Tell John McCain The Politics of Hate Won’t Work
Dear Senator McCain and Governor Palin,
Time and again in America, people of all races and backgrounds have overcome division and fear, and come together to uplift the country and create a more equal and just society. It’s part of what makes this country great.
With an African-American nominee running on a major party ticket and a woman on the Republican ticket for the first time in history, this campaign has seen Americans–men and women of all races–inspired to continue that great tradition, coming together to bridge the gaps that history has set between us in service of our national progress.
But let us be clear: while we have made great strides in this country when it comes to racial equality, we are not finished. Now, more than ever, we need leadership that understands that we live in complex times where too many are quick to judge another by the complexion of their skin or the sound of their name.
In the last few weeks, Senator McCain and Governor Palin, rhetoric at your campaign events has taken an increasingly dangerous tone that seems to ignore the precarious state of our progress when it comes to race and ethnicity.
Supporters at your rallies and other events have used hateful language and called for violence against Sen. Obama yelling “kill him!” “off with his head!” and “bomb Obama.”
For the most part, you have stood by in silence. In addition, you have also repeatedly made statements that somehow connect Senator Obama with terrorism. Your surrogates have emphasized his middle name. This is problematic and dangerous, and we believe helps create the conditions that have given rise to these incidents of violent rhetoric from some of your supporters.
Today, we’re standing together as Americans of all political persuasions to express our deep concern that the decisions of your campaign are contributing to a dangerous atmosphere of paranoia, division, and hate that, as we have already seen, has the potential to seriously harm our country and its progress.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
In these trying times, candidates seeking the highest offices in the land must call on the best in each of us, and call off the worst.
We urge you to join people of conscience from all races and backgrounds to reject the politics of division and fear, and come together to uplift the country and create a more equal and just society.
– The undersigned —
Sign the letter here
Sphere: Related ContentExcerpts from Sen. Obama’s Speech
Excerpts of the Remarks of Senator Barack Obama
“The American Promise”
Democratic National Convention
August 28, 2008
Denver, Colorado
As prepared for delivery
“Four years ago, I stood before you and told you my story – of the
brief union between a young man from Kenya and a young woman from
Kansas who weren’t well-off or well-known, but shared a belief that in
America, their son could achieve whatever he put his mind to.
“It is that promise that has always set this country apart – that
through hard work and sacrifice, each of us can pursue our individual
dreams but still come together as one American family, to ensure that
the next generation can pursue their dreams as well.
“It is why I stand here tonight. Because for two hundred and thirty
two years, at each moment when that promise was in jeopardy, ordinary
men and women – students and soldiers, farmers and teachers, nurses and
janitors — found the courage to keep it alive.
“We meet at one of those defining moments – a moment when our nation is
at war, our economy is in turmoil, and the American promise has been
threatened once more.
“Tonight, more Americans are out of work and more are working harder
for less. More of you have lost your homes and more are watching your
home values plummet. More of you have cars you can’t afford to drive,
credit card bills you can’t afford to pay and tuition that is beyond
your reach
“These challenges are not all of government’s making. But the failure
to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and
the failed presidency of George W. Bush.
“America, we are better than these last eight years. We are a better country than this.”
“This moment – this election – is our chance to keep, in the 21st
century, the American promise alive. Because next week, in Minnesota,
the same party that brought you two terms of George Bush and Dick
Cheney will ask this country for a third. And we are here because we
love this country too much to let the next four years look just like
the last eight. On November 4th, we must stand up and say: “Eight is
enough.”
“Now let there be no doubt. The Republican nominee, John McCain, has
worn the uniform of our country with bravery and distinction, and for
that we owe him our gratitude and respect. And next week, we’ll also
hear about those occasions when he’s broken with his party as evidence
that he can deliver the change that we need.
“But the record’s clear: John McCain has voted with George Bush ninety
percent of the time. Senator McCain likes to talk about judgment, but
really, what does it say about your judgment when you think George Bush
was right more than ninety percent of the time? I don’t know about
you, but I’m not ready to take a ten percent chance on change.”
“You see, we Democrats have a very different measure of what constitutes progress in this country.
“We measure progress by how many people can find a job that pays
the mortgage; whether you can put away a little extra money at the end
of each month so that you can someday watch your child receive her
diploma. We measure progress in the 23 million new jobs that were
created when Bill Clinton was President – when the average American
family saw its income go up $7,500 instead of down $2,000 like it has
under George Bush.
“We measure the strength of our economy not by the number of
billionaires we have or the profits of the Fortune 500, but by whether
someone with a good idea can take a risk and start a business, or
whether the waitress who lives on tips can take a day off to look after
a sick kid without losing her job – an economy that honors the dignity
of work.
“The fundamentals we use to measure economic strength are whether we
are living up to that fundamental promise that has made this country
great – a promise that is the only reason I am standing here tonight.”
“That’s the promise we need to keep. That’s the change we need
right now. So let me spell out exactly what that change would mean if
I am President.
“Change means a tax code that doesn’t reward the lobbyists who wrote
it, but the American workers and small businesses who deserve it.
“Unlike John McCain, I will stop giving tax breaks to corporations that
ship our jobs overseas, and I will start giving them to companies that
create good jobs right here in America.
“I will eliminate capital gains taxes for the small businesses and the
start-ups that will create the high-wage, high-tech jobs of tomorrow.
“I will cut taxes – cut taxes – for 95% of all working families.
Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise
taxes on the middle-class.
“And for the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our
planet, I will set a clear goal as President: in ten years, we will
finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.
“Washington has been talking about our oil addiction for the last
thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them.
In that time, he’s said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for
cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels.
And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator
McCain took office.
“Now is the time to end this addiction, and to understand that drilling
is a stop-gap measure, not a long-term solution. Not even close.
“As President, I will tap our natural gas reserves, invest in clean
coal technology, and find ways to safely harness nuclear power. I’ll
help our auto companies re-tool, so that the fuel-efficient cars of the
future are built right here in America. I’ll make it easier for the
American people to afford these new cars. And I’ll invest $150 billion
over the next decade in affordable, renewable sources of energy – wind
power and solar power and the next generation of biofuels; an
investment that will lead to new industries and five million new jobs
that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced.”
“We are the party of Roosevelt. We are the party of Kennedy. So
don’t tell me that Democrats won’t defend this country. Don’t tell me
that Democrats won’t keep us safe. The Bush-McCain foreign policy has
squandered the legacy that generations of Americans — Democrats and
Republicans – have built, and we are to restore that legacy.
“As Commander-in-Chief, I will never hesitate to defend this nation,
but I will only send our troops into harm’s way with a clear mission
and a sacred commitment to give them the equipment they need in battle
and the care and benefits they deserve when they come home.
“I will end this war in Iraq responsibly, and finish the fight against
al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. I will rebuild our military
to meet future conflicts. But I will also renew the tough, direct
diplomacy that can prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. I will
build new partnerships to defeat the threats of the 21st century:
terrorism and nuclear proliferation; poverty and genocide; climate
change and disease. And I will restore our moral standing so that
America is once more the last, best hope for all who are called to the
cause of freedom, who long for lives of peace, and who yearn for a
better future.”
[emphasis mine, on those points that I most liked]
Sphere: Related ContentObama’s Foreign Policy Speech
One of his best yet. The full text is here.
The 5 goals he outlined were:
- Securing all loose nuclear materials
- Working toward a world with no nuclear weapons
- Investment of $150 billion in alternative energy with a goal to end dependence on foreign oil
- Arriving at a diplomatic solution with Iran
- Rebuilding alliances to meet common challenges of 21st century
Here’s one of the most compelling moments in the speech:
Imagine, for a moment, what we could have done in those days, and months, and years after 9/11.
We could have deployed the full force of American power to hunt down
and destroy Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda, the Taliban, and all of the
terrorists responsible for 9/11, while supporting real security in
Afghanistan.We could have secured loose nuclear materials around the world, and
updated a 20th century non-proliferation framework to meet the
challenges of the 21st.We could have invested hundreds of billions of dollars in
alternative sources of energy to grow our economy, save our planet, and
end the tyranny of oil.We could have strengthened old alliances, formed new partnerships,
and renewed international institutions to advance peace and prosperity.We could have called on a new generation to step into the strong
currents of history, and to serve their country as troops and teachers,
Peace Corps volunteers and police officers.We could have secured our homeland–investing in sophisticated new protection for our ports, our trains and our power plants.
We could have rebuilt our roads and bridges, laid down new rail and
broadband and electricity systems, and made college affordable for
every American to strengthen our ability to compete.We could have done that.
Instead, we have lost thousands of American lives, spent nearly a
trillion dollars, alienated allies and neglected emerging threats – all
in the cause of fighting a war for well over five years in a country
that had absolutely nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks.
Yes, imagine.
Really a fine speech from Sen. Obama. Don’t listen to the pundits, go read it or listen when they post it on the Obama website.
Sphere: Related ContentShould he respond like Sally Field?
You like me! You really like me!
Somehow this seems gratuitous, as though it’s a surprise that black voters like Barack Obama. Of course, it’s not a given that any voter would like him — he’s going to need to earn every vote just like every candidate. To me, his race is far less relevant than his ability to deflect the bombs tossed his way since he announced his candidacy and his solid, down-to-earth approach to the political scene. Maybe I’m naive, but I’d rather read reports about what voters are responding to, what part of his campaign is resonating with them than whether or not he’s supported by black voters.
Sphere: Related Content
