January 20th, 2008
Sen. Barack Obama spoke this morning at Ebenezer Baptist Church on the day before Martin Luther King Day about some of the ways in which Dr. King’s dream is still a dream:
For most of this country’s history, we in the African-American community have been at the receiving end of man’s inhumanity to man. And all of us understand intimately the insidious role that race still sometimes plays – on the job, in the schools, in our health care system, and in our criminal justice system.
And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, we must admit that none of our hands are entirely clean. If we’re honest with ourselves, we’ll acknowledge that our own community has not always been true to King’s vision of a beloved community.
We have scorned our gay brothers and sisters instead of embracing them. The scourge of anti-Semitism has, at times, revealed itself in our community. For too long, some of us have seen immigrants as competitors for jobs instead of companions in the fight for opportunity.
It’s a great speech. Joe Klein at Time’s web site has posted it in full.
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EvilPoet
January 20th, 2008
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/47574
Nick Literski
January 20th, 2008
Finally, Obama has made a public statement that helps make up for allowing an “ex-gay” preacher to turn a campaign event into an attack on GLBT persons. I’m very pleased to see this!
Emily K
January 20th, 2008
PROFOUND. INCREDIBLE. He says what he thinks. This is the greatest speech I think I’ve ever heard coming out of a politician’s mouth. It’s daring, intelligent, and humble – but also hopeful and courageous.
Jeff
January 20th, 2008
Nice speech – to bad its misleading when you look at the ex-gay “code words” they use. Notice he uses “embrace” rather than accept or hold equal. Once a pander for votes always a pander for votes. To bad he decided GLBT votes dont matter to him – he wont get mine.
Randi Schimnosky
January 21st, 2008
Jeff, but who are you going to vote for that you think is any better?
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