Bankruptcy

Link to an Archive for Speeches

By J. Michael McBride

For those of you who, like me, occasionally delve into political history, here is a great link to add to your favorites: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/

It is an online speech bank. It lists the top 100 speeches according to scholars of American History. For example, if you want to see what all the Obamamania fuss is about, here is Sen. Obama's keynote speech to the 2004 Democratic Convention:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2004/barackobama2004dnc.htm

How about Barbara Jordan's speech to the Democratic Convention in 1976? It is here: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/barbarajordan1976dnc.html .

The top 100 speeches according to this site's historians are listed here, but you will need to go back to the rhetoric site to hear or read them :http://www.news.wisc.edu/misc/speeches/ . Speeches by Lou Gehrig, Woodrow Wilson, Richard Nixon (address to the nation on the Cambodian Incursion and his famous "Checkers" speech are there), JFK, Malcolm X, FDR, MLK, Huey Long, Eugene Debs -- and many others are listed there. Here is a quote from a speech by Margaret Sanger on the suject of birth control:

"The third [group of humans] are those irresponsible and reckless ones having little regard for the consequence of their acts, or whose religious scruples prevent their exercising control over their numbers. Many of this group are diseased, feeble-minded, and are of the pauper element dependent entirely upon the normal and fit members of society for their support. There is no doubt in the minds of all thinking people that the procreation of this group should be stopped. For if they are not able to support and care for themselves, they should certainly not be allowed to bring offspring into this world for others to look after. We do not believe that filling the earth with misery, poverty and disease is moral. And it is our desire and intention to carry on our crusade until the perpetuation of such conditions has ceased.

We desire to stop at its source the disease, poverty and feeble-mindedness and insanity which exist today, for these lower the standards of civilization and make for race deterioration. [sounds a little like Hitler?] We know that the masses of people are growing wiser and are using their own minds to decide their individual conduct. The more people of this kind we have, the less immorality shall exist. For the more responsible people grow, the higher do they and shall they attain real morality."

And here is a link to that talk made in 1921: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/margaretsangermoralityofbirthcontrol.htm

Finally, please do not think that by quoting this that I agree with the notions stated therein! It does make for very interesting and illuminating reading.

It is a great site--happy Friday!

Michael

Full post as published by Texas Lawyer Blog on February 15, 2008 (boomark / email).