|
Guest
|
OT: From A TOYOTA owner: The Audacity of Hope: Obama's Keynote Speech (text and mp3 link)
(Oops... the Dems picked the wrong candidate in 2004)
The MP3 of this speech is more compelling:
<http://www.americanrhetoric.com/mp3clips/politicalspeeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.mp3>
Barack Obama: 2004 Democratic National Convention Address
(Verbatim, text from
[url]http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm[/url])
"The Audacity of Hope"
Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you
so much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Dick Durbin. You make us all
proud.
On behalf of the great state of Illinois, crossroads of a nation, Land
of Lincoln, let me express my deepest gratitude for the privilege of
addressing this convention.
Tonight is a particular honor for me because, let's face it, my
presence on this stage is pretty unlikely. My father was a foreign
student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up
herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father -- my
grandfather -- was a cook, a domestic servant to the British.
But my grandfather had larger dreams for his son. Through hard work and
perseverance my father got a scholarship to study in a magical place,
America, that shone as a beacon of freedom and opportunity to so many
who had come before.
While studying here, my father met my mother. She was born in a town on
the other side of the world, in Kansas. Her father worked on oil rigs
and farms through most of the Depression. The day after Pearl Harbor my
grandfather signed up for duty; joined Patton's army, marched across
Europe. Back home, my grandmother raised a baby and went to work on a
bomber assembly line. After the war, they studied on the G.I. Bill,
bought a house through F.H.A., and later moved west all the way to
Hawaii in search of opportunity.
And they, too, had big dreams for their daughter. A common dream, born
of two continents.
My parents shared not only an improbable love, they shared an abiding
faith in the possibilities of this nation. They would give me an
African name, Barack, or "blessed," believing that in a tolerant
America your name is no barrier to success. They imagined -- They
imagined me going to the best schools in the land, even though they
weren't rich, because in a generous America you don't have to be
rich to achieve your potential.
They're both passed away now. And yet, I know that on this night they
look down on me with great pride.
They stand here -- And I stand here today, grateful for the diversity
of my heritage, aware that my parents' dreams live on in my two
precious daughters. I stand here knowing that my story is part of the
larger American story, that I owe a debt to all of those who came
before me, and that, in no other country on earth, is my story even
possible.
Tonight, we gather to affirm the greatness of our Nation - not
because of the height of our skyscrapers, or the power of our military,
or the size of our economy. Our pride is based on a very simple
premise, summed up in a declaration made over two hundred years ago:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal. That they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable
rights. That among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness."
That is the true genius of America, a faith -- a faith in simple
dreams, an insistence on small miracles; that we can tuck in our
children at night and know that they are fed and clothed and safe from
harm; that we can say what we think, write what we think, without
hearing a sudden knock on the door; that we can have an idea and start
our own business without paying a bribe; that we can participate in the
political process without fear of retribution, and that our votes will
be counted -- at least most of the time.
This year, in this election we are called to reaffirm our values and
our commitments, to hold them against a hard reality and see how we're
measuring up to the legacy of our forbearers and the promise of future
generations.
And fellow Americans, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, I say to
you tonight: We have more work to do -- more work to do for the
workers I met in Galesburg, Illinois, who are losing their union jobs
at the Maytag plant that's moving to Mexico, and now are having to
compete with their own children for jobs that pay seven bucks an hour;
more to do for the father that I met who was losing his job and choking
back the tears, wondering how he would pay 4500 dollars a month for the
drugs his son needs without the health benefits that he counted on;
more to do for the young woman in East St. Louis, and thousands more
like her, who has the grades, has the drive, has the will, but
doesn't have the money to go to college.
Now, don't get me wrong. The people I meet -- in small towns and big
cities, in diners and office parks -- they don't expect government to
solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get
ahead, and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago,
and people will tell you they don't want their tax money wasted, by a
welfare agency or by the Pentagon. Go in -- Go into any inner city
neighborhood, and folks will tell you that government alone can't
teach our kids to learn; they know that parents have to teach, that
children can't achieve unless we raise their expectations and turn
off the television sets and eradicate the slander that says a black
youth with a book is acting white. They know those things.
People don't expect -- People don't expect government to solve all
their problems. But they sense, deep in their bones, that with just a
slight change in priorities, we can make sure that every child in
America has a decent shot at life, and that the doors of opportunity
remain open to all.
They know we can do better. And they want that choice.
In this election, we offer that choice. Our Party has chosen a man to
lead us who embodies the best this country has to offer. And that man
is John Kerry.
John Kerry understands the ideals of community, faith, and service
because they've defined his life. From his heroic service to Vietnam,
to his years as a prosecutor and lieutenant governor, through two
decades in the United States Senate, he's devoted himself to this
country. Again and again, we've seen him make tough choices when
easier ones were available.
His values and his record and affirm what is best in us. John Kerry
believes in an America where hard work is rewarded; so instead of
offering tax breaks to companies shipping jobs overseas, he offers them
to companies creating jobs here at home.
John Kerry believes in an America where all Americans can afford the
same health coverage our politicians in Washington have for themselves.
John Kerry believes in energy independence, so we aren't held hostage
to the profits of oil companies, or the sabotage of foreign oil fields.
John Kerry believes in the Constitutional freedoms that have made our
country the envy of the world, and he will never sacrifice our basic
liberties, nor use faith as a wedge to divide us.
And John Kerry believes that in a dangerous world war must be an option
sometimes, but it should never be the first option.
You know, a while back -- awhile back I met a young man named Shamus in
a V.F.W. Hall in East Moline, Illinois. He was a good-looking kid --
six two, six three, clear eyed, with an easy smile. He told me he'd
joined the Marines and was heading to Iraq the following week. And as I
listened to him explain why he'd enlisted, the absolute faith he had
in our country and its leaders, his devotion to duty and service, I
thought this young man was all that any of us might ever hope for in a
child.
But then I asked myself, "Are we serving Shamus as well as he is
serving us?"
I thought of the 900 men and women -- sons and daughters, husbands and
wives, friends and neighbors, who won't be returning to their own
hometowns. I thought of the families I've met who were struggling to
get by without a loved one's full income, or whose loved ones had
returned with a limb missing or nerves shattered, but still lacked
long-term health benefits because they were Reservists.
When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a
solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why
they're going, to care for their families while they're gone, to
tend to the soldiers upon their return, and to never ever go to war
without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the
respect of the world.
Now -- Now let me be clear. 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 that 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're all connected as one people. If there is 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 is a senior citizen somewhere who can't pay
for their prescription drugs, and having to choose between medicine and
the rent, that makes my life poorer, even if it's not my grandparent.
If there's an Arab American family being rounded up without benefit
of an attorney or due process, that threatens my civil liberties.
It is that fundamental belief -- It is that fundamental belief: I am my
brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper that makes this country
work. It's what allows us to pursue our individual dreams and yet
still come together as one American family.
E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us --
the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of
"anything goes." Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal
America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of
America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino
America and Asian America -- there's the United States of America.
The pundits, 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 in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in
the Blue States and yes, we've got some gay friends in the Red
States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are
patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us
pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the
United States of America.
In the end -- In the end -- In the end, that's what this election is
about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate
in a politics of hope?
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope.
I'm not talking about blind optimism here -- the almost willful
ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don't
think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just
ignore it. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about
something more substantial. It's the hope of slaves sitting around a
fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for
distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling
the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker's son who dares to defy
the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that
America has a place for him, too.
Hope -- Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of
uncertainty. The audacity of hope!
In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this
nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better
days ahead.
I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working
families with a road to opportunity.
I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless,
and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and
despair.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we
stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and
meet the challenges that face us.
America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel
the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion that I do, if
you feel the same hopefulness that I do -- if we do what we must do,
then I have no doubt that all across the country, from Florida to
Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November,
and John Kerry will be sworn in as President, and John Edwards will be
sworn in as Vice President, and this country will reclaim its promise,
and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.
Thank you very much everybody. God bless you. Thank you.
|
Linear Mode
