A statement on social issues.

[John N Morgan]

This is the start of a script that I will be using in a video. Want to help polish?
-------------------------------------------------------------

As anybody who has looked over the website knows, I have positive positions on foreclosure, unemployment, education and energy, but this morning I want to talk about the social issues.

When I was 19, I joined the Army, I was a Fire Control Operator on a Nike Hercules missile site on the line in Germany. My job was to obliterate whole towns and populations at the push of a button. It wasn't my job to push the button, I sat next to the person that did, assisting and enabling the mission so that he could.

So, I have lost my right to moral indignation toward any Americans with respect to their personal life. It must be a luxury to have lived a life so perfect as to keep that self-"right"-iousness; particularly when it excludes the people that defended it.

A woman that decides to terminate a pregnancy...pfft
GLBT? Please.

Neither threaten me, my conscience, nor my life, liberty and pursuit of happiness; you know the inalienable rights.

I simply cannot find it in my heart to condemn people for their choices, lifestyles nor sexual orientation. They are welcome members of my society and I would like to make that our society.

It is my obligation as a member of the majority to empathize with them and accept them as my equals in this United States of America...the land I was prepared to defend with the greatest crime on earth known to man.

Did I sell my soul in my mission? I don't know. Do these others? I don't know. But, I think not. In any case it is not ours to judge here in our country, the United States of America. That is a judgment best left for the day when we know the truth.

[JNelson6563]

1. Unless this speech is for partisan supporters

I think you may want to choose another topic. Always good to start out with common ground and work your way in.

Julie

[John N Morgan]

2. Right ... take the Rahm approach. Sorry, I have nothing to win sliding right.

and certainly not on this site.

[JNelson6563]

7. No one's asking you to slide right.

But by how you misread my post and your snotty reply, yeah, good luck with your election green one.

So where'd you pick up your campaing strategy of first pissing off each and every person who doesn't see things 100% your way? I hope you got a good deal because it's no winner friend.

Julie--who always wondered about canddiates who take pains to alienate people

[John N Morgan]

12. well .. bye

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. It's early, but I can give it a shot.

"As anybody" should be
"As anyone"

"looked over the website"
which /whose website is "the"referring to?

"A woman that decides"
should be "A woman who decides".

"When I was 19 I joined the Army"
would be more informative to someone who does not know you if you said
" In 19__ I was in the Army in Germany as a Fire Control Operator on a Nike Hercules missile site"

The last paragraph
"Did I sell my soul, etc" actually would flow much better as last line of the Army paragraph.

Thus:
It wasn't my job to push the button, I sat next to the person that did, assisting and enabling the mission so that he could.
Did I sell my soul in my mission? I don't know. Do these others? I don't know. But, I think not. In any case it is not ours to judge here in our country, the United States of America. That is a judgment best left for the day when we know the truth.
*********************************************************************************
There should be more clarification about why you think you have "lost your right to moral
indignation" .
somehow it seems to stem from the Army thing, but is not really clear.

"So, I have lost my right to moral indignation toward any Americans with respect to their personal life. "

This sentence sounds condescending, not unifying:
"It must be a luxury to have lived a life so perfect as to keep that self-"right"-iousness; particularly when it excludes the people that defended it."

That is my pre-coffee first impression.

( I used to write my own public lectures/talks)

[John N Morgan]

4. Some good points ... get the coffee.

Check.
"As anybody" should be
"As anyone"
--------------------
Check
"looked over the website" -> "browsed my website"
which /whose website is "the"referring to?
(the videos are posted on my website, but then I might get lucky and get "discovered")
---------------------------

Check
"A woman that decides"
should be "A woman who decides".
--------------------

We have to negotiate this one. I am conveying my decision as a young man that has followed my through life.

"When I was 19 I joined the Army"
would be more informative to someone who does not know you if you said
" In 19__ I was in the Army in Germany as a Fire Control Operator on a Nike Hercules missile site"

---------------

I want to tie my decision to join the Army and perform in my job, with other situations people face. It amounts to describing the arc of our lives.

The last paragraph
"Did I sell my soul, etc" actually would flow much better as last line of the Army paragraph.

-------------------

I'm posting the new version under the original.

[John N Morgan]

5. Editing time has passed, so here's the new version:

As anyone who has browsed my website knows, I have positive positions on foreclosure, unemployment, education and energy, but this morning I want to talk about the social issues.

When I was 19, I joined the Army, my job, Fire Control Operator on a Nike Hercules missile site on the line in Germany. Our mission was to obliterate whole towns and populations at the push of a button. It wasn't my job to push the button, I sat next to the person that did, assisting and enabling the mission so that he could.

Since I was prepared to defend this country with the greatest crime on earth known to man, I have lost my right to moral indignation toward any Americans with respect to their personal life. To me it must be a luxury to have lived a life so perfect as to claim that self-"right"-iousness.

A woman who decides to terminate a pregnancy...pfft
GLBT? Please.

Law abiding peaceful people do not threaten me, my conscience, nor my inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

I simply cannot find it in my heart to condemn people for their choices, lifestyles nor sexual orientation. They are welcome members of my society and I would like to make that our society.

It is the obligation of the majority to empathize and accept as equals in this United States of America all that abide by the law. What can be said of a majority that seals itself off out of fear of peaceful, law abiding people; simply to create an "enemy" where none exists.

Did I lose my soul in my mission with the Army? I don't know. Do these others? I don't know. But, I think not. In any case it is not ours to judge here in our country. That is a judgment best left for the day when we know the truth.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Much better flow, clarity.

Got a link to your site, pls?

[annabanana]

8. in his sigline

http://www.johnnmorgan.com/

[dixiegrrrrl]

16. More coffee needed now!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[John N Morgan]

18. Your hubby is thinking ... now that's the grrrl I walked across the floor to ask to dance. :-)

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. He's thinking

THIS is the woman I moved across the country for?????

[Bluenorthwest]

9. I'd clarify the jargon. What is a 'Nike Hercules mission'?

I'd also clarify what you did on that mission. I am not sure if you actually obliterated whole towns or were on call to do so. Important difference.
And for the best possible, I'd clarify the sentence about 'choices, lifestyles' and such to make it clear that natural sexual orientation is not a choice or a lifestyle, as those words are button pushers deluxe. I see your meaning, but making it more delineated would not hurt.
I also support the notes you already got, by and large. Where can we find you site?

[John N Morgan]

11. How's this .. it's in the full latest revision below. Good points, thanks

Our mission was part of the nuclear deterrent and air defense; in other words, to obliterate whole towns and populations at the push of a button.

... lifestyles nor natural sexual orientation.

[John N Morgan]

10. I had to run to the store. I'm back. Latest version.

As anyone who has browsed my website knows, I have positive positions on foreclosure, unemployment, education and energy, but this morning I want to talk about the social issues.

When I was 19, I joined the Army, my job, Fire Control Operator on a Nike Hercules missile site on the line in Germany. Our mission was part of the nuclear deterrent and air defense; in other words, to obliterate whole towns and populations at the push of a button. It wasn't my job to push the button, I sat next to the person that did, assisting and enabling the mission so that he could.

Since I was prepared to defend this country with the greatest crime on earth known to man, I have lost my right to moral indignation toward any Americans with respect to their personal life. To me it must be a luxury to have lived a life so perfect as to claim that self-"right"-iousness.

A woman who decides to terminate a pregnancy...pfft
GLBT? Please.

Law abiding peaceful people do not threaten me, my conscience, nor my inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

I simply cannot find it in my heart to condemn people for their choices, lifestyles nor natural sexual orientation. They are welcome members of my society and I would like to make that our society.

It is the obligation of the majority to empathize and accept as equals in this United States of America all that abide by the law. What can be said of a majority that seals itself off out of fear of peaceful, law abiding people; simply to create an "enemy" where none exists.

Did I lose my soul in my mission with the Army? I don't know. Do these others? I don't know. But, I think not. In any case it is not ours to judge here in our country. That is a judgment best left for the day when we know the truth.

[Orsino]

14. What does "positive positions" mean? n/t

[John N Morgan]

15. I am actually running FOR something. Positive as in not negative against my winger opponent

winger? Did I say that? ooops.

The positions are to work out a solution to the foreclosure crisis that protects homeowners as well as the finance companies, unemployment, education and energy.

The base issue in Florida is that we have no natural resources and with a VERY conservative district we're choking off our tourism. Who vacations in a red dot.

[John N Morgan]

13. So, I'm going to put this script into the teleprompter and see what it sounds like

back in a while.

[MisterP]

17. sort of off-topic, but have you read Mordecai Roshwald's "Level 7"?

it's all about the terrible moral, personal, social, and political consequences of pushbutton war and the post-1945 military

[John N Morgan]

19. No, I just live my own personal nightmare about it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

21. Don't know how active the Florida forum here is

Home » Discuss » Places » Florida

might be worth a cross post?