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Alberto Gonzales gives his final speech as Attorney General
David Edwards and Adam Doster
Alberto Gonzales ended his tumultuous tenure as U.S. Attorney General Friday with a speech reflecting on his life in public service at an airbase in Washington.
“My time in public service has had its share of difficulties, but even more moments of inspiration,” he said. “My trips to Iraq have been among them. Being part of a Department that plays a vital role in stopping terrorists has been a humbling experience.”
Gonzales thought Bolling Air Force base was a fitting setting for his last public address. The U.S. Air Force was where “my time in public life” began and he was able to participate in the base’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration, giving him the chance to touch upon themes of racial justice.
“A great country, with true equality, does not allow race and ethnicity to limit how far one rises or how much he is able to do on behalf of his country,” he told the airmen. “Our ethnicity is a source of pride and heritage — but whatever our background, and wherever our ancestors came here from, we can achieve great things when we answer the call of public service.”
The embattled attorney, who is stepping down amid allegations of improper hiring and the dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys for political reasons, believes his success story represents the best of what America can offer.
“I am the son of a Mexican cotton picker and a construction worker who never finished grade school, and I am the Attorney General of the United States,” he said. “If anyone ever tries to tell you the American dream doesn’t exist, or that you can’t achieve it, I hope you’ll set them straight.
(Original Article)