Tuesday, October 30, 2007

John Edwards Moral Test Speech

Remarks by Senator John Edwards
St. Anselm's College, Manchester, New HamphshireOctober 29, 2007

Many of you know that I am the son of a mill worker -- that I rose from modest means and have been blessed in so many ways in life.
Elizabeth and I have so much to be grateful for.
And all of you know about some of the challenges we have faced in my family. But there came a time, a few months ago, when Elizabeth and I had to decide, in the quiet of a hospital room, after many hours of tests and getting pretty bad news -- what we were going to do with our lives.And we made our decision. That we were not going to go quietly into the night -- that we were going to stand and fight for what we believe in.As Elizabeth and I have campaigned across America, I've come to a better understanding of what that decision really meant -- and why we made it.Earlier this year, I spoke at Riverside Church in New York, where, forty years ago, Martin Luther King gave a historic speech. I talked about that speech then, and I want to talk about it today. Dr. King was tormented by the way he had kept silent for two years about the Vietnam War. He was told that if he spoke out he would hurt the civil rights movement and all that he had worked for -- but he could not take it any more -- instead of decrying the silence of others -- he spoke the truth about himself.
"Over the past two years" he said, "I have moved to break the betrayal of my own silence and speak from the burning of my own heart."
I am not holier than thou. I am not perfect by any means. But there are events in life that you learn from, and which remind you what this is really all about. Maybe I have been freed from the system and the fear that holds back politicians because I have learned there are much more important things in life than winning elections at the cost of selling your soul. Especially right now, when our country requires so much more of us, and needs to hear the truth from its leaders.And, although I have spent my entire life taking on the big powerful interests and winning -- which is why I have never taken a dime from Washington lobbyists or political action committees -- I too have been guilty of my own silence -- but no more.It's time to tell the truth. And the truth is the system in Washington is corrupt. It is rigged by the powerful special interests to benefit they very few at the expense of the many. And as a result, the American people have lost faith in our broken system in Washington, and believe it no longer works for ordinary Americans. They're right.As I look across the political landscape of both parties today -- what I see are politicians too afraid to tell the truth -- good people caught in a bad system that overwhelms their good intentions and requires them to chase millions of dollars in campaign contributions in order to perpetuate their careers and continue their climb to higher office.
Read the rest of the speech here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm curious to find out what folks think of this? Is Edwards being sincere or is this political posturing to try to seem authentic and principled? It's a fair question. Where was this kind of talk in 2004? It does seem as though he is making an effort to correct his past mistakes. The comparison to MLK and even Bobby Kennedy is a bit much. Also where do all of Edwards' campaign contributions come from(not from PACS or "special interests" supposedly)? I'm always skeptical, but he is saying the things I want him to say.

Anonymous said...

He may be saying the right things but he's not saying how he's going to fix these many problems besides have faith in me.....Let's not forget how he made so much of his money. I beleive many of the people he seems to care so much about now were not so important back then. I don't feel he stands out or can bring change any better than any of the other candidates. They all have gotten rather unimpressive.
By the way this is a great post but it really distracts from the rest of your great blog....How about a link to read the full article?

Anonymous said...

He talks a good game but I doubt his sincerity.

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