BOY SCOUTS CELEBRATE AMERICAN PATRIOTS, ESPECIALLY THE BRAVE MEMBERS OF OUR ARMED FORCES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.Again, connecting Scouts and the military.
AMERICAN HEARTS ARE WARMED EVERY YEAR WHEN WE READ ABOUT BOY SCOUTS PLACING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF FLAGS NEXT TO VETERANS' GRAVE SITES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY BY HONORING OUR HEROES, YOU HELP TO ENSURE THAT THEIR MEMORY NEVER EVER DIES. YOU SHOULD TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN THE EXAMPLE YOU SET FOR EVERY CITIZEN OF OUR COUNTRY FOLLOW.I am reminded of the many, many Memorial Day parades I walked in dressed in my Cub Scout uniform and then my Boy Scout one.
GENERATIONS OF AMERICAN BOY SCOUTS HAVE SWORN THE IS SAME OATH AND LIVED ACCORDING TO THE SAME LAW. YOU INHERIT A NOBLE AMERICAN TRADITION. AND AS YOU EMBARK ON YOUR LIVES, NEVER CEASE TO BE PROUD OF YOU WHO YOU ARE AND THE PRINCIPLES YOU HOLD DEAR AND STAND BY. WEAR YOUR VALUES AS YOUR BADGE OF HONOR. WHAT YOU'VE DONE FEW HAVE DONE BEFORE YOU. WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS INCREDIBLE. WHAT YOU'VE DONE IS ADMIRED BY ALL. SO I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU, BOY SCOUTS. LET YOUR SCOUTING OATH GUIDE YOUR PATH FROM THIS DAY FORWARD. REMEMBER YOUR DUTY, HONOR YOUR HISTORY, TAKE CARE OF THE PEOPLE GOD PUT INTO YOUR LIFE, AND LOVE AND CHERISH YOUR GREAT COUNTRY. YOU ARE VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE. YOU'RE SPECIAL IN THE LIVES OF AMERICA. YOU'RE SPECIAL TO ME. BUT IF YOU DO WHAT WE SAY, I PROMISE YOU THAT YOU WILL LIVE SCOUTING'S ADVENTURE EVERY SINGLE DAY OF YOUR LIFE, AND YOU WILL WIN, WIN, WIN AND HELP PEOPLE IN DOING SO.A very Scout focused start to the conclusion.
YOUR LIVES WILL HAVE MEANING AND PURPOSE AND JOY. YOU WILL BECOME LEADERS, AND YOU WILL INSPIRE OTHERS TO ACHIEVE THE DREAMS THEY ONCE THOUGHT WERE TOTALLY IMPOSSIBLE. THINGS THAT YOU SAID COULD NEVER, EVER HAPPEN ARE ALREADY HAPPENING FOR YOU. AND IF YOU DO THESE THINGS AND IF YOU REFUSE TO GIVE IN TO DOUBT OR TO FEAR, THEN YOU WILL HELP TO MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN.Reaching back to tie the conclusion into his campaign.
YOU WILL BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. BE PROUD OF THE UNIFORM YOU WEAR AND BE PROUD OF THE COUNTRY YOU LOVE. [ CHEERS AND CHANTING ] AND NEVER EVER FORGET, AMERICA IS PROUD OF YOU. THIS IS A VERY, VERY SPECIAL OCCASION FOR ME. I'VE NEVER SO MANY SCOUTS OVER THE YEARS. WINNERS. I'VE KNOWN SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE. THEY'VE BEEN TAUGHT SO WELL, AND THEY LOVE THE HERITAGE. BUT THIS IS VERY SPECIAL FOR ME. AND I JUST WANT TO END BY SAYING, VERY IMPORTANTLY, GOD BLESS YOU, GOD BLESS THE BOY SCOUTS, GOD BLESS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. GO OUT, HAVE A GREAT TIME IN LIFE. COMPETE AND GO OUT AND SHOW ME THAT THERE IS NOBODY, NOBODY LIKE A BOY SCOUT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, EVERYBODY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Fin.
| Full video from C-SPAN |
Thank you, Matthew.
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