Freedom Calendar 12/24/05 - 12/31/05

December 24, 1833, Birth of African-American Republican Joseph Corbin, Arkansas Superintendent of Education (1873-74).

Christmas Day December 25, 1804, Birth of U.S. Rep. George Ashmun (R-MA), anti-slavery activist and Chairman of 1860 Republican National Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln.

December 26, 1939, Birth of former U.S. Rep. Lynn Martin (R-IL), who as Vice Chair of the Republican Conference was the first Republican woman in a congressional leadership position; later served as Secretary of Labor in the administration of President George H. W. Bush.

December 27, 1910, Birth of African-American physician Aris Allen, Chairman of Maryland Republican Party and Secretary of 1980 Republican National Convention.

December 28, 1973, Banned Russian author and human rights activist Alexander Solzhenitsyn publishes Gulag Archipelago; President Ronald Reagan would quote his undelivered Nobel acceptance speech in national TV address to Soviet Union.

December 29, 1930, Death of Walter Cohen, African-American Republican from New Orleans; served in McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Coolidge administrations.

December 30, 1842, Birth of Republican U.S. Rep. Josiah Walls, who in 1871 became Florida’s first African-American in Congress.

December 31, 1898, Republican Theodore Roosevelt becomes Governor of New York; in 1900, he outlawed racial segregation in New York public schools.

"The Republican Party, on the contrary [to the Democrats], holds that this government was instituted to secure the blessings of freedom, and that slavery is an unqualified evil… . [Republicans] will oppose in all its length and breadth the modern Democratic idea that slavery is as good as freedom.”

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States

SOURCE: 2005 Republican Freedom Calendar more at President Bush and Freedom Calendar or Republican and Republicans or African-Americans and Hispanic or right to vote and Civil Rights or Abraham Lincoln

Related: Keywords Freedom Calendar, Saturday, December 17, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/17/05 - 12/24/05, Saturday, December 10, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/10/05 - 12/17/05, December 03, 2005 Freedom Calendar 12/03/05 - 12/10/05, Saturday, November 26, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/26/05 - 12/03/05, Saturday, November 19, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/19/05 - 11/26/05, Saturday, November 12, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/12/05 - 11/19/05, Saturday, November 05, 2005 Freedom Calendar 11/05/05 - 11/12/05, Saturday, October 29, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/29/05 - 11/05/05, Saturday, October 22, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/22/05 - 10/028/05, Saturday, October 15, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/15/05 - 10/022/05, Thursday, September 29, 2005 The Opelousas Massacre, Saturday, October 08, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/08/05 - 10/015/05 , Saturday, October 01, 2005 Freedom Calendar 10/01/05 - 10/08/05, Saturday, September 24, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/24/05 - 10/01/05, Saturday, September 17, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/17/05 - 09/24/05, Saturday, September 10, 2005 Freedom Calendar 09/10/05 - 09/17/05

President and Mrs. Bush Thank Military Medical Caregivers (VIDEO)

President and Mrs. Bush Thank Military Medical Caregivers, FULL STREAMING VIDEO, National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland 10:34 A.M. EST.

With Mrs. Laura Bush looking on, President George W. Bush addresses military medical caregivers Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2005, before visiting with the wounded at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The President told the caregivers,

'... On behalf of a grateful nation, thanks for doing your duty, thanks for serving, thanks for being an important part of this march for freedom; and thanks, most of all, for bringing comfort and aid and solace to those who have been hurt on the battlefield and their families.' White House photo by Paul Morse.

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks for such a warm welcome. Laura and I are thrilled to be back at this unbelievable facility -- unbelievable because of the buildings and the technology that's used here and the equipment; but, more importantly, because of the decency and compassion and skill of our healers that work for our country

So first we want to thank you all for helping do a really important job. And that is to be able to say to our country, at any time anybody gets hurt anywhere, they're going to get the best medical care possible. And that's done right here at Bethesda, as well as Walter Reed. And so we're here to thank the nurses and the docs and the healers and the volunteers who help put the smile on the faces of those who have been hurt, as well as their families.

One of the great blessings of our country is the fact that there are millions of compassionate souls who are willing to try to make somebody's life better.

I want to thank Admiral Robinson and Dr. Winkenwerder, Admiral Arthur. I want to thank General Kiley and Lieutenant General Peach Taylor, as well as Major General Farmer. And thank Tom Travis, as well -- happens to be his birthday, by the way. (Laughter.) His wife said, you're birthday gift is to say hello to the President -- not a really good gift. (Laughter.) Anyway. (Laughter.)

We're serving in an amazing time. I say, "We're serving," because we're serving together. It is a time when this nation of ours is facing unbelievable challenges. There is an enemy that still lurks, that wants to bring harm to the American people. And we've got to do everything in our power to protect the American people; that is our solemn duty. There is a fantastic opportunity, as we defeat this enemy, to lay the foundation for peace for generations to come.

We have a great opportunity as a generation called to act, called to protect America, to seize the moment and defeat this ideology with freedom. You know, I like to tell people about how -- "amazed" isn't the right word -- but how stark this story I'm about to tell you is to me, what an amazing contrast it is about Japan.

You know, my dad, as an 18-year-older signed up -- in the United States Navy, by the way. There you go. (Applause.) And there were a lot of 18-year-old and 19-year-old and 20-year-old kids, and some older people, too -- (laughter) -- to fight against a sworn enemy which had attacked us.

Laura and I just got back from the Far East, and I sat down at the table with the Prime Minister of Japan, talking about how to keep the peace, talking about how to deal with North Korea, talking about how -- and thanking him, by the way, for sending troops to Iraq to help this young democracy develop. And it was that contrast between what 41 did and what 43 is doing -- that would be my dad and me. (Laughter.) To sit down with a dad -- which we're going to do here over Christmas -- who fought the Japanese, and his son is helping to keep the peace with the Japanese, something had to have happened.

And one of my predecessors, Harry Truman, recognized the power of freedom to transform an enemy into an ally, that's what happened. And so Japan adopted a Japanese-style democracy, and in that, democracies don't fight each other; in that, democracy is the best way to encourage a peaceful world. It's working.

And what we're seeing today is brave troops and committed citizens who are not only determined to chase down the killers and bring them to justice before they hurt us again, but understand that by spreading freedom and democracy, we're battling an ideology of darkness with an ideology of hope, and we're laying that foundation for peace for generations to come. The task at hand is one that requires determination and discipline and great faith in the ideals of human freedom and human liberty.

And so coming here today is a chance to not only thank you for being a part of this incredible team of healers, but also being a part of this historic moment. Some day, an American President will be sitting down with a duly elected leader of Iraq, working hard to keep the peace, and future generations of America will be saying, thank God this generation of America stood strong for what we believe. (Applause.)

And so on behalf of a grateful nation, thanks for doing your duty, thanks for serving, thanks for being an important part of this march for freedom; and thanks, most of all, for bringing comfort and aid and solace to those who have been hurt on the battlefield and their families.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a blessed 2006. May God bless your work, and may God continue to bless the United States. (Applause.)

END 10:41 A.M. EST For Immediate Release, Office of the Press Secretary, December 21, 2005

more at President Bush and White House or VIDEO and Laura Bush or Military and Medical Caregivers

Related: Keywords Military Medical, Friday, May 13, 2005 Medical BRAC Recommendations, Wednesday, May 25, 2005 H.R.1815 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006,

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