http://www.nclr.org/content/viewpoints/detail/30150/
NCLR Website

Remarks of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
National Council of La Raza (NCLR) Capital Awards
March 8, 2005

Thank you Janet.
It's a pleasure to be here tonight, among friends. I want to thank President Murguia and
the Board of Directors for the opportunity to be here.
Janet and I have a lot in common these days. We have both recently been promoted.
We've both been given the opportunity to lead distinguished institutions. We are among
the lucky few who have the challenge and the privilege of seeking justice for the
wronged, giving voice to the voiceless, and securing a future of opportunity and hope for
our people and for the nation.That's not bad work if you can get it.
Just three weeks ago, at my swearing-in ceremony at the Department of Justice, I had
many people to thank but little time to thank them. So I wisely limited myself to the
people who were up on the stage with me: my mom, my wife, and the President of the
United States.
But I also have this organization to thank for its support of my nomination as Attorney
General. Over the years, La Raza and the Bush Administration have not always agreed
on every issue. But we have stood together firmly in our commitment to widening and
deepening opportunities for Hispanic-Americans. I am humbled and grateful to stand on
the shoulders of groups like La Raza. And the future I see from this vantage point is
filled with even higher vistas of accomplishment and opportunity. I see a future that
fulfills the dreams of a great people and the promise of a great nation.
Tonight the National Council of La Raza honors those who are building this future.
Senator Chris Dodd and Congressman Chris Cannon are statesmen in the purist sense of
the word. They don't share our heritage, but they share our values.
Together with the Llano Grande Center, which is also honored tonight, Senator Dodd and
Congressman Cannon have worked tirelessly to give Hispanic-Americans what they want
most: an opportunity to succeed.
When I talk to people around the country I sometimes tell them that within the Hispanic
community there is a common prayer. "Just give me a chance to prove myself." This is
the shared dream of everyone who believes in the promise of America. And fulfilling
this dream is the shared responsibility of everyone who has benefited from the
opportunity and prosperity of this nation.
Since being nominated by President Bush to be Attorney General, I have thought a great
deal about what it means to seek justice in America.
Wherever we pursue justice - from fighting the war on terrorism to combating violent
crime and enforcing civil rights - our mission is clear: to extend opportunity by
expanding freedom and protecting equal justice for all. When we work to defend the
nation, to reduce violent crime, to defend the rights of victims of crime, and to improve
the administration of our immigration laws, we work to give every American a fair
chance to achieve the American dream.
Ladies and gentlemen, I have lived the American dream. Many of you have lived the
American dream. Our thoughts and our prayers tonight must be with those who have not.
This, I believe, is the responsibility of the Department of Justice - to defend the promise
of America from its enemies, both foreign and domestic. The essence of this promise -
what makes this Nation unique in all the world - is that it extends to all of us. It's not just
my hopes or your hopes that are reflected in the words of the Declaration of
Independence. It's not merely my rights and your rights that are protected by the text of
the Constitution and secured by our laws. The hopes and the dreams of all of us rest in
these documents. To me, that is what the Department of Justice stands for, and that is
what I will keep in mind every day as I work for our Nation.
In 2003 it was announced with great fanfare that Hispanics had become the largest
minority group in America. Some of my Hispanic friends found comfort in this news,
but I saw an even greater challenge. If we allow drugs, gangs and crime to ravage our
communities, if we unfairly deny the protection of our Nation to law abiding aliens who
seek asylum, if we fail to prepare our children for competition in the global economy, we
will not realize the leadership potential of our community. Worse, we will have denied
the promise of America to a new generation of Hispanic-Americans.This is the challenge I share with you tonight. This is the dream I know we can achieve.
Thank you for having me here tonight. My congratulations to the honorees. May God
bless you and your families, may He continue to guide your decisions, and may He
continue to bless the United States of America.
###