It is with pride, great honor, much humility, and considerable trepidation that I present this address. You have elected me to join the ranks of a distinguished group of past presidents, and for that, I am grateful. I have grave concerns for our country because of declining moral values, with which I am sure you will agree. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll reported in the Wall Street Journal in September 1999, 75% of those polled responded that moral decline was a greater threat to US power status than economic weakness, which was the answer of 20% of those polled. 1 American opinion: Bright past kindles America's hope. The Wall Street Journal. 1999 Sep 16; : A10 Google Scholar School violence, crime in the streets, disrespect for others, state lotteries that make the poor more destitute, pornography, promiscuity, divorce, teenage sexuality and pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, assisted suicide, euthanasia, rap music, rape, child abuse, and racial intolerance are increasing. Fortunately, abortions are declining. Breakdown of the family and decline in traditional values are intricately involved if not the cause of most of these concerns. During the past year, it was my privilege to attend meetings in two of America's most historic cities, Williamsburg, Virginia, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. While helping my 9-year-old grandson learn about the founding fathers, my own sense of history was revitalized. These great men of vision, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and many others, established freedom of speech and freedom of religion, frequently calling on God for help and on Judeo-Christian values. During the subsequent centuries, our culture has been enriched by immigration, with the addition of Islamic faith and the Eastern religions of Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, and Taoism. George Washington said, "Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports." 2 Hart B. Faith & freedom: the Christian roots of American history. in: Christian Defense Fund, Alexandria (VA)1999: 12-13 Google Scholar Washington knew well that a nation's laws spring from its morals and that morals spring from its religion. The religion of which Washington spoke was clear to all who knew him: "It is impossible to govern rightly without God and the Bible." In his farewell address on September 17, 1796, Washington said that the survival of freedom depended on the character of its people.