Sharpton Speech Draws Standing Ovations

[DrFunkenstein]

BOSTON - Al Sharpton, who failed in his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination, told the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night that he was living proof that kids can grow up poor and make it in America.

Sharpton repeatedly departed from his prepared text — text that had been scrubbed by John Kerry's staff — and the amended message resonated with the delegates who interrupted his address with cheers and applause repeatedly.

One of many standing ovations went on for a minute after he told delegates that after the nation failed to deliver on Civil War-era promises of "40 acres and mule" to freed slaves, "we didn't get the mule so we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us."

"Mr. President, the reason we are fighting so hard, the reason we took Florida so seriously, is our right to vote wasn't gained because of our age," Sharpton said. "Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of good men, soaked in the blood of four little girls in Birmingham. This vote is sacred to us. This vote can't be bargained away. This vote can't be given away. In all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale."

He drew one of the biggest responses when he said: "The issue of government is not to determine who may sleep together in the bedroom, it's to help those that might not be eating in the kitchen."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&e=1&u=/ap/20040729/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_former_rivals

[lastknowngood]

1. Screw the repug shill

n/t

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[lastknowngood]

3. Thanks if truth needs to be ignored then have at it

n/t

[LWolf]

4. I've always loved hearing Al

but tonight was the best I've ever heard him. He is one of the best speakers we've got.

:thumbsup:

[TexasSissy]

5. Ditto. It wasn't a mealy mouthed platitude-filled speech. It was from

the heart. The crowd went wild. I rooted from my chair in the den. It was great.

[Laughing Mirror]

6. The idea that Kerry's staff would try scrubbing Sharpton's speech

for whatever assinine reason is astounding to me. As if Sharpton would merely recite what they want him to say.

I am one of those poor people from broken homes in the ghetto that Al Sharpton never leaves out of his speeches or out of his heart. We vote Democrat. Al Sharpton represents us. Go Al! We'd be a lot worse off without you.

[non sociopath skin]

7. Watching the Democratic Convention for the first time ever ...

... courtesy of the BBC Parliament channel who are not only screening live coverage but re-running the whole thing during BST daytime the following day.

Al Sharpton was brilliant, by far the best and most charismatic speaker in a not-unimpressive line-up. I'm a mite cynical these days and it takes one helluva a good political speech to move me to tears but the Rev. Al (with a little help from the much-missed Brother Ray) did it for me.

I was pretty impressed by Barak Obama too. Good to see talented young men like that on the way up.

The Skin

[LuLu550]

8. Sharpton Rocked!

The part about the right of African Americans to vote begin soaked in blood of martyrs gave me chills.

[MISSDem]

9. Al Sharpton gave the best speech

of the week, so far. And that's saying a lot, considering the really great Obama speech, among others.