Obama Remarks Vermont Baptist

[sandnsea]

Youtube and Transcript, What a great speech.
http://obama-mamas.com/blog/?p=1031

"You know, folks ask me sometimes why I look so calm. (Laughter.) They say, all this stuff coming at you, how come you just seem calm? And I have a confession to make here. There are times where I’m not so calm. (Laughter.) Reggie Love knows. My wife knows. There are times when progress seems too slow. There are times when the words that are spoken about me hurt. There are times when the barbs sting. There are times when it feels like all these efforts are for naught, and change is so painfully slow in coming, and I have to confront my own doubts.

But let me tell you — during those times it’s faith that keeps me calm. (Applause.) It’s faith that gives me peace. The same faith that leads a single mother to work two jobs to put a roof over her head when she has doubts. The same faith that keeps an unemployed father to keep on submitting job applications even after he’s been rejected a hundred times. The same faith that says to a teacher even if the first nine children she’s teaching she can’t reach, that that 10th one she’s going to be able to reach. The same faith that breaks the silence of an earthquake’s wake with the sound of prayers and hymns sung by a Haitian community. A faith in things not seen, in better days ahead, in Him who holds the future in the hollow of His hand. A faith that lets us mount up on wings like eagles; lets us run and not be weary; lets us walk and not faint."

[Pirate Smile]

1. It was great. If anyone missed it, please watch. It is really, really good.

[shadesofgray]

2. I don't give a shit about his "faith." I want a president, not a fucking preacher!

[Cha]

5. I don't give a shit what you want.

[firedupdem]

8. don't you sound cool. n.t

[sandnsea]

9. Oh, you want to take action

This part is for you. In reference to lessons from how our elders made change.

"Let me offer a few thoughts on this. First and foremost, they did so by remaining firm in their resolve. Despite being threatened by sniper fire or planted bombs, by shoving and punching and spitting and angry stares, they adhered to that sweet spirit of resistance, the principles of nonviolence that had accounted for their success.

Second, they understood that as much as our government and our political parties had betrayed them in the past — as much as our nation itself had betrayed its own ideals — government, if aligned with the interests of its people, can be — and must be — a force for good. So they stayed on the Justice Department. They went into the courts. They pressured Congress, they pressured their President. They didn’t give up on this country. They didn’t give up on government. They didn’t somehow say government was the problem; they said, we’re going to change government, we’re going to make it better. Imperfect as it was, they continued to believe in the promise of democracy; in America’s constant ability to remake itself, to perfect this union.

Third, our predecessors were never so consumed with theoretical debates that they couldn’t see progress when it came. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when folks just don’t want to see that even if we don’t get everything, we’re getting something. (Applause.) King understood that the desegregation of the Armed Forces didn’t end the civil rights movement, because black and white soldiers still couldn’t sit together at the same lunch counter when they came home. But he still insisted on the rightness of desegregating the Armed Forces. That was a good first step — even as he called for more. He didn’t suggest that somehow by the signing of the Civil Rights that somehow all discrimination would end. But he also didn’t think that we shouldn’t sign the Civil Rights Act because it hasn’t solved every problem. Let’s take a victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps, large and small, were recognized for what they were — which was progress.

Fourth, at the core of King’s success was an appeal to conscience that touched hearts and opened minds, a commitment to universal ideals — of freedom, of justice, of equality — that spoke to all people, not just some people. For King understood that without broad support, any movement for civil rights could not be sustained. That’s why he marched with the white auto worker in Detroit. That’s why he linked arm with the Mexican farm worker in California, and united people of all colors in the noble quest for freedom."

[shadesofgray]

14. I'll take justice and equality. You can keep your faith fairytale.

[FrenchieCat]

16. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a man of Faith.....

as was Gahndi.

They were the greatest people to stand for Justice and Equality.

[Usrename]

19. Can you achieve justice and equality without some measure of faith?

We are not all equal in every aspect, nor can we be. So how is this equality established without faith?

[firedupdem]

3. Thanks again....I read the transcript on your blog and it was an

excellent message.

[babylonsister]

4. Thanks for this; I need to hear this speech! Rec'd! nt

[HopeOverFear]

6. beautiful

[proud patriot]

18. That's the word that came to me as well

Beautiful

[DrToast]

7. I'd rather see him fight than rely on "faith" that everything will end up a-okay

Basically he's saying that if you have faith, it doesn't matter who the President is. It will all work out in the end!

[sandnsea]

10. See #9 and click before you speak n/t

[DrToast]

15. Obama continues to misunderstand the criticisms against him

Third, our predecessors were never so consumed with theoretical debates that they couldn’t see progress when it came. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when folks just don’t want to see that even if we don’t get everything, we’re getting something.

Nonsense. People understand politics. They know you can't always get what you want. But the people want to feel that you did everything you could to get it.

When you can't even be bothered to TRY and convince Joe Lieberman to vote your way, people aren't going to be convinced that you did everything you could. If I honestly believe Obama fought as hard as he could, I wouldn't be disappointed in the health care bill, among other things.

[sandnsea]

17. This fight has been going on nearly a year

It's mind boggling for anybody who claims to know how politics works to believe that Obama didn't do everything he could to get the best bill possible.

Again, we could have rallied around Kennedy's bill back in June, but the same people who are bitching now were bitching about that bill then. There are people who don't do anything except bitch. If you gave them Canadian single payer, they'd bitch because it didn't include dental and prescriptions, in fact those were some of the gripes about the Kennedy bill in June.

Stop bitching and start working.

[firedupdem]

13. Did you listen to the remarks or read the transcript? At no time

did the president say or even hint that faith works it all out. What he talked about was not quitting, or throwing in the towel when things aren't exactly as you would like them to be.

[Cha]

11. Thanks, I just heard it and it's a wonderful tribute to MLK and

our country's struggles..we will get through this as with every challenge we've had.

<snips>

"What we need to do is to just ask what lessons we can learn from those earlier generations about how they sustained themselves during those hard winters, how they persevered and prevailed. Let us in this Joshua generation learn how that Moses generation overcame.

Let me offer a few thoughts on this. First and foremost, they did so by remaining firm in their resolve. Despite being threatened by sniper fire or planted bombs, by shoving and punching and spitting and angry stares, they adhered to that sweet spirit of resistance, the principles of nonviolence that had accounted for their success.

Second, they understood that as much as our government and our political parties had betrayed them in the past — as much as our nation itself had betrayed its own ideals — government, if aligned with the interests of its people, can be — and must be — a force for good. So they stayed on the Justice Department. They went into the courts. They pressured Congress, they pressured their President. They didn’t give up on this country. They didn’t give up on government. They didn’t somehow say government was the problem; they said, we’re going to change government, we’re going to make it better. Imperfect as it was, they continued to believe in the promise of democracy; in America’s constant ability to remake itself, to perfect this union.

Third, our predecessors were never so consumed with theoretical debates that they couldn’t see progress when it came. Sometimes I get a little frustrated when folks just don’t want to see that even if we don’t get everything, we’re getting something. (Applause.) King understood that the desegregation of the Armed Forces didn’t end the civil rights movement, because black and white soldiers still couldn’t sit together at the same lunch counter when they came home. But he still insisted on the rightness of desegregating the Armed Forces. That was a good first step — even as he called for more. He didn’t suggest that somehow by the signing of the Civil Rights that somehow all discrimination would end. But he also didn’t think that we shouldn�t sign the Civil Rights Act because it hasn�t solved every problem. Let’s take a victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps, large and small, were recognized for what they were — which was progress."

http://mydd.com/users/sandy/posts/obama-mlk-remarks-vermont-baptist

[FrenchieCat]

12. Thank you!