http://apnews.myway.com/article/20040729/D8446RPO0.htmlSharpton Speech Draws Standing Ovations
(AP) Rev. Al Sharpton speaks to delegates during the Democratic National Convention at the FleetCenter...
Full Image
BOSTON (AP) - Al Sharpton won the hearts of delegates to the Democratic National Convention with a rousing and raucous speech Wednesday night, saying his failed quest for the White House was proof that kids can grow up poor and make it in America.
"As I ran for president, I hoped that one child would come out of the ghetto like I did, could look at me walk across the stage with governors and senators and know they didn't have to be a drug dealer, they didn't have to be a hoodlum, they didn't have to be a gangster," he said. "They could stand up from a broken home, on welfare, and they could run for president of the United States."
Sharpton repeatedly departed from his prepared text - text that had been scrubbed by John Kerry's staff - and the amended message resonated with the delegates who frequently interrupted his address with cheers and applause.
One of many standing ovations went on for a minute after he told delegates that after the nation failed to deliver on Civil War-era promises of "40 acres and mule" to freed slaves, "we didn't get the mule so we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us."
He repeatedly slammed the Republican administration.
"Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn't gained because of our age," Sharpton said. "Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of (civil rights activists) Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us. This vote can't be bargained away. This vote can't be given away.
"In all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale."
He drew one of the biggest responses when he said: "The issue of government is not to determine who may sleep together in the bedroom, it's to help those that might not be eating in the kitchen."
The convention reception was sweet for a candidate who did poorly in the primaries even while often starring in the debates. He finished a distant third in his home state New York primary with just 8 percent of the vote.
"I think the response was tremendous," he said after the speech. "I felt like I was in a church service after a while."
...
Sharpton
Sharpton
Is it just me, or is Al Sharpton actually one of the more sincere and thought provoking Democrats out there? I'm sorry I missed the speech. I think I'd almost vote for him over John Kerry.
Makora
Too often it seems it is the peaceful and innocent who are slaughtered. In this a lesson may be found that it may not be prudential to be either too peaceful or too innocent. One does not survive with wolves by becoming a sheep.
Too often it seems it is the peaceful and innocent who are slaughtered. In this a lesson may be found that it may not be prudential to be either too peaceful or too innocent. One does not survive with wolves by becoming a sheep.
-
Jice Virago
- Way too much time!
- Posts: 1644
- Joined: July 4, 2002, 5:47 pm
- Gender: Male
- PSN ID: quyrean
- Location: Orange County
I feel the same about lefty and centrist religious nuts that I do about the right wing versions. Sharpton also has some other crazy issues. Of course he can give a good speech, he is a preacher. His stance on the whole gay marriage thing was interesting for a bibble beater, however.
War is an option whose time has passed. Peace is the only option for the future. At present we occupy a treacherous no-man's-land between peace and war, a time of growing fear that our military might has expanded beyond our capacity to control it and our political differences widened beyond our ability to bridge them. . . .
Short of changing human nature, therefore, the only way to achieve a practical, livable peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
--RICHARD M. NIXON, "REAL PEACE" (1983)
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
Dwight Eisenhower
Short of changing human nature, therefore, the only way to achieve a practical, livable peace in a world of competing nations is to take the profit out of war.
--RICHARD M. NIXON, "REAL PEACE" (1983)
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, represents, in the final analysis, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children."
Dwight Eisenhower
I would never support a Preacher, specially a christian one for president, but for a religious nut, he is very politically liberal and reasonable which i respect. He always stands bheind civil liberties and civil rights for all americans, and his speech method reminds me a lot of MLK.
Barak O'bama (sp) will be the first black president in the United States, i could almost put my money on that
Barak O'bama (sp) will be the first black president in the United States, i could almost put my money on that
-xzionis human mage on mannoroth
-zeltharath tauren shaman on wildhammer
-zeltharath tauren shaman on wildhammer
-
Dregor Thule
- Super Poster!
- Posts: 5994
- Joined: July 3, 2002, 8:59 pm
- Gender: Male
- XBL Gamertag: Xathlak
- PSN ID: dregor77
- Location: Oakville, Ontario
i think Al Sharpton is entertaining on TV. that's about all =).
but i thought parts of his speech were actually really good. i didnt here all of it, and at the end, all of the CNN analysts were saying how he 'crossed the line' and this and that. i was like 'what the fuck?!" i was really disappointed in our coverage for about 15 minutes until i saw the quote where Sharpton basically said "If bush appointed the 54 Supreme Court, Clarance Thomas would have never gone to law school". Dizzam!
so anyway, yeah i'd say that is the work of a habitual line stepper! but that being said, big deal. Conservative talk radio will be replaying that clip all day today, and it isn't reflective of the Democratic Party's position or mainstream Democrats' opinion. But that won't stop the propaganda. James Carville summed it up pretty well, "i think sharpton brought zero delegates to the convention."
tucker carlson also had a funny take: Kerry made a good choice letting sharpton speak at the convention , because it was either going to be like this or him chaining himself to the front door of the Fleet Center and giving the speech there.
but on a serious note, i think his reply to Bush's question to the Urban League was dead on ("Is the Democratic Party taking the Black vote for granted?"), by pretty much dropping the hammer on him.
* my quotes are paraphrases based on my memory, so not trying to claim word for word accuracy.
but i thought parts of his speech were actually really good. i didnt here all of it, and at the end, all of the CNN analysts were saying how he 'crossed the line' and this and that. i was like 'what the fuck?!" i was really disappointed in our coverage for about 15 minutes until i saw the quote where Sharpton basically said "If bush appointed the 54 Supreme Court, Clarance Thomas would have never gone to law school". Dizzam!
so anyway, yeah i'd say that is the work of a habitual line stepper! but that being said, big deal. Conservative talk radio will be replaying that clip all day today, and it isn't reflective of the Democratic Party's position or mainstream Democrats' opinion. But that won't stop the propaganda. James Carville summed it up pretty well, "i think sharpton brought zero delegates to the convention."
tucker carlson also had a funny take: Kerry made a good choice letting sharpton speak at the convention , because it was either going to be like this or him chaining himself to the front door of the Fleet Center and giving the speech there.
but on a serious note, i think his reply to Bush's question to the Urban League was dead on ("Is the Democratic Party taking the Black vote for granted?"), by pretty much dropping the hammer on him.
* my quotes are paraphrases based on my memory, so not trying to claim word for word accuracy.
-
Forthe
- Way too much time!
- Posts: 1719
- Joined: July 3, 2002, 4:15 pm
- XBL Gamertag: Brutus709
- Location: The Political Newf
That line cracked me up. The way he delivered it was genious. While he was repeating "we didn't get our 40 acres" the camera was panning across the audience. You could actually see the nervous expression on some of the delegate's faces, afraid of a full blown rant starting (at least that was my perception). Then he dropped that bombshell line for a great effect.we didn't get the mule so we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us.
All posts are personal opinion.
My opinion may == || != my guild's.
"All spelling mistakes were not on purpose as I dont know shit ." - Torrkir
My opinion may == || != my guild's.
"All spelling mistakes were not on purpose as I dont know shit ." - Torrkir
-
masteen
- Super Poster!
- Posts: 8197
- Joined: July 3, 2002, 12:40 pm
- Gender: Mangina
- Location: Florida
- Contact:
What is this 40 acres he speaks of? Cause I don't think I got mine either...
"There is at least as much need to curb the cruel greed and arrogance of part of the world of capital, to curb the cruel greed and violence of part of the world of labor, as to check a cruel and unhealthy militarism in international relationships." -Theodore Roosevelt
-
*~*stragi*~*
- Way too much time!
- Posts: 3876
- Joined: July 3, 2002, 1:59 pm
- Gender: Male
- XBL Gamertag: kimj0ngil
- Location: Ahwatukee, Arizona
- Contact:
I like Sharpton because he is a big enough man around town to force other candidates to take a stand on certain issues that they'd rather not talk about like racial and sexual equality. he knows he'll never be president or even get the nomination, but he can throw together a loud enough campaign to get at least other democrats to talk about stuff that should be important. I wish the GOP had a similar candidate instead of doing 90% of their primaries in back rooms and secret meetings.
