CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — People lined up to be sworn in as U.S. citizens were witnesses Friday to a constitutional object lesson at President Bush’s expense on the grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello.
Protesters interrupted Bush’s brief welcoming speech several times with calls for his impeachment, and the president calmly responded at one point: “To my fellow citizens to be, we believe in free speech in the United States of America.”
On his final Fourth of July as president, Bush said he was honored to be present for the naturalization ceremony, saying, “I’ll be proud to call you a fellow American.”
The past six Fourth of July holidays have taken place amid continuing violence in Iraq. Bush’s addition of 28,000 U.S. troops last year in Iraq helped foster a measure of stability in what is now the sixth summer of the war.
About 150 or so demonstrators, from a variety of groups opposing Bush’s policies on the war in Iraq, also rallied along the path of the president’s motorcade to Monticello.
Bush mentioned neither the war in Iraq nor the battle against terrorism in his speech, other than to say that “we pay tribute to the brave men and women who wear the uniform.”
For the people assembled with him at the naturalization ceremony, he said, “When you raise your hands and take your oath, you will complete an incredible journey. . . . From this day forward, the history of the United States will be part of your heritage.
“Those of you taking the oath of citizenship at this ceremony hail from 30 different nations,” Bush noted.
Said Bush: “This is a fitting place to celebrate our nation’s independence. Thomas Jefferson once said he’d rather celebrate the Fourth of July than his own birthday. To me, it’s pretty simple — the Fourth of July weekend is my birthday weekend.”
Bush was born July 6, 1946.
Before his brief remarks, the president was given a tour of Jefferson’s home, including the room where the author of the Declaration of Independence died July 4, 1826, the same day as the death of Jefferson’s presidential predecessor, John Adams.
