Electrifying Anti-Bush Speech by Etan Thomas

[Helga Scow Stern]

Don't know if this has been posted or not. Just found it on AlterNet.


Etan Thomas's Field Trip For Conservatives

By Etan Thomas, AlterNet. Posted September 28, 2005.

In his electrifying speech at Saturday's antiwar march, the basketball star said he'd like to take the country's right-wing Republicans on a trip to the 'hood.

Editor's Note: The following is a transcript of NBA star Etan Thomas's speech at DC's anti-war march on Washington, Sept. 24, 2005. Thomas is a power forward for the Washington Wizards, and is the author of a book of poems entitled More Than An Athlete.



Giving all honor, thanks and praises to God for courage and wisdom, this is a very important rally. I'd like to thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts, feelings and concerns regarding a tremendous problem that we are currently facing. This problem is universal, transcending race, economic background, religion and culture, and this problem is none other than the current administration which has set up shop in the White House.

In fact, I'd like to take some of these cats on a field trip. I want to get big yellow buses with no air conditioner and no seatbelts and round up Bill O'Reilly, Pat Buchanan, Trent Lott, Sean Hannity, Dick Cheney, Jeb Bush, Bush Jr. and Bush Sr., John Ashcroft, Giuliani, Ed Gillespie, Katherine Harris, that little bow-tied Tucker Carlson and any other right-wing conservative Republicans I can think of, and take them all on a trip to the hood.

Not to do no 30-minute documentary. I mean, I want to drop them off and leave them there, let them become one with the other side of the tracks, get them four mouths to feed and no welfare, have scare tactics run through them like a laxative, criticizing them for needing assistance.

I'd show them working families that make too much to receive welfare but not enough to make ends meet. I'd employ them with jobs with little security, let them know how it feels to be an employee at will, able to be fired at the drop of a hat. I'd take away their opportunities, then try their children as adults, sending their 13-year-old babies to life in prison. I'd sell them dreams of hopelessness while spoon-feeding their young with a daily dose of inferior education. I'd tell them no child shall be left behind, then take more money out of their schools, tell them to show and prove themselves on standardized exams testing their knowledge on things that they haven't been taught, and then I'd call them inferior.

More.....

http://www.alternet.org/waroniraq/26076/

[Sydnie]

1. Kick n/t

[Debau2005]

2. Kick

[htuttle]

3. I saw him deliver this on CSPAN

I had no idea who he was at first. Honestly, I thought he was just a relatively decent poet. I was very surprised to find out he played with the NBA. Very cool.

[Terran1212]

4. Saw it on DEMOCRACY NOW

Was incredibly powerful.

ANSWER done right, really.

[Helga Scow Stern]

5. Thanks, I'll look for it.

[NewJeffCT]

6. wow, I saw the name & remember the name from Syracuse

I didn't realize they were one & the same until seeing that on here.