[04/19/1995-11/30/1995]: 42-t-7585721-20060476F-001-005-2013

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As you know --and as the, First Lady said -- I have received
thousands of letters from school children all over your remarkable
land telling me what peace means to them. They poured in from,
villages and cities, from Catholic and Protestant communities, from,
mixed schools, primary schools" from schools for children with
special needs. All the letters in their own way were truly
wonderful for their honesty, their simple wisdom and their passion.
Many of the children showed tremendous pride in their homeland, in
its beauty and its true nature. I congratulate the winners. They
were wonderful and I loved hearing their letters.
But let me tell you about another couple I received. Eleven
year-old Keith from Carrickfergus wrote: "Please tell everyone in
America that we're not always fighting here, and that it's only a
small number of people who make the trouble."Like many of the '
children, Keith did not identifY himself as Protestanfor Catholic,
and did not distinguish between the sources of the violence.
So many children told me of loved ones they have lost, of
lives disrupted and opportunities forsaken and families forced to
move. Yet, they showed remarkable courage and strength and a
commitment to overcome the past. As 14-year-old Sharon of County
Armagh wrote: "Both sides have been hurt. Both sides must
forgive."
Despite the extraordinary hardships so many of these
children have faced, their letters were full of hope and love and
humor. To all of you who took the time to write me, you've
brightened my holiday season' with your words of faith and courage,
and I thank you. To all of you who asked me to do what I could to
help peace take root, I pledge you America's support. We will stand
with you as you take risks for peace~ (Applause.)'
And to all of you who have not lost your sense of humor, I
say thank you. I got a letter from 13-year-old Ryan from Belfast.
Now, Ryan, if you're out in the crowd tonight, here,'s the answer to
your question. No, as far as I know, an alien spacecraft did not
crash in « Roswe.ll» , New Mexico, in« 1947» . (Laughter.) And, Ryan, if
the United States Air Force did recover alien bodies, they didn't
tell me about it, either, and I want to know. (Applause.).
Ladies and gentlemen, this day that Hillary and I have had'
here in Belfast and in Derry and Londonderry County will long be
with us -- (applause). -- as one of the most remarkable days of our
lives. I leave you with these thoughts. May the Christmas spirit
of peace and goodwill flourish and grow in you. May you remember
the words of the Lord Mayor: "This is Christmas. We celebrate the
world in a new way because of the birth of Emmanuel; God with us."
And when God was with us, he said no words more important than