forged ahead and put me on the ballot in the final 26 states after july 16th. the day we were on the ballot in all 50 states, the volunteers requested that i come back in because the political parties have not responded to their concerns. my decision in july hurt you, i apologize. i thought i was doing the right thing. i made a mistake, i take full responsibility for it. there is only one issue now, starting today. and that is what is good for our country. looking back wouldn't solve any of our problems and looking forward and working together, we can fix anything. the american people are concerned about a government in gridlock. our people are good. the american people are good. but they have a government that is a mess. the american people are concerned about this government they pay for that doesn't produce results. everybody in washington makes excuses, nobody takes

responsibility, even when they have direct responsibility. the american people have figured that out. they want that changed. the american people are really concerned with a government that go to washington to cash in and not to serve. they want a government change so that people go as servants of the people back home and do not use government service as a stepping-stone to financial success. the people know that it is wrong to spend our children's money. nothing could be more wrong. we know that we cannot con schennablely pass on a $4 trillion debt to our children. the people want this problem scarily dealt with. they want our financial house put back in order. the people are concerned that our government is still organized to fight the cold war. they want to reorganize to rebuild america as the highest priority. in order to do that, the highest priority is to rebuild the job base and the industrial base.

we have to put our people back to work. we have to stop the loss of entire industries that go to other countries. we must make the words "made in the usa" once again the standard words for excellence. not only is government amess, politics is also amess. the way political campaigns are run is a mess. the people want a political climate where the system does not attract ego driven-power hungry people. we will create an environment that attracts the best people in the country to come and to serve and to go back home and go to work. together, we can solve these problems and make the political process responsible and relevant to selecting the best people in the country. these are the issues we'll talk about in the coming weeks. i will not spend one minute answering questions that are not directly relevant to the issues that concern the american people. and now to the american people, i don't belong to anybody but you. you, the people, own me.

if you elect me, i go as your servant. i will work night and day to see that the priorities that you have established are accomplished. to the many young people, and it is a disproportionate number of people that have called me or written me or some have driven across country to dallas to visit with me at their own expense expressing concern of what kind of country they will live in as adults and wondering if they will have a job when you get out of school. this is unbelievable to think you wouldn't have a job in america. when i think about the sacrif e sacrifices and my patients and the generations before them made so we could live the american dream, certainly we all dedicate ourselves to seeing that you, the young people in our country, will have the american dream pa passed on to you. even the very young ones write me. this little girl, beautiful little girl, adrian kogliano.

i'll leave this picture for you. here are a few excerpts. my name is adrian. i'm 9 years old, almost ten. i wish you would really run for president and i wish i could vote. i think everyone should get to say how they would like to see things done. i just don't think a small group of people should decide all ever these things for a whole bunch of people. this is signed adrian, rural route 2, augusta, kansas. now, when you are hot and your tired and you're worn out some day, take a look at this little girl and her sisters and you'll say, whatever it takes, we've got to do it. we have to pass on the american dream to them. to the retired people who made it through the depression and fought and won world war ii. how is that for a double hit. go up in the depression and as a bonus get to fight and win world war ii. work and sacrifice most of their lives. i know you share my commitment to make sure we pass the american dream on to our children and grand children. one of my most poignant memories

is the day mort meyerson became the president of electronic data systems. his 95-year-old grandfather was there. his grandfather had had to flee russia many years ago because he happened to be a jew. he lived in an attic in brooklyn in 18 months working as a tailer as a young man so he could get together enough money to buy a train ticket to fort worth, texas. he reared a fine young son and he was there when mort became president and at the end of the meeting he came forward with tears in his eyes and hugged mort and said, son, through you, i have fulfilled all of the dreams i had as a young man when i came to america. that is what this is all about. fair shared sacrifice will be necessary to solve these problems. last time we all sacrificed together was in world war ii. everybody participated in the sacrifice. we won.

we can win again, if each one in this country will carry his part of the burden. to the huge number of people in the armed forces, the largest single group of people that have written me and urged me to run are the military forces and people who are veterans. you've written and you've called and volunteered your time urging me to run. i do this for you primarily, because you fought and won the hot wars and the 45-year long cold war for us. and in many cases, nobody ever even said thank you. this is my tiny little way of saying thank you. certainly you deserve a country for yourselves and your children that fulfills the ideals that you fought for on the battlefield. some of you gave your lives, i do this for the widows and the children, many of you bear the permanent scars of the war, i do it for you. i received a purple heart through the mail yesterday and a

letter. with short excerpts. dear ross, i was awarded this purple heart for wounds received during a vietnam ambush in 1968. over the years, it's value to me as grown significantly and like my family, it is priceless. i would be honored if you would accept the loan of my purple heart to keep with you throughout the campaign. i believe that it can serve as a compelling reminder that the hard battle ahead can and must be won. let it also remind you of the army of ordinary citizens that has mustered to your call and looks to you to stop the hemorrhaging of the american spirit, to unite once and for all our diverse citizenry on a single american banner and to restore honesty, integrity and responsibility to our government. like you, i firmly believe if we stand united, wee will win. good luck ross, dennis squirmin,

delaware. thank you. i will keep it with me during the campaign. i understand it is on loan. i'll get it back to you. never forget to everybody listening today, i can't do this job without your continued support. one person is nothing in a task this large. if millions of you will come together, we can do anything. there is nothing we can't do. it's up to you, it's up to all of us. i promise you, i will give it everything i have. but the final results are in your hands because you own this country and you are the voters. i look forward to presenting these issues day after day to the american people. i would like to thank the american people by choosing me as your candidate, you have given me the highest honor i could ever receive. and in closing, let me say this. i love this country. i love the american people. i love the principles on which this country was founded. and i don't like to see those principles violated and there are millions of folks out there just like me that are sick and tired of it. i'm totally committed to serving

you. god bless you all. thank you for this honor. and now, i would like to introduce jim stockdale, our vice presidential candidate and his wife sible. jim stockdale is a heroes hero. he is a recipient of the medal of honor and a scholar, a retired admiral. he suffered as a prisoner of war in vietnam as few people have. he provided leadership that caused our government to award him the medal of honor. in order to receive it, his fellow prisoners had to recommend him for it. the ultimate compliment. he is a man of steel. he has been hammered on the forth of brutality. and was able to reach outside of himself to provide strength to others. i can't tell you how many p.o.w. told me when they came home they would not be alive if it had not

been for jim stockdale. he gave them the courage to continue to go forward and live. now that is leadership, that's the kind of person that built our country. we're very fortunate to have a man of his quality to service. and let me tell you about sybil. she's one of the great women in our country. when the brutality and neglect, sibbel and a handful of dedicated wives and mothers were out there trying to do something so their husbands to survive this war. and she finally broke through. she got our government to change the policies from not saying anything about it, to embarrassing north korea to more men would survive the ordeal. there are few women during the period of my life of 62 years who have shown more strength, more courage and more commitment and more dedication who have been more brutally tested than mrs. stockdale.

and as a combination, as two pieces of steel. it is my privilege to introduce jim stockdale and his great wife sybil. [ applause ] >> sibbel and i are in our 46th year of marriage and we have four sons and five grandchildren and another on the way. the love of my life. saved my life once, if you ever read the book we wrote. it's my honor to be my old friend ross perot's running mate in this great effort to give the american people an independent way to go. i have a personal reputation for being independent in outlook and manner so this role gives me added satisfaction. ross perot, extraordinary man. a word used in a popular biographical article on ross by s