Bill Clinton: “Good morning. At this time of great progress and hope for our Nation, we have the chance of a lifetime to build an even…”

“Good morning. At this time of great progress and hope for our Nation, we have the chance of a lifetime to build an even stronger America in the 21st century by facing our great long-term challenges like saving Social Security and Medicare, paying off our national debt and bringing economic opportunity to people and places left behind in our recovery, giving all our children a world-class education--and the challenge I want to speak with you about today: fighting crime and making America the world's safest big nation. For too many years it looked as if the crime rate would rise forever. In too many places, families barricaded themselves behind barred doors and windows; children were afraid to walk to school; and once thriving communities became proving grounds for lawless gangs. I took office determined to change this. More than 6\1/2\ years ago, Vice President Gore and I put in place a tough, smart anticrime strategy of more police, better prevention, and tougher punishments; a strategy that took assault weapons off our streets and kept illegal guns out of the hands of criminals and away from our children; above all, an anticrime strategy that funded local solutions to local problems, spearheaded by Attorney General Janet Reno, herself a former prosecutor. This strategy, pioneered in our communities, has been taken nationwide by our 1994 crime bill. It has worked beyond all expectations.…”