Famous Speeches of the 20th Century.

Author: Pei Ni
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Mr. Speaker of the House, Mr. Speaker of the Senate, distinguished members of Congress, I stand here tonight to appeal for human dignity and the fate of democracy. I urge every member of both parties and all Americans from every corner of this nation, of every religion and hue, to join me in this action. Sometimes, history and destiny converge at a particular moment and place, becoming a turning point in the ongoing human quest for freedom. The events that occurred in Lexington and Concord were such a turning point, as were the events a century ago at Appomattox. The events that unfolded last week in Selma, Alabama, are also such a turning point. In that city, long-suffering men and women protested peacefully the denial of their rights as American citizens. Many protesters were brutally attacked. A kind person, a child of God, was tragically killed. There is nothing to be proud of in what happened in Selma. There is no reason to be smug about the long denial of equal rights to millions of Americans. But what has happened tonight gives us reason to have hope and faith in democracy. For the cries of the oppressed and the hymns they sing have awakened and gathered the full dignity and prestige of a great government—the government of the greatest nation on Earth. Our task is the oldest and most fundamental task of our country: to set things right, to do justice, to serve the people. Our generation has experienced a series of major crises. Throughout our lives, we have debated many times the great issues of war and peace, prosperity and depression. But almost nothing has touched the very essence of America. The challenges we have faced have mostly concerned economic growth, material wealth, or our social welfare and security, rarely the values, ideals, and soul of the country we love. Granting equal rights to African Americans is such an issue. Even if we defeat every enemy, even if we double our wealth and conquer other planets, but if we fail to solve this problem, we as a people and a nation will still be failures. For a nation, like a person, as the saying goes, "A man may possess the whole world, but if he loses his soul, what does he gain?" This is not a black issue. It is not a Southern issue or a Northern issue. It is an American issue. Tonight, we are not here as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans; we are gathered as Americans to solve this problem. America is the first nation in world history to be founded on a clear purpose. The great words that describe this purpose still resonate in the hearts of every person in the North and the South: "All men are created equal," "government of the people," "by the people," "for the people," "Give me liberty, or give me death." These are not mere phrases, nor are they empty theories.