Although that may be her dream. It is about achieving happiness and for most people of the American Dream and happiness is about simple things like owning a home in a safe and able neighborhood. Being able to raise their family in a safe and stable environment, have any job you find rewarding pays you enough to ensure things like saving for retirement and weeping your children better off than yourself. I spoken about the American Dream in many places. Theres fewer have to spend less time describing not than ours because in this audience and community theres hundreds of thousands, millions of people in south florida throughout the three counties whove lived the dream despite starting from very difficult backgrounds and circumstances. Away to imagine being born into a society where your future was determined by your parents. Imagine a society where you only got to do whatever it is your parents did before you. If your parents are rich. If your parents were connect it if they had influenc
Of the gate ways to let galveston from an 18th century to the new century. More than not it is a point, sort of a marker that we can always turn to and say that it happened here. He is an author and former white house president ial speechmaker who spent years researching and writing his new robert e. Lee biography, the man who would not be washington, published in january of this year. Jonathan has appeared as a commentator on msnbc and bbc radio. His writing has appeared in the new york times, the Weekly Standard and other outlets. During his time at the white house, jonathan served as a speechwriter and special assistant to president george bush, a graduate of yale university, and we welcome him. [applause] thank you so much for that lovely introduction judy. As was mentioned, i used to work as a president ial speechwriter before i started writing this book. So you can imagine my shock when i learned that the subject of my new book didnt much care for my old occupation to. [laughter]
Booktv is live this weekend from the tucson festival of books. Starting at 1 p. M. Eastern, 10 a. M. Pacific were covering several author panels on topics such as the obama administration, natural disasters, politics, immigration and the impact of concussions on football. All this live from the university of arizona, the site of the seventh annual tucson festival of books. How did an army officer so associated with George Washingtons legacy go to war against what we today consider George Washingtons greatest legacy the union . It was this question that ultimately drew me to robert e. Lees story. And its that tragic tension and the knowledge that history could have turned out so much differently. Because on the eve of the civil war, leaders on both sides of the potomac in richmond and in washington sought lees services for high command. Both knew about his connections to George Washington. That was common knowledge. And both saw tremendous significance in them. They also knew that winfi
I pray for them every day. You write about blue star families. Certainly members of the military. You talk a little bit about gold star. Gold star mothers those who have lost a son or daughter. Very inspirational story in here about a mom who is a gold star mother who is also in the numeral academy. The ui to touch a little bit on that . I got to no her when she was complete mom and discovered that lots of them have asked. The 1st big challenge there child is going through without you. As i began to communicate her she had an older son she lost in iraq. The younger son was five at the time. And the process of her coming to grips with the idea that she had the 2nd son who wanted to serve comanche tells a story. It is very meaningful. Now she now she is completely supportive of him. It was a difficult journey for. So, you know im really proud of her for being willing to tell her story. Well, we are coming to a close. Is there anything else you would like to add about your book and where
And when the government re opens it will be reimbursed. Because that charity acted it gave the senate a chance to do nothing to solve the problem. How dare we not provide grieving families with the necessary support in their time of need . Reporter today, every House Democrat and every House Republican vote ed to guarantee military death benefit benefits. But what seemed like a quick washington solution spiralled into politics. Even the senate chaplain, a re tired admiral, weighed in. It is time for our lawmakers to say enough is enough. Were you trying to jolt lawmakers with your prayers . Well, i was trying to express what some of them have ex pressed and felt. That at some point you have to draw the line. At some point you have to say enough is enough. Reporter the shutdown, many complained, has politicized a group beloved by both parties the military. One of the families of the Fallen Soldiers d anywayed benefits is from pennsylvania. Even for washington, thats unusual that veteran