BestSpeechEver;John Kerry spoke at American University on Thursday,May11

[DianaForRussFeingold]

:patriot: John Kerry spoke at American University on Thursday, May 11 about patriotism and dissent at a time of war and the assault on free speech in America today. This is the best speech I have ever watched! :cry:How I Wish John Kerry was President!:cry:

Please Watch the speech video; http://www.johnkerry.com/video/flash/051106_speech.html
:patriot: :hug: "I know that some active duty service members, some veterans, and certainly some politicians scorned those of us who spoke out, suggesting our actions failed to "support the troops"--which to them meant continuing to support the war, or at least keeping our mouths shut. Indeed, some of those critics said the same thing just two years ago during the presidential campaign.

I have come here today to reaffirm that it was right to dissent in 1971 from a war that was wrong. And to affirm that it is both a right and an obligation for Americans today to disagree with a President who is wrong today, policies that are wrong today, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation.

I believed then, just as I believe now, that the best way to support the troops is to oppose a course that squanders their lives, dishonors their sacrifice, and disserves our people and our principles.

I believed then, just as I believe now, that it is profoundly wrong to think that fighting for your country overseas and fighting for your country's ideals at home are contradictory or even separate duties. They are, in fact, two sides of the very same patriotic coin. And that's certainly what I felt when I came home from Vietnam convinced that our political leaders were waging war simply to avoid responsibility for the mistakes that doomed our mission in the first place." http://www.johnkerry.com

:patriot:

[karynnj]

1. Thanks for posting this

I saw the Faneuil Hall speech that had the dissent theme and thought it was the best speech I ever saw. This one is even better and he is better. I am so glad I watched this.

[ProSense]

5. I agree! n/t

[SammyWinstonJack]

2. Thanks and Oh how I wish Kerry was President! Well he won, but

the little pissant stole it yet again. :argh:

[NNadir]

3. Does it compare to the Gettysburg address?

I will use bold to demonstrate why I humbly offer the position that the Gettysburg address was superior to John Kerry's speech.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Compare Kerry's speech:

Thirty-five years ago this spring, I testified before the Foreign Relations Committee of the United States Senate, and called for an end to the war I had returned from fighting not long before...

...I know that some active duty service members, some veterans, and certainly some politicians scorned those of us who spoke out, suggesting our actions failed to "support the troops"--which to them meant continuing to support the war, or at least keeping our mouths shut. Indeed, some of those critics said the same thing just two years ago during the presidential campaign.

I have come here today to reaffirm that it was right to dissent in 1971 from a war that was wrong. And to affirm that it is both a right and an obligation for Americans today to disagree with a President who is wrong today, policies that are wrong today, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation.

I believed then, just as I believe now, that the best way to support the troops is to oppose a course that squanders their lives, dishonors their sacrifice, and disserves our people and our principles.

I believed then, just as I believe now,

Of course, in comparing the two speeches, I note one gentleman was speaking in favor of continuing a war that he did not wish to start and the other is speaking against (now) a war he first favored and now wishes to be seen as opposing. I think Lincoln's speech is a greater speech, because it draws the American people in. Lincoln does not refer to his own (documented) resistance to the Mexican war in 1846. Indeed, in not one place does Lincoln try to focus the issue on himself or what he himself has or has not done, past or present.

I disagree with your analysis that John Kerry's speech is the "greatest ever."

During the 2004, when the time came, I said not a single word against John Kerry, but now that he is no longer the only person standing between the disaster of Bushism and the American future, I am not so thrilled with Mr. Kerry.

If there was a time for Mr. Kerry to dwell on dwell on what he did in 1971, it may have been 2003. The failure to do so in 2003 has proved most unfortunate.

[ProSense]

4. Faulty analysis!

Kerry never favored the war.

[NNadir]

7. So he was always against the war?

I always thought that voting for the war resolution was supporting the war.

I could be wrong.

According to this report, John Kerry could not talk people like Barbara Boxer into voting for a resolution "trusting Bush" on the war: http://pcl.stanford.edu/press/2004/lat-conflicted.html

Maybe you can clarify for me, since I'm being a little simple minded here. How is it that John Kerry could not convince Barbara Boxer to vote against a resolution giving Senate Blessing to one George W. Bush for his Iraq policies? Is there any difference in these two Senators opinions. Was John Kerry's position the same as Senator Boxer's?

What of the contention here that John Kerry did not even read the full CIA report prepared by George Tenet, but still urged a "compromise" that gave a person like George W. Bush "powers."

In any case, your claim of "faulty analysis," is itself faulty. The question raised is this speech by Mr. Kerry "the best speech ever?"

It doesn't really matter if you dance on the head of a pin about whether Kerry was for the war or for simply trusting George W. Bush. The fact is that his position was no where near Barbara Boxer's.

My wife and I were vilified in our home town by some people - including the President of our PTA - for marching against the war. We certainly weren't popular. So I recall very well that opposing the war was not the easy thing to do. I certainly don't feel that Mr. Kerry did the hard thing, but I would concede that there were many people who did see immediately the need to do the difficult thing.

Returning to the matter of Mr. Lincoln: You may or may not know this, but Mr. Lincoln served as a one term congressman. One of the reasons he was not re-elected to the House of Representatives was that in 1846 - much against popular will - he called the President of the United States, James Polk, a liar for starting a war, the Mexican War. It was that kind of courage that made Lincoln a great man.

[ProSense]

8. Yes, he was against the war. Read his speech before the vote. n/t

[DianaForRussFeingold]

9. Please check the facts and please don't believe the lies!

Reply to #3; Facts
Kerry always pushed global cooperation, war as last resort"Let there be no doubt or confusion about where we stand on this. I will support a multilateral effort to disarm (Hussein) by force, if we ever exhaust ... other options,'' Kerry said More Than'23 months ago on the Senate floor before voting to authorize the force, imploring Bush to take the matter to the United Nations.

"If we do wind up going to war with Iraq, it is imperative that we do so with others in the international community," Kerry said, insisting that Bush work with the United Nations. "If he fails to do so, I will be among the first to speak out,'' Kerry said.

Republicans have hit the flip-flop charge hard. The Republican National Committee produced an 11-minute video, widely distributed on the Internet, which features dozens of seemingly inconsistent Kerry statements and the soundtrack to the 1960s television show "Flipper.'' Bush supporters distributed Kerry flip-flop sandals to delegates at the GOP convention last month, the Bush campaign produced a Kerry flip-flop game for its Web site, and the president brings it up almost every day on the campaign trail. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/09/23/MNGQK8TI8O1.DTL :kick:

[ginnyinWI]

16. they always accuse the other side of what they're more guilty of--

Bush himself has been incredibly weak as an executive. The minute he gets any political pressure, he backs down. Like when the formation of the Homeland Security dept. came up. He was against it, but backed down and gave in when cornered politically. I know there are other examples. Because he doesn't have firm enough principles--he mainly does things for political gain or in order to create the right image. As for real ideas that work-he's bankrupt.

[Rageneau]

6. How I wish Kerry wanted to be President enough.

So today he makes great speeches about misuse of the military and today he starts taking on the SwiftBoat liars. Had he done either of these when it was time to, he'd BE president.

Like Gore, he just didn't seem to want it enough when it was his to have.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

10. When will they ever learn?

For What it's worth! There's something happening here
What it is ain't exactly clear
There's a man with a gun over there
Telling me I got to beware

I think it's time we stop, children, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

There's battle lines being drawn
Nobody's right if everybody's wrong
Young people speaking their minds
Getting so much resistance from behind

I think it's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

What a field-day for the heat
A thousand people in the street
Singing songs and carrying signs
Mostly say, hooray for our side

It's time we stop, hey, what's that sound
Everybody look what's going down

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're always afraid
You step out of line, the man come and take you away;


;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdeWu4kSq68&search=buffalo%20springfield When will We Ever Learn; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYv0O43PrPk&search=where%20have%20all%20the%20flowers%20gone%20kingston%20trio :kick:

[Harper_is_Bush]

17. Quite with the sour grapes already

It has been explained why they didn't take on the swiftboaters more during the campaign.

Harping on and on and on that Kerry didn't spend 30 million like the SBVTliars did and go toe to toe to them (thus giving them more legitimacy perhaps?) during the election is pointless.

He wanted to be President and perhaps still does....claiming that he didn't "want it enough" because followed advice and chose the reaction to the SBV that he did is nonsense.

[_dynamicdems]

20. Thank you. Sour grapes and whining are certainly not very attractive

behaviors. And they are not productive either. If Freepers are reading these threads they must be happy indeed...unless they are doing more than reading these threads. If that's the case, they are laughing their asses off at us. Just sayin'

[Clarkie1]

11. A calculating and coached politician.

Not my words, the words of Rieckhoff, founder of IAVA, who actually met Kerry...twice. I'm currently reading his best-selling book, "Chasing Ghosts."

"I came back...very disillusioned and angry. John Kerry was not the passionate activist he had been 30 years ago. He seemed like a good man, but over the decades in Washington he had morphed into a calculating and coached politician."

Sadly, Rieckhoff confirmed gut feelings I've had about Kerry from the beginning. I guess Kerry calculated the time was right for this speech.

[Clarkie1]

12. Sorry to be such a party-pooper. kick. n/t

[DianaForRussFeingold]

15. Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America), the country's first and largest

:hi:I did some research,too soon to comment or to know if he is calculating and coached. :patriot:He now serves in the New York Army National Guard.. "Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America), the country's first and largest Iraq Veterans group. As for the situation in Iraq, it is indeed heartening to see some progress in that nation's struggle towards what we all hope will be a free, peaceful, prosperous future. No one hopes for that more than the men and women who volunteered to go halfway around the world, putting their lives on the line for those very ideals.

Given that, it was odd, but not surprising, that the President neglected to mention the 130,000 American Troops still on the ground in Iraq, or the more than one-million new Veterans who are now this war's continuing legacy. This is becoming something of a trend. In his State of the Union address back in January, the President used the word "Veterans" exactly zero times. For a President so fond of tough talk, he is awfully reluctant to talk about the men and women sent to back up his rhetoric.

The majority of Americans are living lives uninterrupted by the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I, for one, would prefer some measure of shared sacrifice, but that won't be coming anytime soon. As members of the military, we can suck it up. We make do with what we are given. I write about how my platoon adapted and dealt with flawed policies in Iraq extensively in my new book Chasing Ghosts. We in the military know that if we do our jobs well, this nation can sleep soundly. But that does not mean we expect such callous disregard from our Commander in Chief. Granted, this is the man who bragged about his fishing exploits during a time of war, but a guy can still hope. Memorial Day is a week away. Here's hoping the President offers something more meaningful than just another fish story." http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/AQECTJS235IZ2/102-8329410-8660953 :kick:

[_dynamicdems]

21. Yeah real sorry. :sarcasm:

You manage to find every postitve Kerry thread and infuse a little bit of poison.

There is an old saying that you would be wise to heed: If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem.

I'm tired of hearing tough talk from Dems who do nothing but whine. Whine, whine, piss and moan. How could you possibly think this is productive? What on earth could be the motivation in that, especially in an election year when we are better served picking apart the oppostion than we are our own?

[DianaForRussFeingold]

13. John Kerry bill to help Veterans affected by stolen data

Maybe take another look;http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom John Kerry bill to help Veterans affected by stolen data


Senator John Kerry has introduced the Veterans Identity Protection Act of 2006, legislation that will provide free credit monitoring for all United States military veterans who have been affected by the recent theft of personal data.

The personal information of approximately 26.5 million veterans was recently stolen from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs staffer who had taken the records out of the office inappropriately.

Kerry’s bill will offer free credit monitoring for one year for every American affected by the theft. Kerry’s bill will also provide a second free credit report to each veteran for the second and third years of the act.

“We need to protect these veterans and their spouses immediately, and offering this free credit monitoring will help make sure they don’t become the victims of identify theft. It’s the very least we can do,” said Kerry.

[Clarkie1]

14. That's nice.

I thought for a moment you were going to tell me he wasn't a calculating and coached politician.

:-)

[_dynamicdems]

24. He does calculate...uses his brain like the prosecutor he still is.

Coached...well maybe during the election they did rein him in more than most of us would have liked. Advisors tend to do that. They restrained some of his best instincts. Kerry is always better when he's unleashed. Not that he's a loose cannon. He is smart and very astute politically, but he's got a killer instinct that I'd bet on over the advice of any political strategist. He also has a temper. He doesn't show it, but it is there. He never gives in and he never gives up. And he never forgets.

They can call him whatever they like, but John Kerry is more complicated than the horses asses who try to define him in simplistic terms. Blanket statements like "calculating and coached" merely illustrate just how ignorant they themselves are.

Senator Kerry's been around a long time and he's withstood attacks, slurs and this kind of BS every single day since he began his political career.

While they talk on, John Kerry continues to do what he believes is right.

[karynnj]

26. Maybe if Clark had more coaching, he would have been a

more successful candidate. You seem to ignore that with the exception of Olklahome, one of the reddest states in the union, Kerry beat Clark SOUNDLY in every state where they both competed. In Olklhoma, Clark beat Kerry by 3 points.

What makes this guy an expert on this anyway.

[karynnj]

25. Having read more than you post, Rieckhoff was

upset that Kerry did not follow his (and other Iraq vets) advice on his VP selection. They wanted McCain - which Kerry pointed out was out of the question or Clark. They disliked the Edwards chice.

They also wanted a more prominent role in the campaign - you neglect to point out that Kerry gave him one of the Democratic Radio messages. These are usually given to prominent politicians. This was in a way equivilent to the opportunity a young Kerry was given by Senator Fullbright. Kerry was properly grateful.

[Terran1212]

18. How I wish Dennis Kucinich was President!

A real antiwar pro-worker progressive.

Just saying.

[_dynamicdems]

23. I wish I'd win the lottery. Wishing don't make it so. Just sayin' n/t

[DianaForRussFeingold]

27. Me too! Hmmm...We can Create a Better world!

:hi: I really like Dennis J. Kucinich too. I would love to hear Dubya pronounce his name,President Kucinich:evilgrin: :kick:

[Jeffersons Ghost]

19. Like EVERYONE, Kerry is only human and allowed to make mistaskes

Here's a little story I wrote for those who have trouble forgiving Kerry for not doing enough to win.

Once upon a time in the land of Chicken-Hawk Haven an eagle was born. Not long after he learned to fly, a war with some well-trained falcons broke out on the other side of the planet.

Falcons are seasoned fighting birds born into a war that constantly rages in their land but this is not a falcon story. Instead, this is a tale of the species Chicken-Hawkia, which only slightly resembles the birds of a feather cliché. Gold feathers adorn not just the wings but also the nests of one class of hawk, while the others have mostly tan or brown feathers. Of course the golden feathered Chicken-Hawks willingly welcome fine feathered eagle families into their nesting tree because hanging with eagles is sophisticated and stylish for the smaller raptors.

The bird wars seem unfair in retrospect because gold-feathered hawks started the trouble and then ordered the brown hawks to try and win the battles, often with dire consequences. In fact, high-class hawks, like eagles, did not have to fight at all and believe me MANY upscale Chicken-Hawks made that very choice.

Strangely, however, the Eagle DID decide protecting other birds was important enough to risk his life and proved to be a valiant, victorious fighter, until one day when his heart cried out war is wrong.

Slightly forlorn, the Eagle flew home only to be greeted by chicken-like cackles and crowish caws that he had not yet done enough to serve Birdom. Undaunted, the Eagle actually agreed and promptly picked up a sign to protest war and save hawk lives. Still, those haunting cackles raised his hackles by screeching not enough Eagle! NOT ENOUGH YET!

So the Eagle decided to serve Birdom again and lead his local flock in a way that was more fair than they actually deserved. He served many years in Birdington DC before once again nay saying cackles raised his hackles. NOT ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH, they chirped.

You see, some 24K nut-case cackler had somehow snatched control of Birdom and he was quite tyrannical, considering 24K was one of the most cowardly Chicken-Hawks ever. Reluctantly, the Eagle stepped forward to run against the better financed bird in Hawk-idential elections. The Eagle would have gotten that top job handed to him years ago, like Chimp-Hawk, had he simply taken all those golden feathers powerful Chicken-Hawks offered him. Ole' 24K even owned most of the bird-media, including the New York, Fly-by-nightTimes.

With not only media against him but also a lot of public opinion, Eagle ended up using many personal feathers in the race. Considering 24K was an incumbent Chicken-Hawk dealing from his own stacked deck, so to speak, the Eagle flew pretty well. Still, the cheeping of Hawks split the night air with, "NOT ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH EAGLE."

After an all night feather count in a very close race, tensions at the Eagles Nest ran high. Then, the outcome was revealed. From his frustration, Eagle screamed for a recount of the almost won contest. Eagle was not used to losing because he was a winner. His call was heard throughout Birdom but down at Bird-beach where 24K's bird-brained brother ruled, the count was already cast in stone. Still, Eagle watched patiently from his perch until all manner of breaches in birdism broke out. Then, Eagle flew home because he was very tired and sick that the very Birdom many of his comrades-at-wing had died to protect was now reduced to a vulture's buffet.

As Eagle flew away to a much deserved rest, he could still hear the cackles say, "NOT ENOUGH, NOT ENOUGH EAGLE" but will it ever be enough for every bird in the forest? While the Chimp-bird shows you can fool all of the birds some of the time and some birds all of the time, all Eagle proves is that some birds will screech, NOT ENOUGH anytime, no matter how much you give.

[_dynamicdems]

22. You know, Kerry's not the only Eagle we have.

We could certainly use many more loyal Democrats such as yourself. Thank you for being positive and uplifting.

:yourock:

We need unity and we need to know who are friends are. John Kerry fights for us.

Cackles are useless birds who never acheive much of anything on their own merit but they are quick to caw and pick at those who do. Nothing is ever good enough to please the cackles. Too bad they don't hold their own behavior up to such high standards.

You have spirit, JG! If I were a candidate for office, I'd rather have one of you than 100 of these fair weather friends. Your posts are refreshing.