SubscribeCharles Kesler, a conservative professor at Claremont McKenna college, pens an op-ed in the LAT today, arguing, “[I]t’s not clear that being a master of business administration has made [Bush] a better chief executive. … Bush’s management style is long on decisions and short on explanations. He’s apparently better at listening to others than questioning their views.”
At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed. O! had I the ability, and could reach the nation's ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, withering sarcasm, and stern rebuke. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind, and the earthquake. The feeling of the nation must be quickened; the conscience of the nation must be roused; the propriety of the nation must be startled; the hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed; and its crimes against God and man must be proclaimed and denounced.Wow. I hesitate to apply to current events words crafted to describe such horrible times, but.. but that passage really struck me.
What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer; a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciation of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religious parade and solemnity, are, to Him, mere bombast, fraud, deception, impiety, and hypocrisy-a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of the United States, at this very hour.My prayer is that enough of us will do our best in following what is true and good, to make sure that this statement does not become an apt description of present-day America.
Go where you may, search where you will, roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the Old World, travel through South America, search out every abuse, and when you have found the last, lay your facts by the side of the everyday practices of this nation, and you will say with me, that, for revolting barbarity and shameless hypocrisy, America reigns without a rival.
Douglass was among the most prominent African Americans of his time, and one of the most influential lecturers and authors in American history.A fun story:
At Lincoln's memorial, Douglass was in the audience as a tribute to Lincoln was being given by a prominent lawyer at the time. The tribute was not as successful as some of the audience there would have hoped. Resultantly Douglass was goaded by the people to stand up and speak. At first out of respect for the speaker he declined but eventually he gave into the pressure and with no preparation he gave a fantastic tribute to the President he had so much respect for. The crowd, roused by his speech gave him a standing ovation. A witness later said: "I have heard Clay speak and many fantastic men, but never have I heard a speech as impressive as that." Whilst this is anecdotal, it is a commonly accepted fact that Lincoln's wife gave to Douglass Lincoln's favorite walking stick which to this day resides in Cedar Lodge. This is both a testimony to the success of Douglass' tribute to Lincoln and also to the effect and influence of his powerful oratory.
(smedleyman quoting bardic)That's the first.
“The Republican blockage of VRA renewal is a travesty”
(smedleyman from here)
*coughBipartisanoppositioncough*
mistersix - there are degrees, but yeah, my mistake. Apologies bardic.That's the second. I interpreted that as "degrees of bipartisan opposition", which on another reading, still seems like a reasonable interpretation.
(That whole ‘pre-clear’ thing totally distracted me)
Degrees of argument strength.I don't understand this, nor do I understand what the link to Cogency has to do with it. The STNG metaphor makes no sense to me, but I'm not that familiar with that show.
acknowlege that I said I was wrong,I quoted it both here and above, "there are degrees". So, yes, I acknowledge that.
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Anyways, a nice reminder from Douglass about what this country has accomplished and how much further it has to go.
posted by bardic at 12:15 PM on July 3, 2006