11/10/2023 0 Comments John lewis medal of dom![]() (Laughter.) When Saddam Hussein called her a “snake,” she wore a serpent on her lapel - (laughter) - the next time she visited Baghdad. (Laughter.) Once in a while, she lets her jewelry do the talking. So I’m going to take an opportunity - I hope you guys don’t mind - to brag about each of you, starting with Madeleine Albright. And so today we present this amazing group with one more accolade for a life well led, and that’s the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It’s our job to help let them know how extraordinary their impact has been on our lives. Most of them may never fully appreciate the difference they’ve made or the influence that they’ve had, but that’s where our job comes in. Some of them are household names others have labored quietly out of the public eye. They’ve enriched our lives and they’ve changed our lives for the better. Together, the honorees on this stage, and the ones who couldn’t be here, have moved us with their words they have inspired us with their actions. What sets these men and women apart is the incredible impact they have had on so many people - not in short, blinding bursts, but steadily, over the course of a lifetime. But, yes, we could fill this room many times over with people who are talented and driven. Every one of today’s honorees is blessed with an extraordinary amount of talent. ![]() No one ever picks up a guitar, or fights a disease, or starts a movement, thinking, “You know what, if I keep this up, in 2012, I could get a medal in the White House from a guy named Barack Obama.” (Laughter.) That wasn’t in the plan.īut that’s exactly what makes this award so special. This is the highest civilian honor this country can bestow, which is ironic, because nobody sets out to win it. (Laughter.) Everybody wanted to check them out. And I have to say, just looking around the room, this is a packed house, which is a testament to how cool this group is. It is an extraordinary pleasure to be here with all of you to present this year’s Medals of Freedom. Everybody, please have a seat, and welcome to the White House. It should instead have been: “Nazi death camps in German occupied Poland”. * Note – the language in asterisks below is historically inaccurate.
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