经典英文演讲100篇10.docx
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经典英文演讲100篇10.docx
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经典英文演讲100篇10
LyndonBainesJohnson:
"WeShallOvercome"Mr.Speaker,Mr.President,MembersoftheCongress:
Ispeaktonightforthedignityofmanandthedestinyofdemocracy.Iurgeeverymemberofbothparties,Americansofallreligionsandofallcolors,fromeverysectionofthiscountry,tojoinmeinthatcause.Attimeshistoryandfatemeetatasingletimeinasingleplacetoshapeaturningpointinman'sunendingsearchforfreedom.SoitwasatLexingtonandConcord.SoitwasacenturyagoatAppomattox.SoitwaslastweekinSelma,Alabama.There,long-sufferingmenandwomenpeacefullyprotestedthedenialoftheirrightsasAmericans.Manywerebrutallyassaulted.Onegoodman,amanofGod,waskilled.
ThereisnocauseforprideinwhathashappenedinSelma.Thereisnocauseforself-satisfactioninthelongdenialofequalrightsofmillionsofAmericans.Butthereiscauseforhopeandforfaithinour
democracyinwhatishappeningheretonight.Forthecriesofpainandthehymnsandprotestsofoppressedpeoplehavesummonedintoconvocationallthemajestyofthisgreatgovernment--the
governmentofthegreatestnationonearth.Ourmissionisatoncetheoldestandthemostbasicofthiscountry:
torightwrong,todojustice,toserveman.
Inourtimewehavecometolivewiththemomentsofgreatcrisis.Ourliveshavebeenmarkedwithdebateaboutgreatissues--issuesofwarandpeace,issuesofprosperityanddepression.ButrarelyinanytimedoesanissuelaybarethesecretheartofAmericaitself.Rarelyarewemetwithachallenge,nottoourgrowthorabundance,orourwelfareoroursecurity,butrathertothevalues,andthepurposes,andthemeaningofourbelovednation.
TheissueofequalrightsforAmericanNegroesissuchanissue.
Andshouldwedefeateveryenemy,andshouldwedoubleourwealthandconquerthestars,andstillbeunequaltothisissue,thenwewillhavefailedasapeopleandasanation.Forwithacountryaswithaperson,"Whatisamanprofited,ifheshallgainthewholeworld,andlosehisownsoul?
"
ThereisnoNegroproblem.ThereisnoSouthernproblem.ThereisnoNorthernproblem.ThereisonlyanAmericanproblem.AndwearemetheretonightasAmericans--notasDemocratsorRepublicans.WearemethereasAmericanstosolvethatproblem.
Thiswasthefirstnationinthehistoryoftheworldtobefoundedwithapurpose.ThegreatphrasesofthatpurposestillsoundineveryAmericanheart,NorthandSouth:
"Allmenarecreatedequal,"
"governmentbyconsentofthegoverned,""givemelibertyorgivemedeath."Well,thosearenotjustcleverwords,orthosearenotjustemptytheories.IntheirnameAmericanshavefoughtanddiedfortwocenturies,andtonightaroundtheworldtheystandthereasguardiansofourliberty,riskingtheirlives.
Thosewordsareapromisetoeverycitizenthatheshallshareinthedignityofman.Thisdignitycannotbefoundinaman'spossessions;itcannotbefoundinhispower,orinhisposition.Itreallyrestsonhisrighttobetreatedasamanequalinopportunitytoallothers.Itsaysthatheshallshareinfreedom,heshallchoosehisleaders,educatehischildren,provideforhisfamilyaccordingtohisabilityandhismeritsasahumanbeing.Toapplyanyothertest--todenyamanhishopesbecauseofhiscolor,orrace,orhisreligion,ortheplaceofhisbirthisnotonlytodoinjustice,itistodenyAmericaandtodishonorthedeadwhogavetheirlivesforAmericanfreedom.
Ourfathersbelievedthatifthisnobleviewoftherightsofmanwastoflourish,itmustberootedindemocracy.Themostbasicrightofallwastherighttochooseyourownleaders.Thehistoryofthiscountry,inlargemeasure,isthehistoryoftheexpansionofthatrighttoallofourpeople.Manyoftheissuesofcivilrightsareverycomplexandmostdifficult.Butaboutthistherecanandshouldbenoargument.EveryAmericancitizenmusthaveanequalrighttovote.
Thereisnoreasonwhichcanexcusethedenialofthatright.Thereisnodutywhichweighsmoreheavilyonusthanthedutywehavetoensurethatright.
YettheharshfactisthatinmanyplacesinthiscountrymenandwomenarekeptfromvotingsimplybecausetheyareNegroes.Everydeviceofwhichhumaningenuityiscapablehasbeenusedtodenythisright.TheNegrocitizenmaygotoregisteronlytobetoldthatthedayiswrong,orthehourislate,ortheofficialinchargeisabsent.Andifhepersists,andifhemanagestopresenthimselftotheregistrar,hemaybedisqualifiedbecausehedidnotspellouthismiddlenameorbecauseheabbreviatedawordontheapplication.Andifhemanagestofilloutanapplication,heisgivenatest.Theregistraristhesolejudgeofwhetherhepassesthistest.HemaybeaskedtorecitetheentireConstitution,orexplainthemostcomplexprovisionsofState
law.Andevenacollegedegreecannotbeusedtoprovethathecanreadandwrite.
Forthefactisthattheonlywaytopassthesebarriersistoshowawhiteskin.Experiencehasclearlyshownthattheexistingprocessoflawcannotovercomesystematicandingeniousdiscrimination.Nolawthatwenowhaveonthebooks--andIhavehelpedtoputthreeofthemthere--canensuretherighttovotewhenlocalofficialsaredeterminedtodenyit.Insuchacaseourdutymustbecleartoallofus.TheConstitutionsaysthatnopersonshallbekeptfromvotingbecauseofhisraceorhiscolor.WehaveallswornanoathbeforeGodtosupportandtodefendthatConstitution.Wemustnowactinobediencetothatoath.
Wednesday,IwillsendtoCongressalawdesignedtoeliminateillegalbarrierstotherighttovote.
ThebroadprinciplesofthatbillwillbeinthehandsoftheDemocraticandRepublicanleaderstomorrow.Aftertheyhavereviewedit,itwillcomehereformallyasabill.Iamgratefulforthisopportunitytocomeheretonightattheinvitationoftheleadershiptoreasonwithmyfriends,togivethemmyviews,andtovisitwithmyformer
colleagues.I'vehadpreparedamorecomprehensiveanalysisofthelegislationwhichIhadintendedtotransmittotheclerktomorrow,butwhichIwillsubmittotheclerkstonight.ButIwanttoreallydiscusswithyounow,briefly,themainproposalsofthislegislation.
Thisbillwillstrikedownrestrictionstovotinginallelections--Federal,State,andlocal--whichhavebeenusedtodenyNegroestherighttovote.Thisbillwillestablishasimple,uniformstandardwhichcannotbeused,howeveringenioustheeffort,tofloutourConstitution.ItwillprovideforcitizenstoberegisteredbyofficialsoftheUnitedStatesGovernment,iftheStateofficialsrefusetoregisterthem.Itwill
eliminatetedious,unnecessarylawsuitswhichdelaytherighttovote.Finally,thislegislationwillensurethatproperlyregisteredindividualsarenotprohibitedfromvoting.
IwillwelcomethesuggestionsfromalloftheMembersofCongress--IhavenodoubtthatIwillgetsome--onwaysandmeanstostrengthenthislawandtomakeiteffective.Butexperiencehas
plainlyshownthatthisistheonlypathtocarryoutthecommandoftheConstitution.
TothosewhoseektoavoidactionbytheirNationalGovernmentintheirowncommunities,whowanttoandwhoseektomaintainpurely
localcontroloverelections,theanswerissimple:
openyourpollingplacestoallyourpeople.
Allowmenandwomentoregisterandvotewhateverthecoloroftheirskin.
Extendtherightsofcitizenshiptoeverycitizenofthisland.Thereisnoconstitutionalissuehere.Thecommandofthe
Constitutionisplain.Thereisnomoralissue.Itiswrong--deadlywrong--todenyanyofyourfellowAmericanstherighttovoteinthiscountry.ThereisnoissueofStates'rightsornationalrights.Thereisonlythestruggleforhumanrights.Ihavenottheslightestdoubtwhatwillbeyouranswer.
ButthelasttimeaPresidentsentacivilrightsbilltotheCongress,itcontainedaprovisiontoprotectvotingrightsinFederalelections.Thatcivilrightsbillwaspassedaftereightlongmonthsofdebate.AndwhenthatbillcametomydeskfromtheCongressformysignature,theheartofthevotingprovisionhadbeeneliminated.Thistime,onthisissue,theremustbenodelay,ornohesitation,ornocompromisewithourpurpose.
Wecannot,wemustnot,refusetoprotecttherightofeveryAmericantovoteineveryelectionthathemaydesiretoparticipatein.Andweoughtnot,andwecannot,andwemustnotwaitanothereightmonthsbeforewegetabill.Wehavealreadywaitedahundredyearsandmore,andthetimeforwaitingisgone.
SoIaskyoutojoinmeinworkinglonghours--nightsandweekends,ifnecessary--topassthisbill.AndIdon'tmakethatrequestlightly.ForfromthewindowwhereIsitwiththeproblemsofourcountry,Irecognizethatfromoutsidethischamberistheoutragedconscienceofanation,thegraveconcernofmanynations,andtheharshjudgmentofhistoryonouracts.
Butevenifwepassthisbill,thebattlewillnotbeover.What
happenedinSelmaispartofafarlargermovementwhichreachesintoeverysectionandStateofAmerica.ItistheeffortofAmericanNegroestosecureforthemselvesthefullblessingsofAmericanlife.Theircausemustbeourcausetoo.Becauseit'snotjustNegroes,butreallyit'sallofus,whomustovercomethecripplinglegacyofbigotryandinjustice.
Andweshallovercome.
AsamanwhoserootsgodeeplyintoSouthernsoil,Iknowhow
agonizingracialfeelingsare.Iknowhowdifficultitistoreshapetheattitudesandthestructureofoursociety.Butacenturyhaspassed,morethanahundredyearssincetheNegrowasfreed.Andheisnotfullyfreetonight.
Itwasmorethanahundredyearsago
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