Text - Kerry’ Speech Today: A Right and Responsibility to Speak Out

[kerrygoddess]

John Kerry’ Speech at Boston’s Faneuil Hall : A Right and Responsibility to Speak Out
April 22nd, 2006 @ 7:31 am, pst

In a very short time, today, on 35th anniversary of John Kerry’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee testimony, John Kerry wll deliver a speech in Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall about patriotism and dissent at a time of war and the assault on free speech in America today.

Below are Kerry’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Senator John Kerry
“Dissent”
Faneuil Hall
April 22, 2006

Thirty-five years ago today, 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.

It was 1971 – twelve years after the first American died in what was then South Vietnam, seven years after Lyndon Johnson seized on a small and contrived incident in the Tonkin Gulf to launch a full-scale war—and three years after Richard Nixon was elected president on the promise of a secret plan for peace. We didn’t know it at the time, but four more years of the War in Vietnam still lay ahead. These were years in which the Nixon administration lied and broke the law—and claimed it was prolonging war to protect our troops as they withdrew—years that ultimately ended only when politicians in Washington decided they would settle for a “decent interval” between the departure of our forces and the inevitable fall of Saigon.

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, a policy that is wrong, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation.

FULL TEXT - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2723

[beachmom]

1. The problem is that the people making the same mistakes

now didn't suffer for the Vietnam War, because they didn't go. They failed to learn the lessons of Vietnam, and instead are somehow trying to "win" now. It is very sad -- those who fail to learn their history are doomed to repeat it.

[babylonsister]

2. Thank you, kerrygoddess!

:thumbsup:

[Sparkly]

3. This is very, very good!!

"We must insist now that patriotism does not belong to those who defend a President’s position—it belongs to those who defend their country. Patriotism is not love of power; it is love of country. And sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power. This is one of those times."

Absolutely!!

[Vektor]

4. Thanks KG. What an anniversary present!

Great speech - going on right now!

[kerrygoddess]

8. Yes it is! N/T

[globalvillage]

5. Awesome. Recommended. n/t

[sandnsea]

6. Live The Truth

"The true defeatists are those who believe America is so weak that it must sacrifice its principles to the pursuit of illusory power."

"..we are engaged in another fight to live the truth and make our own government accountable."

As usual, way exceeded my expectations. Just beyond excellent.

[kerrygoddess]

7. He always does, doesn't he!

Did you read the OP/ED yet?

[sandnsea]

10. Yeah, last night

Went to sleep with the Op-Ed, woke up to the speech!! And tomorrow is another great day.

:woohoo:

[WildEyedLiberal]

9. This is amazing

Truth to power.

[kerrygoddess]

11. AP Already has some in the Wires!

"Invoking bitter memories of the public tumult over the Vietnam War three decades ago, Sen. John Kerry is accusing the Bush administration of stifling dissent about its failed Iraq policies by branding critics as unpatriotic.

“The spirit of intolerance for dissent has risen steadily, and the habit of labeling dissenters as unpatriotic has become the common currency of the politicians currently running our country,” Kerry, D-Mass., said in remarks prepared for delivery Saturday at Boston’s Faneuil Hall." - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060422/ap_on_go_co/kerry_iraq_1

[beachmom]

12. Some bloggers are THERE and live blogging!

Tay Tay over at dKos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/22/11528/2823

This really is exciting!

[ProSense]

15. One-minute standing ovation

How dare those who never wore the uniform in battle attack those who wore it all their lives—and who, retired or not, did not resign their citizenship in order to serve their country.

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/4/22/11528/2823/68#c68

[kerrygoddess]

32. I love that line!

One of the best!

[ProSense]

13. Brilliant!

Senator John Kerry

“Dissent”

Faneuil Hall
April 22, 2006

Thirty-five years ago today, 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.

Snip...

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, a policy that is wrong, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation.

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.

Truth is the American bottom line. Truth above all is fundamental to who we are. It is no accident that among the first words of the first declaration of our national existence it is proclaimed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident…”.

America has always been stronger when we have not only proclaimed free speech, but listened to it.

We have even heard accusations that this dissent gives aid and comfort to the enemy. That is cheap and it is shameful.

The true defeatists are those who believe America is so weak that it must sacrifice its principles to the pursuit of illusory power.

The true pessimists are those who do not understand that fidelity to our principles is as critical to national security as our military power itself.

And the most dangerous defeatists, the most dispiriting pessimists, are those who invoke September 11th to argue that our traditional values are a luxury we can no longer afford.

Let’s call it the Bush-Cheney Doctrine.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, alliances and international institutions are now disposable—and international institutions are dispensable or even despicable.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, we cannot foreswear the fool’s gold of information secured by torturing prisoners or creating a shadow justice system with no rules and no transparency.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, unwarranted secrecy and illegal spying are now absolute imperatives of our national security.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, those who question the abuse of power question America itself.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, an Administration should be willing to spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the Iraq war, but unwilling to spend a few billion dollars to secure the American ports through which nuclear materials could make their way to terrorist cells.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, executive powers trump the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers.

According to the Bush-Cheney Doctrine, smearing administration critics is not only permissible, but necessary—and revealing the identity of a CIA agent is an acceptable means to hide the truth.

Snip…

And so there’s the crowning irony: the Bush-Cheney Doctrine holds that many of our great traditions cannot be maintained; yet the Bush-Cheney policies, by abandoning those traditions, give Osama bin Laden and his associates exactly what they want and need to reinforce their hate-filled ideology of Islamic solidarity against the western world.

We must insist now that patriotism does not belong to those who defend a President’s position—it belongs to those who defend their country. Patriotism is not love of power; it is love of country. And sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power. This is one of those times.

When we protested the war in Vietnam some would weigh in against us saying: “My country right or wrong.” Our response was simple: “Yes, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right and when wrong, make it right.” And that’s what we must do again today.

[ProSense]

16. Long standing O

for the the Bush-Cheney Doctrine comments

http://www.dailykos.com/comments/2006/4/22/11528/2823/81#c81

[wisteria]

14. When it is wrong, make it right! Great speech. n/t

[welshTerrier2]

17. kudos to Kerry

i backed Kerry during his Presidential campaign ... but I saw a tentative candidate that seemed so overly cautious that the medium became the message ...

not so today ... only time will tell if self-inflicted wounds have healed ... to me, reading his words, i sensed a very real change ... whether this reflects an evolution in thought and values or a new political strategy is yet to be measured ... perhaps it is both ... if so, Kerry is on a very positive path ...

truly, it has been a sad business, a very sad business, to have stood all this time where Kerry now stands and heard the relentless attacks of his minions ... perhaps this too will now be behind us ...

to those with the Senator's ear, hear this ... Iran is the expansion of madness to a new theatre ... the time for leadership and unrestrained truth-telling is NOW ... Congressman Kucinich has sent a letter to the WH demanding information about rumored US troop activities inside Iran (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2579332&mesg_id=2579332) ...

you and I have both looked in horror at the Party's failure to stand with Kerry forthrightly on his calls to end the war in Iraq ... and so it is that Kerry himself, and you who support him, should align yourself with either Kucinich or his call for full disclosure on Iran or both ... please consider the ineffectiveness that results when such boldness remains unsupported ...

Kerry did a great job today ... to truly lead the nation will require someone with the vision, courage and platform to steer the country away from the imminent tragedy of war with Iran ... if the lessons of Iraq have been genuinely internalized, the battle to stop a war in Iran must be joined NOW ...

[kerrygoddess]

31. Thanks WT2

I'll check out the Kucinich thread. And will definately get behind it!

[Vektor]

18. This one's a barn burner.

I wish I were there!

[kerrygoddess]

19. I'm wishing with you!

Can't wait for CSpan!

[Patsy Stone]

20. Thanks, President Kerry.

:thumbsup:

[kerrygoddess]

24. The Shadow President

[kerrygoddess]

21. Pics from News

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2724

[WildEyedLiberal]

22. Kick for TRUTH!

:kick:

[Vektor]

23. That was one of his best yet -

truly inspiring. Ought to bring the haters out in the light, en masse.

[kerrygoddess]

25. History in the making

on the anniversary of history! The man is so inspiring.

[Vektor]

26. I concur...

and threatening to some, as well.

[ProSense]

27. More on this day in history

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=995961&mesg_id=997223

[kerrygoddess]

28. Great stuff!

I'm re-reading the speech! Wow, better the second time.

[politicasista]

29. K&R!

Go Kerry! :kick: :patriot:

[demdiva]

30. Thanks for posting!

This is FANTASATIC

[kerrygoddess]

33. More Pics here

http://pics.thedemocraticdaily.com/v/Faneuil+Hall+Speech/MH/

[kerrygoddess]

34. Follow news from the speech

John Kerry’s “Dissent” In The News
April 23rd, 2006 @ 12:03 am

I’ve yet to watch John Kerry’s speech at Faneuil Hall today on C-Span, but I’ve read it over a couple of times now and the words ring like a clear bell in my heart. Notable from the news on Kerry’s speech is this piece with some quips about the reactions of those attending, including a standing ovation at the begining of the speech and that there were atleast 20 more during…

“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, a policy that is wrong, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation,” Kerry said to a standing ovation yesterday at Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall…

“Lives have been lost to bad decisions,” Kerry said. “Not decisions that could have gone either way, but decisions that constitute basic negligence and incompetence. And lives continue to be lost because of stubbornness and pride.”

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2727

[k j]

35. John Kerry's speech is airing on C-Span

again, NOW! :patriot: