名人演讲 a tale of two cities(1).docx

名人演讲名人演讲 A A TaleTale ofof TwoTwo Cities(1)Cities(1)OnbehalfoftheEmpireStateandthefamilyofNewYork,Ithankyouforthegreatprivilegeofbeingabletoaddressthisconvention.Pleaseallowmetoskipthestoriesandthepoetryandthetemptationtodealinnicebutvaguerhetoric.LetmeinsteadusethisvaluableopportunitytodealimmediatelywithquestionsthatshoulddeterminethiselectionandthatweallknowarevitaltotheAmericanpeople.Tendaysago,PresidentReaganadmittedthatalthoughsomepeopleinthiscountryseemedtobedoingwellnowadays,otherswereunhappy,evenworried,aboutthemselves,theirfamiliesandtheirfutures.Thepresidentsaidthathedidn'tunderstandthatfear.Hesaid,“Why,thiscountryisashiningcityonahill.“Andthepresidentisright.Inmanywaysweareashiningcityonahill.Butthehardtruthisthatnoteveryoneissharinginthiscity'ssplendorandglory.AshiningcityisperhapsallthepresidentseesfromtheporticooftheWhiteHouseandtheverandaofhisranch,whereeveryoneseemstobedoingwell.Butthere'sanothercity;there'sanotherparttotheshiningthecity;thepartwheresomepeoplecan'tpaytheirmortgages,andmostyoungpeoplecan'taffordone,wherestudentscan'taffordtheeducationtheyneed,andmiddle-classparentswatchthedreamstheyholdfortheirchildrenevaporate.Inthispartofthecitytherearemorepoorthanever,morefamiliesintrouble,moreandmorepeoplewhoneedhelpbutcan'tfindit.Evenworse:Thereareelderlypeoplewhotrembleinthebasementsofthehousesthere.Andtherearepeoplewhosleepinthecitystreets,inthegutter,wheretheglitterdoesn'tshow.Thereareghettoswherethousandsofyoungpeople,withoutajob or aneducation,givetheirlivesawaytodrugdealerseveryday.Thereisdespair,Mr.President,inthefacesthatyoudon'tsee,intheplacesthatyoudon'tvisitinyourshiningcity.Infact,Mr.President,thisisanation--.Mr.Presidentyououghttoknowthatthisnationismorea“TaleofTwoCities“thanitisjusta“ShiningCityonaHill.“Maybe,maybe,Mr.President,ifyouvisitedsomemoreplaces.MaybeifyouwenttoAppalachiawheresomepeoplestillliveinsheds,maybeifyouwenttoLackawannawherethousandsofunemployedsteelworkerswonderwhywesubsidizedforeignsteel.Maybe,maybe,Mr.President,ifyoustoppedinatashelterinChicagoandspoketothehomelessthere;maybe,Mr.President,ifyouaskedawomanwhohadbeendeniedthehelpsheneededtofeedherchildrenbecauseyousaidyouneededthemoneyforataxbreakforamillionaire or foramissilewecouldn'taffordtouse.Maybe,maybe,Mr.President.ButI'mafraidnot.Because,thetruthis,ladiesandgentlemen,thatthisishowwewerewarneditwouldbe.PresidentReagantoldusfromverythebeginningthathebelievedinakindofsocialDarwinism.Survivalofthefittest.“Governmentcan'tdoeverything,“weweretold.“Soitshouldsettlefortakingcareofthestrongandhopethateconomicambitionandcharitywilldotherest.Maketherichricher--andwhatfallsfromtheirtablewillbeenoughforthemiddleclassandthosewhoaretryingdesperatelytoworktheirwayintothemiddleclass.“Youknow,theRepublicanscalledittrickle-downwhenHoovertriedit.Nowtheycallitsupplyside.Butit'sthesameshiningcityforthoserelativefewwhoareluckyenoughtoliveinitsgoodneighborhoods.Butforthepeoplewhoareexcluded--forthepeoplewhoarelockedout--alltheycandoistostarefromadistanceatthatcity'sglimmeringtowers.It'sanoldstory.It'sasoldasourhistory.ThedifferencebetweenDemocratsandRepublicanshasalwaysbeenmeasuredincourageandconfidence.TheRepublicansbelievethatthewagontrainwillnotmakeittothefrontierunlesssomeoftheold,someoftheyoung,someoftheweakareleftbehindbythesideofthetrail.Thestrong,thestrongtheytelluswillinherittheland.WeDemocratsbelieveinsomethingelse.Wedemocratsbelievethatwecanmakeitallthewaywiththewholefamilyintact.And,wehavemorethanonce.EversinceFranklinRooseveltliftedhimselffromhiswheelchairtoliftthisnationfromitsknees--wagontrainafterwagontrain--tonewfrontiersofeducation,housing,peace;thewholefamilyaboard,constantlyreachingouttoextendandenlargethatfamily;liftingthemupintothewagonontheway;blacksandHispanics,andpeopleofeveryethnicgroup,andnativeAmericans--allthosestrugglingtobuildtheirfamiliesandclaimsomesmallshareofAmerica.Fornearly50yearswecarriedthemalltonewlevelsofcomfort,andsecurity,anddignity,evenaffluence.Andrememberthis,someofusinthisroomtodayarehereonlybecausethisnationhadthatkindofconfidence.Anditwouldbewrongtoforgetthat.So,hereweareatthisconventiontoremindourselveswherewecomefromandtoclaimthefutureforourselvesandforourchildren.TodayourgreatDemocraticParty,whichhassavedthisnationfromdepression,fromfascism,fromracism,fromcorruption,iscalledupontodoitagain--thistimetosavethenationfromconfusionanddivision,fromthethreatofeventualfiscaldisaster,andmostofallfromthefearofanuclearholocaust.That'snotgoingtobeeasy.MoUdallisexactlyright,it'snotgoingtobeeasy.Inordertosucceed,wemustanswerouropponent'spolishedandappealingrhetoricwithamoretellingreasonablenessandrationality.Wemustwinthiscaseonthemerits.WemustgettheAmericanpublictolookpasttheglitter,beyondtheshowmanship-toreality,tothehardsubstanceofthings.Andwewilldothatnotsomuchwithspeechesthatsoundgoodaswithspeechesthataregoodandsound.Notsomuchwithspeechesthatwillbringpeopletotheirfeetaswithspeechesthatbringpeopletotheirsenses.WemustmaketheAmericanpeoplehearour“TaleofTwoCities.“Wemustconvinc。