Thursday, July 15, 2004
BOND, JULIAN BOND
The following is an excerpt from the speech made by Julian Bond at the NAACP Convention in Philadelphia. The whole thing is a must read (http://www.naacp.org/news/releases/Bond04speech.pdf), but this is my favorite bit. He's referring to the early 1960's and the Civil rights movement.
"Those were the days when women and men of all races and
creeds worked together in the cause of civil rights.
Those were the days when good music was popular and
popular music was good.
Those were the days when the President picked the
Supreme Court and not the other way around.
Those were the days when we had a war on poverty, not a
war on the poor. Those were the days when patriotism
was a reason for open-eyed disobedience, not an excuse
for blind allegiance."
But, he goes on to say, those were NOT the "good old days". We haven't had them yet. But like me, Julian has hope:
"I believe in an integrated America - integrated jobs,
homes and schools. I believe in it enough to have spent
most of my life in its elusive pursuit. I think it is a
legal, moral and political imperative for America - a
matter of elemental justice, simple right waged against
historical wrong."
I urge those seven poeple who read my blogg to let their government know how disapointed we are in G.W. for ignoring this extremely important convention, and those who hosted it.
The following is an excerpt from the speech made by Julian Bond at the NAACP Convention in Philadelphia. The whole thing is a must read (http://www.naacp.org/news/releases/Bond04speech.pdf), but this is my favorite bit. He's referring to the early 1960's and the Civil rights movement.
"Those were the days when women and men of all races and
creeds worked together in the cause of civil rights.
Those were the days when good music was popular and
popular music was good.
Those were the days when the President picked the
Supreme Court and not the other way around.
Those were the days when we had a war on poverty, not a
war on the poor. Those were the days when patriotism
was a reason for open-eyed disobedience, not an excuse
for blind allegiance."
But, he goes on to say, those were NOT the "good old days". We haven't had them yet. But like me, Julian has hope:
"I believe in an integrated America - integrated jobs,
homes and schools. I believe in it enough to have spent
most of my life in its elusive pursuit. I think it is a
legal, moral and political imperative for America - a
matter of elemental justice, simple right waged against
historical wrong."
I urge those seven poeple who read my blogg to let their government know how disapointed we are in G.W. for ignoring this extremely important convention, and those who hosted it.
Comments:
The obligatory invite extended to W was nothing but a political election year trap that has become the no win situation it is to the Bush campaign. The NAACP has nothing but contempt for the Republican party and had Bush or any other Republican candidate actually accepted that invitation, they would have been shouted and jeered by the convention attendees before being able to utter a single word. It would have been nothing more than an attempt to embarrass the president. The NAACP is doing nothing but playing a small politically loaded card in an election year that doesn�t mean anything. If the NAACP wants to hear relevant conservative thought they ought to invite Bill Cosby to be a keynote addressee. I have much support for the struggle of minorities in this country and you know how strongly I believe in racial equality and most everything the NAACP alleges to be an advocate of, but embarrassing the president in the time of war is not something that I believe has any rationale. I know, I know� he does a good job of embarrassing himself, right? Certainly so, but give him credit for not walking into a situation like that would have been. There�s no point in talking to anybody when all they want to do is fight.
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