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Biden: There Is Dignity In Work

(CBS)
Vice President-elect Joe Biden addressed the crowd at the "We Are One" concert at the Lincoln Memorial this afternoon, stressing the dignity of work to the assembled crowd of perhaps half a million people.

"In my family, we were taught to live our faith and to treasure our family," Biden said. "We learned the dignity of work, and were told that anyone could make it if they were given a fair chance. That's how I came to believe, at the very core of my being, that work is more than a paycheck. It's about dignity. It's about respect. It's about whether you can look your child in the eye and say, 'honey, it's going to be all right.'"

In his brief remarks, Biden said that the country was "built by men and women who believe in the dignity of work." The "grace and grandure that surrounds us," Biden said from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, is the "work of American hands."

He said working men and women around the country are owed "the chance to go to work each day knowing they have the thanks of a grateful nation."

Biden's remarks were followed by a performance by John Mellencamp, who performed the song "Little Pink Houses."

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