Naturalization Ceremonies

March 24, 2004

Miami-Dade Public Defender Bennett H. Brummer delivered the following keynote speech to more than 3,000 new citizens and their friends and relatives:

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our family!

I congratulate you for having persevered in your pursuit of citizenship and the American dream. You should be proud of what you have accomplished for yourselves and for your families, just as my own grandparents did, when they fled oppression in Eastern Europe.

They set out on a dangerous and uncertain path, with only their hope and faith to sustain them. My grandparents found freedom and opportunity in America.

I am thinking of the significance of my grandparents’ journey for the part of my family that survived World War II.

So, this is an emotional occasion for me, and a very special honor and personal privilege to be part of this wonderful citizenship ceremony today. This occasion is not only important for you and for me, it is part of our national heritage. These citizenship ceremonies have been the foundation of this country, which still prides itself as a nation of immigrants and a beacon to the world.

Today, all your hard work, all the years of preparation and study, your dedication, and devotion to upholding the laws and the principles of this great nation, were rewarded as [Immigration] Judge [Rex]Ford eloquently administered the oath of citizenship.

Although you have already made contributions to this country, nothing compares with what lies ahead. You now are privileged to face the challenges of full participation as citizens, with all of the opportunities, rights and, most especially, the responsibilities that go with citizenship.

In our democracy, our future is largely in our hands, individually and collectively. People of every land all know from painful experience that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. In this country, as everywhere in life, every generation must fight to ensure its freedom, and the freedom of succeeding generations.

We are counting on you to lend your voice, experience and ideals to our democratic experiment as a free society. American citizenship is a gift and a power like none other. The more we use it, and the more that we achieve, the more it benefits us all. Let me speak to you for a moment about the right to vote, and the right to hold office. The right to vote is a key right and responsibility in our democracy. Unfortunately, too many of us, who are citizens by birth, take this right for granted and do not vote. This gives even greater weight to the people who exercise this sacred right.

The right to choose our leadership is democracy in action. The right to vote is, of course, a weighty responsibility. It is very difficult to exercise well. We have the right to vote on so many positions and issues at many levels of our government. Nevertheless, I ask you to do your best to shape our society, to learn about the issues and the candidates, and what they stand for.

This is a great time to become a citizen. In November, we will, once again, choose many officials, including our president. Beyond real elections, we also should treasure the historical, peaceful transition of power when public officials and parties change.

I encourage all of you, who are old enough, to vote. Voter registration materials are available here at the Convention Center, this afternoon. Please register to vote today.

Citizenship also conveys the right to hold office yourselves, either by appointment or election.

The founders of our country divided our government to help keep us free from tyranny. Our democracy separates government power among the executive, legislative and judicial branches. Government power is also separated into different levels, for example, the federal and state levels. Judge Ford, who administered the oath, is an appointed, federal official. As the Miami-Dade Public Defender, I am an elected, state official.

Your right to hold one of our many offices is not just a theory or a cliche: It is a real and powerful right. A number of first generation Americans have been appointed and elected as judges. More visibly, a few months ago, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a native of Austria, was elected governor of California, one of our most important states. And he did that as a Republican, whose wife, Maria, is a member of the famously Democratic Kennedy family.

This is part of the beauty of America, the land of opportunity, something that new citizens, especially, can appreciate. We strive for inclusion, equal opportunity, and tolerance of differences, especially political and religious differences. By exercising our freedoms, we strengthen them.

In closing, let me express concern for all of our brothers and sisters, in countries still not blessed with real democracy. And I ask you to remain vigilant to protect our freedoms here. Thank you for your dedication to American principles and the future of our country. I wish you great success in life, liberty and your pursuit of happiness.