"I HAVE COME HERE TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON OF ARIZONA,BECAUSE IN THAT CANYON ARIZONA HAS A NATURAL WONDER, WHICH, SO FAR AS I KNOW, IS IN KIND ABSOLUTELY UNPARALLELED THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE WORLD. I SHALL NOT ATTEMPT TO DESCRIBE IT, BECAUSE I CANNOT. I COULD NOT CHOOSE WORDS THAT WOULD CONVEY OR THAT COULD CONVEY TO ANY OUTSIDER WHAT THE CANYON IS. I WANT TO ASK YOU TO DO ONE THING IN CONNECTION WITH IT IN YOUR OWN INTEREST, AND IN THE INTEREST OF THE COUNTRY. KEEP THIS GREAT WONDER OF NATURE AS IT NOW IS...LEAVE IT AS IT IS. YOU CANNOT IMPROVE ON IT, NOT A BIT. THE AGES HAVE BEEN AT WORK ON IT, AND MAN CAN ONLY MAR IT. WHAT YOU CAN DO IS KEEP IT FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN AND FOR ALL WHO COME AFTER YOU...KEEP THE GRAND CANYON AS IT IS"
PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT 1903
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