William Jefferson Clinton Memorial Library

We'd like to welcome you to the William Jefferson Clinton Memorial Library -- dedicated to preserving the true legacy of the 42nd President of the United States.

Bill Clinton promised as President that his would be the "most ethical administration in the history of the country.” As you explore the pages of this website, you can decide for yourself whether he lived up to that promise

They want Your Children!

The traditional family has from antiquity been the basis of free government and clearly the Clinton administration has been on the offensive against families since its inauguration. Today, we have an administration which cuddles-up to special-interest sex and eugenics groups, the two most pernicious types of interests to family integrity.

After demonizing Dan Quayle for his position on "family values" the liberals are now attempting to fool Americans with their brand of family values that includes Hillary's "village" and Big Government raising your children.

Just what are Clinton's family values?

Democratic Party convention speeches defined the family as "all of us," the entire nation, a state collective. "The gay and lesbian community is an American family in the best sense of the word," declared one of Clinton's top homosexual advisors. The Republican Party Platform, in contrast, references the family as "home" and as "the core institution of society" which fosters "the virtues - honesty, self-discipline, mutual respect - that make a free society strong."

We all think of ourselves as part of a family, and caring about our families is one of the values Clinton says he has in common. He talks about making a difference for families, and about the value of policies that strengthen and protect families. Families are strengthened, they say, by giving parents the tools they need: family and medical leave, health care for our parents, education for our children, clean water and safe communities.

Hillary Clinton commented, "two-mothers, or two men... the children are what's important... they are for the use of the government..."

It takes more than a family to raise children.

Sounding like a kindergarten teacher talking to her young class, Hillary Clinton repeated in her speech at the 1996 Democratic Convention her belief that children should be raised by a "village."

The Clinton's not only redefined the family but they created an Orwellian euphemism for bureaucracy to replace it. Hillary's "village" sounds much like George Orwell's brilliant satire on twentieth-century collectivism entitled Animal Farm. It is the story of a revolution staged by animals on Farmer Jones' place. As with all revolutions, there were leaders and there were followers. In this case, the pigs became the leaders since they were, through no fault of the others, a little smarter than the rest.

One of their first official acts was to draft a statement of seven principles which were then painted on the back wall of the barn for all to see. These principles became the basis of the new order and were designed to protect the animals from any future injustice or infringements on their rights. There were noble pronouncements as "No animal shall drink alcoholic beverages"; "No animal shall sleep in a bed"; and "No animal shall kill another animal." But the greatest and wisest of these was, "All animals are equal."

As the months became years, however, things did not turn out quite the way the "workers" had expected. They were working twice as hard and eating half as well as they had when they were "exploited" by Farmer Jones - all of them, that is, except for the rulers, the pigs, who were now drinking Jones' ale and sleeping in his bed. When the puzzled workers tried to figure out how things turned out this way, they went to the rear of the barn to see if there was not something in the seven great principles prohibiting this kind of injustice. They found, instead, that the principles were now worded slightly differently. Indeed, just a few words changed here and there completely changed the picture: "No animal shall drink alcoholic beverages ... to excess"; "No animal shall sleep in a bed ... with sheets"; No animal shall kill another animal ... without cause." But by far the worst shock of all came when the poor creatures turned with hope to the seventh principle guaranteeing their rights but which now declared, "All animals are equal ... but some animals are more equal than others."

"We are redefining in practical terms the immutable ideals that have guided us from the beginning." - President Bill Clinton, Nov. 8, 1997

• The Clinton administration has expanded the right of minors to abortion. The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional right of minors to obtain abortions without notifying their parents. If a minor is found to be mature enough to make the choice on her own and does not want her parents to know about it, a judge must allow an abortion under a series of Supreme Court rulings dating to 1979. Beginning with a Massachusetts case 18 years ago, the court has protected access to abortion for pregnant minors by assuring that they could obtain permission from a state judge if they did not want to involve their parents.
• Restricted the rights of parents in connection with compulsory sex and AIDS education.
• Advocated a looser standard of child pornography
• Promoted so-called "children's rights" that can be independently asserted by children against their parents.
• Broadened the definition of "child abuse."
• The National Endowment For the Arts with a director appointed by Bill Clinton continue to support obscene and sacrilegious paintings, sculpture and photographs with your tax money.

When Diocletian published his draconian Edict of 301, destroying the few remaining liberties of the old republic, he justified it by referring to himself and his associates as "the watchful parents of the whole human race." Rulers have ever been tempted to play the role of father to their people. In his justification for state direction of the national economy, A.P. Lerner defended rationing "as a form of guardianship" that the state should exercise over the population in order "to prevent foolish spending." (Abba P. Lerner, The Economics of Control (New York: Macmillan, 1944), pg. 52.)

The paternal state not only feeds its children, but nurtures, educates, comforts, and disciplines them, providing all they need for their security. This appears to be a mildly insulting way to treat adults, but it is really a great crime because it transforms the state from being a gift of God, given to protect us against violence, into an idol. It supplies us with all blessings, and we look to it for all our needs. Once we sink to that level, as C.S. Lewis says, there is no point in telling state officials to mind their own business. "Our whole lives are their business."

The paternal states thrives on dependency. When the dependents free themselves, it loses power. It is, therefore, parasitic on the very persons whom it turns into parasites. Thus, the state and its dependents march symbiotically to destruction. When the provision of paternal security replaces the provision of justice as the function of the state, the state stops providing justice. The surrogate parent ceases executing judgment against those who violate the law, and the nation begins losing the benefits of justice.

"The era of big government is over."

Believing that it takes more than a family to raise children, Clinton's big government, "Village People", hummed and buzzed about the need for families to park the kiddies in "quality child care centers." President Clinton even suggested putting Hillary in charge of Welfare reform. Image that! Take the one woman who is probably the greatest enemy of children and put her in charge of programs that most affect our children. Yes, folks, the Clinton's do want to "change welfare as we know it."

When Democrats say, "The first and most sacred responsibility of every parent is to cherish our children and strengthen our families." What they really mean is for parents to give government more of their income so that big wasteful government programs can continue. They speak of supporting the family but what they support is a kinder and gentler way of destroying the traditional family and raising up a village or commune that is in tune with their distorted vision.

President Clinton revoked Executive Order #12606 issued by President Ronald Reagan on September 2, 1987. The policy required the federal government to consider the impact of new rules and regulations on the American family prior to their enactment.

"It is outrageous that President Clinton would claim that he is supportive of the family, yet repeal the Executive Order which was the very foundation of the pro-family movement in the White House," Rick Robinson, candidate for Congress, said. "This is yet another example of the President talking out of one side of his political mouth, but governing from the other side. You have to wonder which Bill Clinton will get out of bed on a day-to-day basis."

The seven points of the Reagan pro-family test are as follows:

1. Does this action strengthen or erode the stability of the family?
2. Does this action strengthen or erode the rights of parents?
3. Does this action help the family or try to substitute the government in family functions?
4. Does the action increase or decrease family earnings?
5. Can the activity be carried out by a lower level of government or by the family itself?
6. What message, intended or otherwise, does the action send to the public regarding the status of the family?
7. What message does the action send to young people concerning the relationship between their behavior, their responsibility, and the norms of society?

Social spending advocates expect government to substitute for mothers and fathers. Social spending by the federal government for children and families has increased dramatically since 1960, yet, almost all indicators suggest that child wellbeing today lags behind what it was three decades ago. Clinton's "Bridge to the future" means more money and less results.

Democrats say, "We want to strengthen middle-class families by providing a $500 tax cut for children." Yet, on Dec. 6, 1995, Clinton vetoed the $500-per-child tax credit for more than 29 million middle-class families.

Clinton's deceptive characterization of the deficit is nothing short of mortgaging our children's future.

Who is enslaving your children with debt?

While bemoaning charges of Republican intrusion into the bedroom, the Democratic leadership wants not only to intrude into the bedroom, but into the kitchen, the living room, the utility room, your garbage can, the garage, the workplace, the schools, the doctors office and hospital - to control all aspects of our lives - but, especially raising children.

A bridge to the next millennium is essential but it must not be built upon the disasters of the past or on a redefined family that seeks to obscure such failures. It must be built on the age-old definition of the family as the cornerstone of society. From this essential base we can build and foster what the great statesman Edmund Burke called the "little platoons," the churches, neighborhoods and charities that emanate from the nurturing love of the family. These "little platoons" embody the belief that those closest to the need or problem are best suited to solve it. For they are not an end unto themselves but a direct extension of the family which is the instituition closest to man's needs. A bridge built on the pillars of the family and paved with the principle of subsidiarity will lead us toward a millennium that truly secures the dignity of man. Our children deserve more than the failed pipe dreams of the past. We must not buy Mr. Clinton's bridge - it is used and broken. [Keith A. Fournier, Esq., Used Bridge For Sale, Law & Justice, Vol. 1, Number 5]