7 Points of Dissent

[H2O Man]

"It is not enough to allow dissent. We must demand it. For there is much to dissent from.

"We dissent from the fact that millions are trapped in poverty while the nation grows rich.

"We dissent from the conditions and hatreds which deny a full life to our fellow citizens because of the color of their skin.

"We dissent from the monstrous absurdity of a world where nations stand poised to destroy one another, and men must kill their fellow men.

"We dissent from the sight of most of mankind living in poverty, stricken by disease, threatened by hunger and doomed to an early death after a life of unremitting labor.

"We dissent from cities which blunt our senses and turn the ordinary acts of daily life into a painful struggle.

"We dissent from the willful, heedless destruction of natural pleasure and beauty.

"We dissent from all these structures – of technology and of society itself – which strip from the individual the dignity and warmth of sharing in the common tasks of his community and his country."
--Senator Robert F. Kennedy; October 22, 1966

John Edwards delivered a great speech yesterday. It spoke to the values of the progressive and liberal democratic community. Regardless of which candidate DUers supported at the beginning of the democratic primary contest, or which of the two we support today, the Edwards speech can be appreciated for expressing dissent from the Bush-Cheney policies that have damaged our nation.

In the months after the 2004 election loss, John Edwards engaged in an intense study of the career of Robert Kennedy. The influence of RFK showed in the way that Edwards campaigned in this primary contest. More, it has been evident in his actions since he dropped out of the contest.

Last fall, I used parts of this RFK speech at the Berkley campus of the University of California to illustrate why I was supporting John Edwards’s candidacy. It is, along with his South African speech, one of the most eloquent presentations from the 1960s. I use it again today, as a tribute to John Edwards, for his recognizing that there is some unfinished business that our nation needs to attend to. I understand that he will become the US Attorney General in the Obama administration, and I believe that appointment will be one of the most progressive things to happen in Washington, DC in over 40 years.

[AlabamaBrightBlueDot]

1. Quoted text...

I understand that he will become the US Attorney General in the Obama administration, and I believe that appointment will be one of the most progressive things to happen in Washington, DC in over 40 years.

I hope that this is a correct statement as I too believe that this would be a positive direction for our country.

[Window]

2. K/R.

:kick:

[mmonk]

3. Well you know how I feel about RFK and his speeches.

And it seems they are timeless.

[H2O Man]

4. Yep.

When Edwards was saying, "and that's not okay," I was thinking of RFK's "and that is unacceptable."

[myrna minx]

5. It was such a delight to see John Edwards in the spotlight again.

I was initially an Edwards supporter. I can't wait to have him as the AG in the Obama Administration.

[H2O Man]

7. I had supported him

in 2004, and really hoped our ticket would be Edwards/Clark. And I came to admire him even more when I read about how RFK was such an influence on him in the period after the '04 election. So at the beginning of the primary season, while I wanted to hear from all of the candidates, I favored John Edwards.

[antigop]

6. Oh, wow....Edwards for US AG. That would be wonderful. n/t

[bleever]

8. "one of the most progressive things to happen in Washington, DC in over 40 years."

Amen!

A far, far cry from the dark days we have been forced to endure these last seven years.