George Burns . . .

I've Always Thought New Year's Day Was An Especially American Tradition, Full Of The Optimism And Hope We're Famous For In Our Daily Lives -- An Energy And Confidence We Call The American Spirit. Perhaps Because We Know We Control Our Own Destiny, We Believe Deep Down Inside That Working Together We Can Make Each New Year Better Than The Old.

The Years Ahead Will Be Great Ones For Our Country, For The Cause Of Freedom And The Spread Of Civilization. The West Will Not Contain Communism, It Will Transcend Communism. We Will Not Bother To Denounce It, We'll Dismiss It As A Sad, Bizarre Chapter In Human History Whose Last Pages Are Even Now Being Written.

I Think People Have A Need To Feel Good About The Country They Live In, But What's Happening, I Think, Is That That Need - Which Is A Good Thing - Is Getting Manipulated And Exploited.

We Cannot Survive As A Free Nation When Some Men Decide That Others Are Not Fit To Live And Should Be Abandoned To Abortion Or Infanticide...t Here Is No Cause More Important For Preserving That Freedom Than Affirming The Transcendent Right To Life Of All Human Beings, The Right Without Which No Other Rights Have Any Meaning.

Deep Religious Beliefs Stemming From The Old And New Testaments Of The Bible Inspired Many Of The Early Settlers Of Our Country, Providing Them With The Strength, Character, Convictions, And Faith Necessary To Withstand Great Hardship And Danger In This New And Rugged Land. These Shared Beliefs Helped Forge A Sense Of Common Purpose Among The Widely Dispersed Colonies - A Sense Of Community Which Laid The Foundation For The Spirit Of Nationhood That Was To Develop In Later Decades.