1984 Vice Presidential Nomination Acceptance Addre.doc

演讲稿 1984 vice presidential nomination acceptance addre geraldineferraro:1984vicepresidentialnominationacceptanceaddressladiesandgentlemenoftheconvention:mynameisgeraldineferraro.istandbeforeyoutoproclaimtonight:americaisthelandwheredreamscanetrueforallofus.asistandbeforetheamericanpeopleandthinkofthehonorthisgreatconventionhasbestoweduponme,irecallthewordsofdr.martinlutherkingjr.,whomadeamericastrongerbymakingamericamorefree.hesaid,occasionallyinlifetherearemomentswhichcannotbepletelyexplainedbywords.theirmeaningcanonlybearticulatedbytheinaudiblelanguageoftheheart.tonightissuchamomentforme.myheartisfilledwithpride.myfellowcitizens,iproudlyacceptyournominationforvicepresidentoftheunitedstates.andiamproudtorunwithamanwhowillbeoneofthegreatpresidentsofthiscentury,walterf.mondale.tonight,thedaughterofawomanwhosehighestgoalwasafutureforherchildrentalkstoournationsoldestpartyaboutafutureforusall.tonight,thedaughterofworkingamericanstellsallamericansthatthefutureiswithinourreach,ifwerewillingtoreachforit.tonight,thedaughterofanimmigrantfromitalyhasbeenchosentorunforvicepresidentinthenewlandmyfathercametolove.ourfaiththatwecanshapeabetterfutureiswhattheamericandreamisallabout.thepromiseofourcountryisthattherulesarefair.ifyouworkhardandplaybytherules,youcanearnyourshareofamericasblessings.thosearethebeliefsilearnedfrommyparents.andthosearethevaluesitaughtmystudentsasateacherinthepublicschoolsofnewyorkcity.atnight,iwenttolawschool.ibecameanassistantdistrictattorney,andiputmyshareofcriminalsbehindbars.ibelieveifyouobeythelaw,youshouldbeprotected.butifyoubreakthelaw,youmustpayforyourcrime.whenifirstranforcongress,allthepoliticalexpertssaidademocratcouldnotwinmyhomedistrictinqueens.iputmyfaithinthepeopleandthevaluesthatweshared.together,weprovedthepoliticalexpertswrong.inthiscampaign,fritzmondaleandihaveputourfaithinthepeople.andwearegoingtoprovetheexpertswrongagain.wearegoingtowin.wearegoingtowinbecauseamericansacrossthiscountrybelieveinthesamebasicdream.lastweek,ivisitedelmore,minnesota,thesmalltownwherefritzmondalewasraised.andsoonfritzandjoanwillvisitourfamilyinqueens.ninehundredpeopleliveinelmore.inqueens,thereare2,000peopleononeblock.youwouldthinkwewouldbedifferent,butwerenot.childrenwalktoschoolinelmorepastgrainelevators;inqueens,theypassbysubwaystops.but,nomatterwheretheylive,theirfuturedependsoneducation,andtheirparentsarewillingtodotheirparttomakethoseschoolsasgoodastheycanbe.inelmore,therearefamilyfarms;inqueens,smallbusinesses.butthemenandwomenwhorunthemalltakeprideinsupportingtheirfamiliesthroughhardworkandinitiative.onthe4thofjulyinelmore,theyhangflagsoutonmainstreet;inqueens,theyflythemovergrandavenue.butallofusloveourcountry,andstandreadytodefendthefreedomthatitrepresents.americanswanttolivebythesamesetofrules.butunderthisadministration,therulesareriggedagainsttoomanyofourpeople.itisntrightthateveryyeartheshareoftaxespaidbyindividualcitizensisgoingup,whilethesharepaidbylargecorporationsisgettingsmallerandsmaller.therulessay:everyoneinoursocietyshouldcontributetheirfairshare.itisntrightthatthisyearronaldreaganwillhandtheamericanpeopleabillforinterestonthenationaldebtlargerthantheentirecostofthefederalgovernmentunderjohnf.kennedy.ourparentsleftusagrowingeconomy.therulessay:wemustnotleaveourkidsamountainofdebt.itisntrightthatawomanshouldgetpaid59centsonthedollarforthesameworkasaman.ifyouplaybytherules,youdeserveafairdayspayforafairdayswork.itisntrightthat,iftrendscontinue,bytheyear2000nearlyallofthepoorpeopleinamericawillbewomenandchildren.therulesofadecentsocietysay:whenyoudistributesacrificeintimesofausterity,youdontputwomenandchildrenfirst.itisntrightthatyoungpeopletodayfeartheywontgetthesocialsecuritytheypaidfor,andthatolderamericansfearthattheywilllosewhattheyhavealreadyearned.socialsecurityisacontractbetweenthelastgenerationandthenext,andtherulessay:youdontbreakcontracts.wearegoingtokeepfaithwitholderamericans.wehammeredoutafairpromiseinthecongresstosavesocialsecurity.everygroupsacrificedtokeepthesystemsound.itistimeronaldreaganstoppedscaringourseniorcitizens.itisntrightthatyoungcouplesquestionwhethertobringchildrenintoaworldof50,000nuclearwarheads.thatisntthevisionforwhichamericanshavestruggledformorethantwocenturies.andourfuturedoesnthavetobethatway.changeisintheair,justassurelyaswhenjohnkennedybeckonedamericatoanewfrontier;whensallyriderocketedintospace;andwhenreverendjessejacksonranfortheofficeofpresidentoftheunitedstates.bychoosingawomantorunforournationssecondhighestoffice,yousendapowerfulsignaltoallamericans:therearenodoorswecannotunlock.wewillplacenolimitsonachievement.ifwecandothis,wecandoanything.tonight,wereclaimourdream.wearegoingtomaketherulesofamericanlifeworkfairlyforallamericansagain.toanadministrationthatwouldhaveusdebatealloveragainwhetherthevotingrightsactshouldberenewedandwhethersegregatedschoolsshouldbetaxexempt,wesay,mr.president:thosedebatesareover.ontheissueofcivilrights,votingrights,andaffirmativeactionforminorities,wemustnotgobackwards.wemust-andwewill-moveforwardtoopenthedoorsofopportunity.tothosewhounderstandthatourcountrycannotprosperunlesswedrawonthetalentsofallamericans,wesay:wewillpasstheequalrightsamendment.theissueisnotwhatamericacandoforwomen,butwhatwomencandoforamerica.totheamericanswhowillleadourcountryintothe21stcentury,wesay:wewillnothaveasupremecourtthatturnstheclockbacktothe19thcentury.tothoseconcernedaboutthestrengthofamericanandfamilyvalues,asiam,isay:wearegoingtorestorethosevalues-love,caring,partnership-byincluding,andnotexcluding,thosewhosebeliefsdifferfromourown.becauseourownfaithisstrong,wewillfighttopreservethefreedomoffaithforothers.tothoseworkingamericanswhofearthatbanks,utilities,andlargespecialinterestshavealockonthewhitehouse,wesay:joinus;letselectapeoplespresident;andletshavegovernmentbyandfortheamericanpeopleagain.toanadministrationthatwouldsavagestudentloansandeducationatthedawnofanewtechnologicalage,wesay:youfittheclassicdefinitionofacynic;youknowthepriceofeverything,butthevalueofnothing.toourstudentsandtheirparents,wesay:wewillinsistonthehigheststandardsofexcellence,becausethejobsofthefuturerequireskilledminds.toyoungamericanswhomaybecalledtoourcountrysservice,wesay:weknowyourgenerationwillproudlyanswerourcountryscall,aseachgenerationbeforeyou.thispastyear,werememberedthebraveryandsacrificeofamericansatnormandy.andwefinallypaidtribute-asweshouldhavedoneyearsago-tothatunknownsoldierwhorepresentsallthebraveyoungamericanswhodiedinvietnam.letnoonedoubt,wewilldefendamericassecurityandthecauseoffreedomaroundtheworld.butwewantapresidentwhotellsuswhatamericasfightingfor,notjustwhatwearefightingagainst.wewantapresidentwhowilldefendhumanrights,notjustwhereitisconvenient,butwhereverfreedomisatrisk-fromchiletoafghanistan,frompolandtosouthafrica.tothosewhohavewatchedthisadministrationsconfusioninthemiddleeast,asithastiltedfirsttowardoneandthenanotherofisraelslong-timeenemiesandwonder:willamericastandbyherfriendsandsisterdemocracy?wesay:americaknowswhoherfriendsareinthemiddleeastandaroundtheworld.americawillstandwithisraelalways.finally,wewantapresidentwhowillkeepamericastrong,butusethatstrengthtokeepamericaandtheworldatpeace.anuclearfreezeisnotaslogan:itisatoolforsurvivalinthenuclearage.i