The first was a speech by John Edwards delivered at something called "The 100 Club Dinner" in... you guessed it... New Hampshire. Reading it reminded me of a hunch I had last fall - that Sen. Edwards would have made a much better candidate than Sen. Kerry. Here's an excerpt from the speech:
| It may seem like an impossible goal to end poverty, but that's what the skeptics said about all of our other great challenges. If we can put a man on the moon, conquer polio, and put libraries of information on a chip, then we can end poverty for those who want to work for a better life.
My family and my faith didn't teach me to turn my back on a friend or neighbor in need. They taught me to open the door, let them in and help them get back on their feet. And millions are calling for help right now. We hear them. We're going to do something about this. Together, we're going to lift people out of poverty and into the middle class so that America's bright light of opportunity is always lit. That's what freedom means to you and me. It means having a fundamental right to try and succeed. This belief doesn't come from a book; it comes from our hearts. And it inspires us knowing that each person who walks among us has the same worth as ourselves. Our freedom inspires us; it also inspires the world. You and I know that freedom means more than standing up and giving a speech. It's not just what you say; it's what you do. More than 60 years ago, President Roosevelt defined freedom for America and the world. "And we stand by those words and all their meaning: freedom of speech, freedom to worship, freedom from fear, and freedom from want." But right now, you tell me. Is that six year old child going to bed hungry in the Sudan—is that child free? How about the woman in Saudi Arabia who wants to vote this month but can't simply because she is a woman? Is she free? How about the Christian in China who wants to worship but can't? Is he free? And what about the Russian in jail whose only crime was telling the truth? Is he free? Free nations must always fight tyranny, together. Not just with our muscle but with our moral clarity. And that means never again turning a blind eye to those who suffer, who want to educate their child, or who want to speak their minds. This is what you and I believe. And together, we will ensure that the image of America—the image all of us love—America this great shining light, this beacon of freedom, democracy, and human rights that the world looks up to—that that beacon is always lit. |
That is the message the Democratic Party used to deliver. Faith and freedom, together in a world where we are all stronger because we help one another. Those are the ideas upon which this nation was built. Those are the ideas which will return the Democratic Party to power.
The speech is fairly short, no more than a 4-5 minute time commitment. Go ahead. Read away. I'll wait.
Done? OK...
A few days earlier, I came across the text of the keynote address given by Kofi Annan at the International Summit on Democracy, Terrorism and Security. (Thanks G for giving me the heads up on something I missed while hiking Utah!).
| The Panel asked me to promote a principled, comprehensive strategy. I intend to do that. This seems to me a fitting occasion to set out the main elements of that strategy, and the role of the United Nations in it.
There are five elements, and I shall call them the “five D’s”. They are: * first, to dissuade disaffected groups from choosing terrorism as a tactic to achieve their goals; ..snip.. Last, but far from least, the fifth D — we must defend human rights. * I regret to say that international human rights experts, including those of the UN system, are unanimous in finding that many measures which States are currently adopting to counter terrorism infringe on human rights and fundamental freedoms. |
Once upon a time, the leaders of this nation understood that in the struggle against our enemies might alone was not enough. We needed the world to understand we were right as well. No, of course, our record is not perfect. But when it has mattered most this nation has almost always done what was right. In WWII, our soldiers took great pride in the fact that we treated POW's with dignity and respect, not just because it better protected our own captured soldiers, but because it was right and moral thing to do. During the Cold War, although our record was far from perfect, we fought the forces of Communism with both military and moral strength, standing opposed to an ideology that saw no respect for human rights and human dignity.
Today out battle is once again the same. And yet we act as if it is only our ends, and not our means, that matter. In the name of freedom, this nation has tortured and killed. How? Why? And most importantly, Where is the outrage?
I had hoped that the election of 2004 would be the moment we turned the corner, the moment this nation returned to sanity. Sadly, it was not. But there is still time, and there is still hope. As MLK said, "The long arc of history bends towards justice." We may not always see or feel it, but it does. So long, that is, as we continue to fight. As Bill Moyers once said...
"It's just a fact: Democracy doesn't work without citizen activism and participation, starting at the community. Trickle down politics doesn't work much better than trickle down economics. It's also a fact that civilization happens because we don't leave things to other people. What's right and good doesn't come naturally. You have to stand up and fight for it – as if the cause depends on you, because it does. Allow yourself that conceit - to believe that the flame of democracy will never go out as long as there's one candle in your hand."
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