20th Century Famous Speeches Recorded

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: None
Features: Mr. Speaker of the House, Mr. Speaker of the Senate, esteemed Members of Congress, tonight I stand here 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 faith and hue, to join me in this cause. Sometimes, history and destiny converge at a single moment and place, becoming a turning point in humanity’s relentless pursuit of freedom. The events at Lexington and Concord were such a turning point, as were those 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 for their rights as American citizens, only to face brutal attacks. Many protesters were violently beaten, and a kind-hearted individual, a child of God, was tragically murdered. There is nothing to be proud of in what happened in Selma. There is no reason to be complacent about the long denial of equal rights to millions of Americans. But what transpired tonight gives us cause for hope and faith in democracy. For the cries of the oppressed and the hymns of the faithful have awakened and united the full dignity and prestige of a great government—the government of one of the greatest nations on Earth. Our task is the oldest, most fundamental task of our nation: to set things right, to do justice, and to serve the people. Our generation has faced a series of profound crises. Throughout our lives, we have debated major issues—war and peace, prosperity and recession. Yet few issues have 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 beloved nation we cherish. Granting equal rights to Black 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 address this, we will remain failures as a people and as a nation. For a nation, like a person, is not measured by what it owns but by what it stands for. As the saying goes, “A man may possess the whole world, but what good is it if he loses his soul?” This is not a Black issue. It is not a Southern issue or a Northern issue. It is an American issue. Tonight, we gather not as Democrats or Republicans, but as Americans, united 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 American, North and South: “All men are created equal,” “government by the people,” and “give me liberty, or give me death.” These are not mere phrases, nor are they empty theories.