US and the World

What Sharpton really said

A couple days ago I put up the Reverend Al Sharpton's prepared remarks for the Democratic National Convention, but mentioned I could not find a transcript of what he actually said. See, what he said was more than twice as long as what he told the DNC he was going to say - and much more volatile - and, I, for one, loved it. Well yesterday Don King sent me a copy of what he actually said. So I have put the two side-by-side on a separate page - the original text and the transcript. Of course Sharpton is better being heard in the context of the convention, than being read - but I still think it makes for interesting reading. You'll find it here. Thanks Don.

Meanwhile, here's the part of his actual remarks that really got me excited - the part where he was directly answering President Bush.

Mr. President, as I close, Mr. President, I heard you say Friday that you had questions for voters, particularly African- American voters. And you asked the question: Did the Democratic Party take us for granted? Well, I have raised questions. But let me answer your question.

You said the Republican Party was the party of Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. It is true that Mr. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, after which there was a commitment to give 40 acres and a mule.

That's where the argument, to this day, of reparations starts. We never got the 40 acres. We went all the way to Herbert Hoover, and we never got the 40 acres.

We didn't get the mule. So we decided we'd ride this donkey as far as it would take us.

Mr. President, you said would we have more leverage if both parties got our votes, but we didn't come this far playing political games. It was those that earned our vote that got our vote. We got the Civil Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the Voting Rights Act under a Democrat. We got the right to organize under Democrats.

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. Our vote was soaked in the blood of martyrs, soaked in the blood of Goodman, Chaney and Schwerner, 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.

Mr. President, in all due respect, Mr. President, read my lips: Our vote is not for sale.

I love that line about the donkey!