Governor Beebe's Inaugural Address

Let me first thank Colonel Anslow for her presence here, today. She, as has already been indicated, represents the hundreds, in fact the thousands, of Arkansans who have served honorably in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as those who remain overseas at this hour. Our thoughts and our prayers are always with them, and with the families and the friends that they've left behind. Colonel, thank you.

We are, as has been mentioned, gathered in a celebration, and it's not a celebration of one individual. It's not a celebration of a Party. It's a celebration of our state and her people, of her proud place in our nation's history, and of the abundant promise her future holds for us all. And in this moment of celebration, let us rededicate ourselves to our common cause: a better, stronger, more prosperous Arkansas for all of her sons and daughters in every corner of our state. Together, we have made great strides toward this destination, but we have farther to go on our journey.
Our tax code is fairer today than it was when we last gathered here. But our work is not complete.

Our system of education, at every level, has made remarkable progress, but our work is not complete.

Our economy withstood even these worst of times, but our work is not complete.
The challenges that remain are undeniable. Arkansas's economy must become more robust and diverse, our system of education more rigorous and more productive. Too many of our citizens remain mired in poverty, and our resources are, as ever, insufficient to address all of our needs.

But, today, the wind is with us, speeding us forward with greater momentum than we've known before. We are steadily distancing ourselves from the ranks of the also-rans and those who were scratched from the start. In category after category and measure after measure, Arkansas is surging ahead, and, Ladies and Gentlemen, the world is taking notice.
This moment is rich with possibilities, but it requires great things from every Arkansan, and the greatest of these is belief. Believe in Arkansas and in her people. Banish from your minds those old insecurities and stereotypes that have hobbled us as a people in the past. We must expect more from our State and from ourselves, and make those heightened expectations the new standard by which we judge our own success. Arkansas has proven, again and again, that it can set the standard for the nation and the world. Yes, in today's world, Arkansas is setting the standard. If you don't believe it, you come to my office and listen to phone call after phone call from governors all over the United States, saying, "Whatever it is you're drinking down there, we want some of it." We should, as a people, demand nothing less.

But belief alone is not enough. Those with willing hands must commit their minds and their bodies to the task of forging a better future for Arkansas, because there is hard work yet to be done. The path toward progress is always arduous, and the complacent can always find excuses to remain in the well-worn ruts of the past where the going is much easier and the destination is assured. But that cannot be our way forward.

If we are to succeed where others are failing, if we are to seize prosperity where others are finding only despair, if we are to build an Arkansas that we will be proud to leave to future generations, then every one of us must pledge at this hour to bring the full measure of our abilities to bear in confronting the challenges before us.

Joined by many others in this room, I have sworn a solemn oath to do just that. But politics and politicians are mere instruments. What power we have is derived from the people, alone. Arkansas's future will be built by her citizens - men and women who have the courage to seek a better way and the faith to believe that their efforts can make a difference.

I see some of those people here before me, and I have met hundreds more like them in communities across the state, and to you, I say now that we need your strength, your courage, and your faith. Believe in yourselves and in Arkansas.

I am reminded of Robert Kennedy's Affirmation Day Address delivered in Capetown nearly 45 years ago:

Some believe there is nothing one man or one woman can do against the enormous array of the world's ills -- against misery, against ignorance, or injustice and violence. Yet many of the world's great movements, of thought and action, have flowed from the work of a single man. A young monk began the Protestant reformation, a young general extended an empire from Macedonia to the borders of the earth, and a young woman reclaimed the territory of France. It was a young Italian explorer who discovered the New World, and 32-year-old Thomas Jefferson who proclaimed that all men are created equal. "Give me a place to stand," said Archimedes, "and I will move the world." These people moved the world, and so can we all.

I believe in Arkansas, and I believe, together, we stand on solid ground with strength enough to move the world.

My favorite line from my favorite speech of my favorite president, almost a prayer, almost a prayer, Rabbi and Bishop is what JFK said:

With a good conscience our only sure reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love asking His blessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.

Let's don't shy from that task. We can ask for His help, but this is our work. This is our responsibility. This is our time. This is our Arkansas.

God bless you, and God bless Arkansas.

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