Tuesday, August 31, 2004
Rhetoric worth repeating
Italics are mine.
-- ER
From U.S. Sen. John McCain's speech at the Republican National Convention:
No American alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of September 11th.
That day was the moment when the pendulum of history swung toward a new era.
The opening chapter was tinged with great sadness and uncertainty.
It shook us from our complacency in the belief that the Cold War’s end had ushered in a time of global tranquility.
But an absence of complacency should not provoke an absence of confidence. What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. It cannot be taken from us. It can only be surrendered.
My friends, we are again met on the field of political competition with our fellow countrymen. It is more than appropriate, it is necessary that even in times of crisis we have these contests, and engage in spirited disagreement over the shape and course of our government.
We have nothing to fear from each other.
We are arguing over the means to better secure our freedom, and promote the general welfare.But it should remain an argument among friends who share an unshaken belief in our great cause, and in the goodness of each other.
We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always.
Let us argue our differences.
But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them.
Our adversaries are weaker than us in arms and men, but weaker still in causes. They fight to express a hatred for all that is good in humanity.
We fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is invincible. Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong.
Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with our President and fight.
We’re Americans.
We’re Americans, and we’ll never surrender.
They will.
From Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention:
Now let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.
John Kerry believes in America. And he knows it’s not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient in the American saga. A belief that we are connected as one people.
If there’s a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there’s a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandmother.
If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It’s that fundamental belief — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sisters’ keeper—that makes this country work.
It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.
Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America—there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.
The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
END
-- ER
From U.S. Sen. John McCain's speech at the Republican National Convention:
No American alive today will ever forget what happened on the morning of September 11th.
That day was the moment when the pendulum of history swung toward a new era.
The opening chapter was tinged with great sadness and uncertainty.
It shook us from our complacency in the belief that the Cold War’s end had ushered in a time of global tranquility.
But an absence of complacency should not provoke an absence of confidence. What our enemies have sought to destroy is beyond their reach. It cannot be taken from us. It can only be surrendered.
My friends, we are again met on the field of political competition with our fellow countrymen. It is more than appropriate, it is necessary that even in times of crisis we have these contests, and engage in spirited disagreement over the shape and course of our government.
We have nothing to fear from each other.
We are arguing over the means to better secure our freedom, and promote the general welfare.But it should remain an argument among friends who share an unshaken belief in our great cause, and in the goodness of each other.
We are Americans first, Americans last, Americans always.
Let us argue our differences.
But remember we are not enemies, but comrades in a war against a real enemy, and take courage from the knowledge that our military superiority is matched only by the superiority of our ideals, and our unconquerable love for them.
Our adversaries are weaker than us in arms and men, but weaker still in causes. They fight to express a hatred for all that is good in humanity.
We fight for love of freedom and justice, a love that is invincible. Keep that faith. Keep your courage. Stick together. Stay strong.
Do not yield. Do not flinch. Stand up. Stand up with our President and fight.
We’re Americans.
We’re Americans, and we’ll never surrender.
They will.
From Illinois state Sen. Barack Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention:
Now let me be clear. We have real enemies in the world. These enemies must be found. They must be pursued and they must be defeated.
John Kerry knows this. And just as Lieutenant Kerry did not hesitate to risk his life to protect the men who served with him in Vietnam, President Kerry will not hesitate one moment to use our military might to keep America safe and secure.
John Kerry believes in America. And he knows it’s not enough for just some of us to prosper. For alongside our famous individualism, there’s another ingredient in the American saga. A belief that we are connected as one people.
If there’s a child on the south side of Chicago who can’t read, that matters to me, even if it’s not my child. If there’s a senior citizen somewhere who can’t pay for her prescription and has to choose between medicine and the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it’s not my grandmother.
If there’s an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties. It’s that fundamental belief — I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sisters’ keeper—that makes this country work.
It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, yet still come together as a single American family. "E pluribus unum." Out of many, one.
Yet even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.
Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America—there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.
The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States and have gay friends in the Red States.
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and patriots who supported it. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.
END
Comments:
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Amen, Gloria.
Tech, I know how you feel. It's the nature of politics to promise the moon, but then you have to deal with the reality of red tape, opposition, etc. My feeling is you might as well reach for the stars--you may not actually touch one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either. :)
Tech, I know how you feel. It's the nature of politics to promise the moon, but then you have to deal with the reality of red tape, opposition, etc. My feeling is you might as well reach for the stars--you may not actually touch one, but you won't come up with a handful of mud either. :)
# posted by 
: 12:57 PM
: 12:57 PM
Hello, Mr. Redneck. I hope this finds you happy, healthy, wealthy and wise.
OK, so I hope it finds you happy and healthy. :-)
I noticed the last two informative messages. I was hoping your Redneckness would have a comment or two on this emotional subject. I guess I have a thought on what you'd say, so you can just pass it along to me at your will whenever you wish.
OK, so I hope it finds you happy and healthy. :-)
I noticed the last two informative messages. I was hoping your Redneckness would have a comment or two on this emotional subject. I guess I have a thought on what you'd say, so you can just pass it along to me at your will whenever you wish.
Well, I am neither blinded by the self-righteousness of the Repubs, nor swayed by the sky-is-falling cries of my fellow Dems. This will be a tough election. The only reason I can think of to keep the current president is to avoid changing horses in midstream. His party is as morally bankrupt as the other one, for all their protestations otherwise. As for the dignity of the nation, no party will affect that either way. Ditto for morality. Jesus saves people, not nations. Get enough people on the right track and the nation as a whole will be headed in the right direction.
As a REGISTERED Republican in a family of ultra-conservatives, here are my two cents (and, no, I'm no Kelly Ogle): I believe the conservatives too often forget moral and caring people might have a liberal point of view.
One ultra-conservative type called a few years back spouting off about a particular candidate for a state representative. When I mentioned that I was planning to vote for the democrat in that race, the kind gentlemen said, "Oh, so you're a baby killer, too."
Since then, I not only pay less attention to party lines, I pay more attention to the candidates who I think might make the best decisions.
I wish more people would do that, especially in my own family.
One ultra-conservative type called a few years back spouting off about a particular candidate for a state representative. When I mentioned that I was planning to vote for the democrat in that race, the kind gentlemen said, "Oh, so you're a baby killer, too."
Since then, I not only pay less attention to party lines, I pay more attention to the candidates who I think might make the best decisions.
I wish more people would do that, especially in my own family.
As a registered Democrat :) I think I need to point out that a political party is not same as a religion. In other words, Christians are on both sides of this debate. At the moment, I am undecided about whom to vote for, but when I choose, it will be as an informed voter and not one that simply makes a decision along party lines. I have respect for both men. Both are intelligent and accomplished. Both speak well. Both are passionate. Both are trying to represent the American people. To simply say being a Christian demands you vote for one or the other is an insult to all the sincere Christians on the other side and an invitation to further divide a people that should be trying to unite against the problems this world faces.
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