Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:00:00TO THIS COUNTRY DURING THE TIME THAT YOU WERE CARING THE MAIL
00:00:04DURING THE PANDEMIC?
00:00:06I THINK ALL OF US HAVE TO
00:00:10DELIBERATELY TRY TO REMEMBER HOW ISOLATING THOSE FIRST MONTHS OF
00:00:13THE PANDEMIC WERE. WE WERE ALL STUCK AT HOME.
00:00:16AND IF YOU LIVED IN THE SUBURBS OR MORE IMPORTANTLY, IN THE
00:00:20COUNTRYSIDE, THAT MEANT YOU WEREN'T GOING INTO TOWN.
00:00:24YOU WEREN'T BUMPING INTO NEIGHBORS AT THE GROCERY STORE.
00:00:26YOU WERE COMPLETELY ISOLATED.
00:00:29AND IT'S IN THOSE NATIONAL EMERGENCIES THAT BE THEY
00:00:34HURRICANES OR TORNADOES OR ICE
00:00:37STORMS OR A PANDEMIC THAT THAT
00:00:40THE POSTAL SERVICE IS UNIQUE.
00:00:42STRENGTHS ACTUALLY COME INTO PLAY.
00:00:46IT WAS I OFTEN WAS THE ONLY
00:00:50PERSON THAT WASN'T A DIRECT FAMILY MEMBER THAT PEOPLE HAD
00:00:53SEEN DURING THOSE FIRST 6 OR 9 MONTHS OF THE PANDEMIC.
00:00:56YOU CAN WATCH THE REST OF THIS PROGRAM AND ALL OF OUR BOOK
00:01:00PROGRAMS ANY TIME ONLINE AT
00:01:02BOOKTV DOT ORG.
00:01:06BOOK TV CONTINUES NOW.
00:01:08TELEVISION FOR SERIOUS READERS.
00:01:12WELCOME TO EVERYONE GATHERED
00:01:14HERE AT ROOSEVELT HOUSE, AS WELL
00:01:16AS THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING ON
00:01:18BOTH ZOOM AND C-SPAN FOR WHAT
00:01:22PROMISES TO BE ONE OF THE MOST UNUSUAL PROGRAMS WE'VE DONE AT
00:01:26ROOSEVELT HOUSE. I FEEL A LOT OF ENERGY IN THIS
00:01:30ROOM, AND THE WEIGHT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING THIS
00:01:34WORK. WE'LL SEE. I WANT TO CERTAINLY THANK THE
00:01:38BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE WHO ARE
00:01:40JOIN US, WHO HAVE JOINED US ARE
00:01:43CHAIR RITA HAUSER IS HERE.
00:01:50JILLIAN SORENSEN IS HERE.
00:01:56I THINK SUSAN STEINHART IS HERE.
00:02:01YES. AND A FEW OTHERS WILL AMBLE IN. I'M HAROLD HOLZER AND I HAVE THE
00:02:04HONOR OF SERVING AS DIRECTOR OF
00:02:08ROOSEVELT HOUSE AND VICE.
00:02:13ON BEHALF OF HUNTER COLLEGE PRESIDENT NANCY CANTOR, WHO IS
00:02:17HERE WITH US THIS EVENING.
00:02:21IT'S A PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE A
00:02:25DISCUSSION THAT WILL BE AUGMENTED BY DRAMATIZATION,
00:02:29DRAWN FROM THE LATEST BOOK FROM A PULITZER PRIZE WINNING AUTHOR
00:02:32WHO HAS DEVOTED HIS CAREER TO
00:02:37EXPLORING AND, IN EFFECT, SUMMONING THE SOUL OF AMERICA,
00:02:41EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS FOR MANY TO BE MORE LIKE A LOST SOUL THAN A
00:02:45LIVING SPIRIT. IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO WELCOME
00:02:49TO WELCOME BACK. IN THIS CASE, SCHOLAR, WRITER,
00:02:53JOURNALIST, PUBLIC HISTORIAN, TELEVISION COMMENTATOR,
00:02:55PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER AND ORATOR IN HIS OWN RIGHT.
00:02:59THAT'S JUST ONE OF OUR GUESTS,
00:03:02THE MAN, WALTER ISAACSON HAS
00:03:04CALLED OUR PREEMINENT HISTORIAN
00:03:07OF AMERICAN VALUES, JOHN MEACHAM.
00:03:09AND I'LL.
00:03:16WHAT BRINGS US TOGETHER ALONG
00:03:19WITH OUR OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS, WHOM I'LL INTRODUCE A LITTLE BIT
00:03:22DOWN THE LINE, IS HIS NEW BOOK,
00:03:25AMERICAN STRUGGLE DEMOCRACY,
00:03:27DISSENT AND THE PURSUIT OF A
00:03:29MORE PERFECT UNION, AN ANTHOLOGY
00:03:33FILLED WITH SOME OF THE MOST
00:03:35EERILY RELEVANT, INSPIRING AND
00:03:39OCCASIONALLY DISPIRITING WORDS
00:03:41OF THE 400 YEARS OF AMERICAN
00:03:43HISTORY IT COVERS FROM A 1619 LETTER THAT SEEMS SO ORDINARY,
00:03:49COMMENTED ON THE ARRIVAL OF ENSLAVED AFRICANS TO JAMESTOWN
00:03:53TO A.
00:03:56225 TO 20 OVER 25. COMMENT A COMMENTARY ON
00:04:01AUTHORITARIANISM. AND IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO DESPAIR WRITING ENTRIES ARE JUST A
00:04:07WONDERFUL GOLDEN BOOK OF THE BEST OF US.
00:04:10WHEN WE REACH OUR BEST UPLIFTING
00:04:14SPEECHES THAT REMIND US AND JOHN'S WORDS THAT AMERICANS
00:04:18SCRIPTURE IS PERHAPS MOST DRAMATIC.
00:04:20WHILE THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT SEEMS MOST FRAGILE.
00:04:24SO TONIGHT, WE'LL HEAR AND DISCUSS WORDS THAT REMIND US OF
00:04:27BOTH THE FOUNDING AND PROMISE OF
00:04:31REMAINING CHALLENGES TO THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT, AND ALSO
00:04:35REMINDING US THAT AMERICAN
00:04:37POLARIZATION IS NOT NEW, THAT
00:04:41THE VOICES OF THE PAST, HOWEVER,
00:04:43CAN INFORM THE WISDOM THAT WE
00:04:47NEED FOR THE FUTURE AND MAKE PROPER CAUTION. IT THE PRESENT.
00:04:51SO TONIGHT, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE
00:04:54BOOK AND HEAR SOME OF THE WORDS.
00:04:56IT FEATURES NOT NOT THE CONTRARY
00:05:01AND THREATENING MESSAGES, ALAS, BECAUSE IT JUST WOULD TAKE TOO
00:05:05MUCH TIME TO DIRECT YOU. AND THEN RE INSPIRE YOU.
00:05:09SO WE'RE JUST GOING TO DO THE BEST OF THE BEST, BUT WE'LL TALK
00:05:11ABOUT ALL AND WHAT A SPECIAL
00:05:16TREAT IT IS TO BE INTRODUCING THIS FORMAT AND THE ONE TIME
00:05:19HOME OF TWO OF THE AMERICAN
00:05:23ORIGINALS WHOSE WORDS ANIMATE THIS BOOK AND WHOSE WORDS WE
00:05:25WILL HEAR TONIGHT. FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT.
00:05:29AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, FDR RECOVERED FROM POLIO IN THIS
00:05:33HOUSE, RAN HIS GUBERNATORIAL CAMPAIGNS AND HIS FIRST
00:05:37PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. FROM HERE, GAVE HIS FIRST
00:05:40FIRESIDE CHAT UPSTAIRS AND
00:05:43WORKED WITH HIS BRAIN TRUST TWO
00:05:45FLOORS ABOVE US TO FORGE THE NEW
00:05:47DEAL AND ELEANOR LAUNCHED HER
00:05:51OWN PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER UNDER THIS ROOF.
00:05:55IF ONLY AT FIRST TO ESCAPE. THE MOTHER IN LAW WHO BUILT THIS
00:05:59HOME AND THEN EXTENDED HER DOMINANCE.
00:06:03BUT ABOVE ALL, WE'RE GRATEFUL THAT JON MEACHAM IS BACK.
00:06:06HE HOLDS THE ROGERS ENDOWED
00:06:08CHAIR AT ON THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY AT VANDERBILT
00:06:12UNIVERSITY AND ALSO SERVES AS
00:06:14CANON HISTORIAN OF THE
00:06:17WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL. HE'S WRITTEN ABOUT PRESIDENTS
00:06:20THOMAS JEFFERSON, ANDREW JACKSON
00:06:23AND ABRAHAM LINCOLN, GEORGE H.W.
00:06:25BUSH, AND OF COURSE, FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.
00:06:28HIS ENTRY TO THE HOUSE AMONG HIS
00:06:29MANY AWARDS ARE NINE HONORARY
00:06:33DEGREES AND THE HONOR OF SPEAKING AT THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC
00:06:36NATIONAL CONVENTION. SO WE'LL SPEND SOME TIME TALKING
00:06:40WITH HIM AND THEN ADD THE PERFORMANCE ELEMENT WE THINK
00:06:43WILL BRING THE AMERICAN STRUGGLE TO LIFE AND WITH THAT, PLEASE
00:06:47WELCOME TO THE STAGE, MY DEAR
00:06:49FRIEND, JOHN MEACHAM.
00:07:01WHAT I TOOK AWAY FROM THAT IS I CAN'T HOLD A JOB.
00:07:07JESUS. IT'S A LOT OF JACK OF ALL TRADES. YEAH.
00:07:11YEAH. AND MASTER OF MANY. NO, NO, BUT WE'RE TRYING.
00:07:16SO, JOHN, WE'RE APPROACHING AMERICA.
00:07:19250, SO IT'S PROBABLY OBVIOUS
00:07:22WHY YOU PRODUCED THIS NEW BOOK
00:07:24WHEN YOU DID AND WHY YOU THINK
00:07:28IT'S IMPORTANT, BUT HOW DID YOU
00:07:30CHOOSE THE SPEECHES AND LETTERS
00:07:32THAT YOU INCLUDED ON BOTH THE UPLIFTING AND THE DISPIRITED VARIETY?
00:07:36WELL, THIS IS FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU TO HAROLD AND EVERYONE
00:07:40FOR HAVING ME BACK.
00:07:42AS SOMEONE WHO HAS A DIFFICULT
00:07:44MOTHER IN LAW, I LOVE BEING HERE.
00:07:48LET'S HOPE SHE DOESN'T EVER SEE
00:07:51THIS COULD BE A PROBLEM.
00:07:55AND JUST THERE'S NOTHING MORE
00:07:59IMPORTANT THAN THE TACTILE NATURE OF HISTORY AND THE
00:08:03PRESERVATION OF A PLACE LIKE
00:08:04THIS WHERE YOU CAN STAND AND SIT
00:08:10IN PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT'S CASE,
00:08:13WHERE EVERYTHING HAPPENED AND
00:08:17ONE OF THE THINGS I FIND AGAIN AND AGAIN AND PART OF THE
00:08:19IMPETUS BEHIND THIS BOOK WAS AND
00:08:23THERE'S AN EXTRAORDINARY HUNGER
00:08:24IN THE COUNTRY TO TALK ABOUT IT,
00:08:27BUT NOT TO TALK ABOUT HIM.
00:08:32ANTECEDENTS. IT'S CLEAR RIGHT?
00:08:34AND IN MANY WAYS, THIS BOOK IS A
00:08:36SEQUENTIAL VOLUME TO A BOOK I DID IN 2018 CALLED THE SOUL OF
00:08:41AMERICA, WHERE I ARGUED THAT THE
00:08:43SOUL WHICH IN HEBREW AND IN GREEK MEANS BREATH OR LIFE IS
00:08:47EXCEPT IN THE MOST EXTREME
00:08:49CASES, IS NOT WHOLLY GOOD OR
00:08:53WHOLLY EVIL. IT'S AN ARENA OF CONTENTION
00:08:56WHERE OUR WORST INSTINCTS DO
00:08:58BATTLE WITH OUR BETTER ANGELS. AND IF WE'RE LUCKY, OUR BETTER
00:09:02ANGELS WIN A FEW. NOW I KNOW YOU ALL ARE BETTER
00:09:06PEOPLE THAN I AM, WHICH IS NOT HARD. SO DON'T GET COCKY.
00:09:08BUT I KNOW THAT IF I DO THE RIGHT THING 51% OF THE TIME,
00:09:12THAT'S A HELL OF A GOOD DAY. AND I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY OF THOSE.
00:09:16AND SO WHY WOULD A POPULAR
00:09:18GOVERNMENT THAT'S BASED ON OUR
00:09:20DISPOSITIONS OF HEART AND MIND,
00:09:23A DEMOCRACY, WHY WOULD THAT BE ANY DIFFERENT?
00:09:26AND SO WITHOUT UNDER STANDING
00:09:30THESE STRUGGLES WHICH ARE
00:09:32PERENNIAL AND ARE FUNDAMENTAL
00:09:35HUMAN DEMOCRACIES ARE ABOUT GIVE AND TAKE.
00:09:39AND IT'S A HELL OF A LOT MORE
00:09:40FUN TO TAKE THAN TO GIVE, RIGHT? EVER SINCE THE SECOND CHAPTER OF
00:09:45GENESIS, WE'VE BEEN TAKING A PIECE OF FRUIT.
00:09:48WE WERE TOLD NOT TO TAKE IT. WE WANTED IT. WE TOOK IT.
00:09:50MAYHEM ENSUES.
00:09:52RHYME AND SO WHAT I WANTED TO DO
00:09:56IN MANY WAYS IS GET OUT OF THE
00:09:58WAY IN THIS BOOK I TOLD A
00:10:01STUDENT AT VANDERBILT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, SHE ASKED WHAT
00:10:04THIS BOOK WAS ABOUT. AND I SAID, WELL, IT'S THE BEST
00:10:08BOOK I EVER XEROXED.
00:10:10AND AND SHE SAID, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
00:10:12SO THAT WASN'T GOOD.
00:10:16BUT I WANTED I WANTED I WANTED
00:10:18TO LET BOTH THE HEROES AND THE VILLAINS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
00:10:22AND THE SELECTION, SOME OF IT IS
00:10:26ESSENTIAL. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY OBVIOUS, BUT ESSENTIAL. BUT YOU PUBLISHED SOME THINGS
00:10:28THAT WERE THAT SURPRISED ME WHEN YOU DID JOE MCCARTHY AND OTHER
00:10:34THINGS. YEAH, WELL, YOU YEAH, I MEAN, IF WE WANT TO DO A HEROIC BOOK, THAT'S FINE.
00:10:38BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO LEARN FROM SAINTS. WE'RE GOING TO LEARN FROM
00:10:40SINNERS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM, WHICH IS GOOD GIVEN THE
00:10:43RELATIVE PROPORTION OF THE TWO IN THE POPULATION.
00:10:45THERE'S A LOT MORE TO LEARN. NO, I DON'T THINK WE I DON'T
00:10:49THINK WE DO OURSELVES ANY FAVORS AT THIS POINT BY EITHER
00:10:54PRETENDING OR ASSUMING THAT, BECAUSE THE REPUBLIC HAS
00:10:57ENDURED, IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO ENDURE.
00:10:59I DON'T THINK THAT'S AUTOMATIC AT ALL.
00:11:03I'M SOMETIMES ACCUSED OF BEING
00:11:05OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, WHICH REMINDS ME OF MY FAVORITE STORY ABOUT
00:11:09BEING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC.
00:11:11IT'S A QUICK STORY ABOUT GREAT TWEETS.
00:11:15IT'S LIKE FRENCH MILITARY VICTORIES IN THE 20TH CENTURY. IT DOESN'T TAKE VERY LONG.
00:11:19THERE AREN'T MANY OF THEM. BUT SOMEONE TWEETED OUT ABOUT A YEAR AGO THAT IF DORIS GOODWIN
00:11:23AND MR. ROGERS HAD HAD A ONE NIGHT STAND, I WOULD HAVE
00:11:28RESULTED AND I THOUGHT IT WAS
00:11:32GREAT, RIGHT. DORIS WAS KIND OF IRRITATED.
00:11:35SO SHE LEARNED HOW TO USE HER CELL PHONE. AND SHE CALLED ME AND IT POPPED
00:11:38UP AND I SAID, MOM, SHE SAID, THAT'S NOT FUNNY. AND I SAID, WHY ISN'T IT FUNNY?
00:11:42IS THAT THIS IS GREAT. SHE SAID, I DON'T MIND BEING YOUR MOTHER, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE A FLOOZY.
00:11:46AND I SAID, LOOK, YOU THOUGHT THE SNEAKERS AND THE SWEATER WERE HOT.
00:11:50IT'S OKAY. IT'S OKAY. WE DO HAVE TO SEE EACH OTHER AS
00:11:54NEIGHBORS. THAT'S THE CENTRAL INSIGHT. I BELIEVE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE
00:11:57FOUR FREEDOMS HERE AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM, A CENTRAL INSIGHT
00:12:01OF THE MAN WHO LIVED UPSTAIRS
00:12:04WAS THAT WHEN DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM WAS IN ITS HOUR OF
00:12:08MAXIMUM DANGER, TO USE A PHRASE
00:12:11THAT MR. SORENSON HELPED WITH,
00:12:14WE HAD A PRESIDENT WHO INSISTED
00:12:19THAT WE SEE EACH OTHER NOT AS
00:12:21ENEMIES IN THE SAME WAY WE DID
00:12:25IN HOLZER'S ERA.
00:12:26NOT WHAT KIND OF LITERALLY, BUT
00:12:30WITH LINCOLN, WE CAN HAVE RIVALS
00:12:33AND OPPONENTS. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE THOSE,
00:12:36BUT WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE ENEMIES BECAUSE OF IT.
00:12:39IF THE STAKES OF A DEMOCRACY ARE
00:12:42YOU DESTROY THE PERSON ON THE OTHER SIDE.
00:12:46THAT'S NOT DELIBERATIVE GOVERNMENT, RIGHT?
00:12:48THAT'S TOTAL WAR.
00:12:50AND THAT WAY MADNESS LIES.
00:12:54SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU ONE MORE QUESTION BEFORE WE INVITE OUR OUR COLLEAGUES TO JOIN US.
00:12:59BUT I WOULD LOVE YOU, THREE FOLKS, TO SIT. THERE ARE THREE SEATS HERE.
00:13:02SO THREE OF YOU MAY SIT.
00:13:05WHO IS YOU? I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT JEFFERSON AND LINCOLN.
00:13:08WHO ARE THE SURPRISE GREAT WRITER. IS THAT YOU?
00:13:12THAT YOU PUT INTO THE WELL, ONE OF MY FAVORITES IS AND HE WAS A
00:13:15VERY GOOD WRITER, NOT WILDLY
00:13:17ARTICULATE IN PERSON. AND YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER THIS.
00:13:21GEORGE H.W. BUSH, WHO WAS ON
00:13:27PAPER REALLY GOOD.
00:13:29AND HE LEFT A DIARY ENTRY ABOUT
00:13:33RUNNING INTO A HARD CORE RIGHT
00:13:38WING REPUBLICAN IN THE PRIMARIES
00:13:42OF 1988. AND IN THIS CASE, IT WAS A PAT ROBERTSON SUPPORTER.
00:13:46AND AS HE PUT IT, SHE WAS
00:13:49STARING THING AND MEAN AND HARSH.
00:13:52AND IT REMINDED HIM AS HE PUT
00:13:54IT, OF THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY
00:13:56BACK IN TEXAS IN THE EARLY 1960S.
00:14:00AND SO THAT WAS AN INTERESTING GLIMPSE OF THAT.
00:14:02AND THEN THERE'S THE LETTER WHERE GEORGE BUSH, AFTER THE
00:14:06NRA, SENT OUT A FUNDRAISING
00:14:10MAILER THAT CALLED AFTER
00:14:12OKLAHOMA CITY AND RUBY RIDGE
00:14:15THAT REFERRED TO FEDERAL AGENTS
00:14:17AS JACKBOOTED THUGS AND BUSH
00:14:21WENT INTO HIS OFFICE ON A SATURDAY MORNING IN HOUSTON, SAT DOWN, DIDN'T TALK TO ANYBODY
00:14:25ABOUT IT, AND WROTE A LETTER TO WAYNE LAPIERRE, RESIGNING AS A
00:14:28LIFE MEMBER OF THE NRA.
00:14:32AND HE SAID IT OFFENDS MY
00:14:34CONCEPT OF SERVICE TO COUNTRY TO
00:14:36REFER TO FEDERAL AGENTS IN TERMS
00:14:39THAT WE USED FOR THE NAZIS. AND SO THERE ARE THESE MOMENTS
00:14:44RIGHT? AND THE OTHER THING I KNOW WE'RE
00:14:47GOING TO HEAR IT, BUT I THOUGHT
00:14:48ELIZABETH CADY STANTON'S.
00:14:52TESTIMONY THIS IS THE BEST
00:14:55TESTIMONY EVER TO A CONGRESSIONAL HEARING WAS AMAZING.
00:14:58YEAH, THAT'S WHY WE SELECTED IT. EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE GIVEN THAT
00:15:01SURPRISE AWAY THAT A GREAT WELL, I'M HERE TO I'M HERE TO. YEAH.
00:15:04SO WE DON'T WANT TO UPSET PEOPLE.
00:15:06I THINK IT IS TIME NOW TO HEAR
00:15:09SOME SAMPLINGS FROM THE BOOK,
00:15:11FROM AMERICAN SCRIPTURE, AS IT WERE.
00:15:14AND WE'RE EXCITED AND FEEL VERY
00:15:17PRIVILEGED TO WELCOME TO AMAZING
00:15:21ACTORS TO ROOSEVELT HOUSE, ONE
00:15:24WHO HAS BEEN HERE BEFORE IS THE
00:15:26EXTRAORDINARY ACTOR AND WRITER
00:15:29STEPHEN LANG, A STAR OF SUCH
00:15:31STAGE TRIUMPHS AS A FEW GOOD MEN
00:15:33AND DEATH OF A SALESMAN AND.
00:15:40THE THE DANISH PLAY HAMLET,
00:15:46ALONG WITH HIS OWN ONE MAN SHOW ABOUT MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENTS
00:15:48CALLED BEYOND GLORY ON
00:15:52TELEVISION. NOW, IN THE SECOND SEASON OF AN
00:15:55AMAZING SERIES CALLED HOUSE OF DAVID. AND OF COURSE, FILMS LIKE
00:15:59TOMBSTONE AND GETTYSBURG AND THE
00:16:01RECENT DON'T BREATHE SERIES AND
00:16:05ALSO AS THE INDESTRUCTIBLE
00:16:07COLONEL IN THE AVATAR FRANCHISE.
00:16:11JOINING HIM THIS EVENING FOR HER FIRST VISIT TO ROOSEVELT HOUSE
00:16:15IS THE OSCAR TONY AND EMMY AWARD
00:16:19WINNING ACTRESS ELLEN BURSTYN,
00:16:21WHO MADE HER BROADCAST.
00:16:29WHO MADE HER BROADWAY DEBUT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT. AND YOU PROBABLY WON'T WHEN SHE
00:16:33COMES UP. 69 YEARS AGO AND HAS BEEN
00:16:36REGALING US WITH STORIES OF HER
00:16:39RECOLLECTIONS OF PEARL HARBOR DAY, WHICH INTERRUPTED HER
00:16:44BIRTHDAY. SHE'S THIS DECEMBER. SOME OF GAL SHE WON THE TONY FOR
00:16:47A SAME TIME NEXT YEAR.
00:16:49AND THE ACADEMY AWARD FOR ALICE
00:16:51DOESN'T LIVE HERE ANYMORE WITH
00:16:55ADDITIONAL NOMINATIONS FOR THE EXORCIST AND RESURRECTION, SHE
00:16:58ALSO HAS A NEW BOOK OUT CALLED
00:17:02POETRY. SHE SAYS IT BETTER. SO WE WE'RE KIND OF GLAD WE
00:17:05ASKED HER TO DO A POEM TONIGHT.
00:17:07AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME
00:17:09THAT LANGE AND BURSTYN HAVE APPEARED TOGETHER.
00:17:12HE PLAYED HER SON IN LAW IN A
00:17:16MOVIE CALLED TWICE IN A LIFETIME.
00:17:19AND THEIR THEIR SYNERGY WAS NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP THE MARRIAGE
00:17:22TOGETHER, BUT IT WAS A GREAT IT WAS A GREAT MOVIE. AND THEY'RE BOTH DEEPLY INVOLVED
00:17:26IN THE ACTORS STUDIO AND HAVE BEEN FOR MANY YEARS WITH WITH
00:17:30ELLEN BURSTYN AS AS THE PRESIDENT AND STEVEN ON THE BOARD.
00:17:33SO THIS IS THIS IS KIND OF ONCE IN A LIFETIME.
00:17:37SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING
00:17:39ELLEN BURSTYN AND STEVEN LAND.
00:17:59HELLO, EVERYBODY.
00:18:03SO WE'RE GOING TO START,
00:18:05APPROPRIATELY ENOUGH, WITH THE
00:18:07PREAMBLE TO THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
00:18:11JOHN, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU FIRST, JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT
00:18:14ABOUT JEFFERSON, THE IDEALIST, THE PRAGMATIST WHO, AS YOU PUT
00:18:18IT, COULDN'T MARSHAL HIS SENSE
00:18:20OF HOPE IN SERVICE TO REAL
00:18:24REFORM. I THINK THOSE ARE YOUR WORDS.
00:18:26HE WROTE BETTER THAN I DID, WHICH IS GOOD.
00:18:30THAT'S NOT A VERY ELEGANT SENTENCE. THAT'S MINE.
00:18:32YOU LOOK, THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS A POLITICIAN.
00:18:36THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT HIM. HE WANTED TO BE SEEN AS A
00:18:42PHILOSOPHER, BUT HE WAS
00:18:44INCONSISTENT BECAUSE HE WAS
00:18:46HUMAN AND HIS HE SPENT 40 YEARS
00:18:50OF BIBLICAL, 40 YEARS AMASSING
00:18:54AND WIELDING POLITICAL POWER AS
00:18:58A YOUNG MAN, 33 YEARS OLD.
00:19:01HE WROTE WHAT BECAME THE MOST
00:19:05IMPORTANT SENTENCE, I WOULD ARGUE ORIGINALLY RENDERED IN ENGLISH.
00:19:09AND HE DID IT NOT SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WAS A BRIGHT YOUNG POLITICIAN
00:19:12OF VIRGINIA, BUT BECAUSE HE HAD BEEN IN A KIND OF FIGURATIVE
00:19:15CONVERSATION WITH THE PREVIOUS THREE OR 4 OR 5 CENTURIES.
00:19:20GUTENBERG, THE REFORMATIONS, THE ENLIGHTENMENT. THIS ENTIRE REORIENTATION OF THE
00:19:24WORLD FROM BEING SEEN AS VERTICAL TO BEING SEEN AS MORE
00:19:26HORIZONTAL, HE COULDN'T APPLY IT
00:19:29FULLY TO EVERYONE, AND HE FAILED
00:19:33IN THAT. BUT AS MY FRIEND, OUR FRIEND,
00:19:35ANNETTE GORDON-REED LIKES TO SAY
00:19:38WHEN SHE'S ASKED ABOUT THIS, HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT FROM ONE
00:19:42PERSON? SO THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT WHEN
00:19:45THEY WERE READ IN CITY HALL PARK
00:19:47OF THE GROUP OF LISTENERS, TORE
00:19:50THEIR WAY DOWN TO THE TIP OF
00:19:53MANHATTAN AND HAULED DOWN THE
00:19:54STATUE OF KING GEORGE WHEN WORDS
00:19:57MATTERED, THE IN CONGRESS, JULY
00:20:034TH, 1776, WHEN IN THE COURSE OF
00:20:06HUMAN EVENTS, IT BECOMES NECESSARY FOR ONE PEOPLE TO
00:20:10DISSOLVE THE POLITICAL BANDS
00:20:12WHICH HAVE CONNECTED THEM WITH
00:20:14ANOTHER, AND TO ASSUME AMONG THE POWERS OF THE EARTH THE SEPARATE
00:20:19AND EQUAL STATION TO WHICH THE
00:20:21LAWS OF NATURE AND OF NATURE'S
00:20:24GOD ENTITLE THEM, A DECENT
00:20:28RESPECT TO THE OPINIONS OF MANKIND REQUIRES THAT THEY
00:20:31SHOULD DECLARE THE CAUSES WHICH
00:20:34IMPEL THEM TO THE SEPARATION.
00:20:38WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE
00:20:40SELF-EVIDENT, THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL, THAT THEY ARE
00:20:45ENDOWED BY THEIR CREATOR WITH CERTAIN AND ALIENABLE RIGHTS.
00:20:50THAT AMONG THESE ARE LIFE,
00:20:52LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS.
00:20:56THAT TO SECURE THESE RIGHTS, GOVERN MEN ARE INSTITUTED AMONG
00:21:00MEN, DERIVING THEIR JUST POWERS
00:21:03FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED.
00:21:06THAT WHENEVER ANY FORM OF
00:21:08GOVERNMENT BECOMES DESTRUCTIVE
00:21:10OF THESE ENDS, IT IS THE RIGHT OF THE PEOPLE TO ALTER OR TO
00:21:14ABOLISH IT AND TO INSTITUTE NEW GOVERNMENT, LAYING ITS
00:21:19FOUNDATION ON SUCH PRINCIPLES. AN ORGANIZING ITS POWERS IN SUCH
00:21:24FORM AS TO THEM SHALL SEEM MOST
00:21:27LIKELY TO EFFECT THEIR SAFETY
00:21:29AND HAPPINESS.
00:21:36SO.
00:21:40AND YET THE PHRASE COVERED LESS
00:21:43THAN HALF THE POPULATION. IT EXCLUDED ALL PEOPLE OF COLOR
00:21:47AND ALL WOMEN.
00:21:49SO WE'RE DOWN TO ABOUT 32%.
00:21:53SO HOW DO YOU ADDRESS THE SLOW
00:21:57MARCH TOWARD AS CLOSE AS WE'VE
00:22:00GOTTEN TO THAT IDEAL OF
00:22:04EQUALITY? IN THE BOOK? WELL, BY HAVING THE VOICES THAT
00:22:08DISSENTED FROM THE ASSUMPTION
00:22:13THAT FREEDOM WAS UNIVERSAL AT THE BEGINNING, IT WASN'T.
00:22:16AND SO THE MOVEMENT FOR SUFFRAGE, THE MOVEMENT FOR
00:22:20ABOLITION IN THE VERY NOT PARTICULARLY COMPELLING OR
00:22:25EFFECTIVE OPPOSITION TO THE REMOVAL OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
00:22:29PROTEST IS COZY EVIL WITH THE
00:22:33AMERICAN REVOLUTION.
00:22:3725% OF US DIDN'T WANT TO BREAK AWAY FROM BRITAIN.
00:22:39WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING SINCE THEN. ALL RIGHT.
00:22:43SO I THINK THE REMARKABLE THING.
00:22:46LOOK, I'M A BORINGLY HETERO, ASEXUAL, WHITE, SOUTHERN MALE,
00:22:50EPISCOPALIAN. I THINK THINGS WORK OUT FOR ME IN THIS COUNTRY. RIGHT.
00:22:53THE POINT OF THE COUNTRY IS THAT
00:22:55IT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK OUT FOR EVERYONE.
00:22:58AND IT'S TAKEN US TOO LONG TO
00:23:00RECOGNIZE AND REALIZE THE
00:23:03IMPLICATIONS OF THAT SENTENCE.
00:23:05BUT WE DID IT VOLUNTARILY,
00:23:11POWERFULLY, POWERFULLY. READ ONE POWERFULLY WRITTEN.
00:23:16AND IT WAS THE MISSION STATEMENT.
00:23:19AND EVERY EVERY GENERATION HAS,
00:23:22I THINK, BEEN ABLE TO JUDGE
00:23:25ITSELF BY THE DEGREE TO WHICH IT HAS FULFILLED IT OR THE DEGREE
00:23:28TO WHICH IT HAS FALLEN SHORT OF IT.
00:23:31AND THAT'S WHAT LINCOLN THOUGHT.
00:23:33AS YOU KNOW BETTER THAN I DO. YOU KNOW, HE SAID IT.
00:23:37YOU KNOW, HE PRAISED JEFFERSON
00:23:39FOR HAVING THE COOLNESS FOR
00:23:41CASTE AND CAPACITY TO INSERT INTO A MERELY REVOLUTIONARY
00:23:45DOCUMENT AN ABSTRACT TRUTH WHICH SHOULD AT ALL TIMES BE A
00:23:48STUMBLING BLOCK TO REAPPEARING
00:23:50TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION.
00:23:53AND AND WHEN DR. KING REACHED
00:23:57THE PERORATION OF THE MARCH ON
00:23:59WASHINGTON SERMON, WHAT DID HE SAY?
00:24:05LIVE UP TO YOUR CREED.
00:24:07JUST FOLLOW WHAT YOU SAID.
00:24:11AND THAT IS, IN FACT, THE
00:24:17STRUGGLE. SO I KNOW THAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN
00:24:19GLUED TO RECENT HOUSE TESTIMONY
00:24:23AND THE THE HIGH LEVEL OF
00:24:25REPARTEE AND DISCUSS IN THIS
00:24:32WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HEAR NOW FROM HIS BURSTON IS TESTIMONY IN
00:24:35THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BY ELIZABETH CADY STANTON AND HER
00:24:40APPEAL TO BROADEN THE PARAMETERS
00:24:43OF THE DECLARATION.
00:24:47IN DISCUSSING THE RIGHTS OF WOMAN.
00:24:51WE ARE TO CONSIDER FIRST WHAT
00:24:54BELONGS TO HER AS AN INDIVIDUAL
00:24:56IN A WORLD OF HER OWN.
00:24:58THE ARBITER OF HER OWN DESTINY,
00:25:02AN IMAGINARY ROBINSON CRUSOE
00:25:04WITH HER WOMAN FRIDAY ON A SOLITARY ISLAND.
00:25:08HER RIGHTS UNDER SUCH
00:25:12CIRCUMSTANCES ARE TO USE ALL HER
00:25:14FACULTIES FOR HER OWN SAFETY AND
00:25:19HAPPINESS.
00:25:21SECONDLY, IF WE CONSIDER HER AS
00:25:23A CITIZEN, AS A MEMBER OF A
00:25:25GREAT NATION, SHE MUST HAVE THE
00:25:29SAME RIGHTS AS ALL OTHER MEMBERS.
00:25:33THIRDLY, VIEWED AS THAT WOMAN AN
00:25:36EQUAL FACTOR IN CIVILIZATION,
00:25:40HER RIGHTS AND DUTIES ARE STILL THE SAME.
00:25:43INDIVIDUAL HAPPINESS AND DEVELOPMENT.
00:25:47THE STRONGEST REASON WHY WE ASK
00:25:50FOR WOMEN A VOICE, A VOICE IN
00:25:53THE GOVERNMENT UNDER WHICH SHE
00:25:55LIVES IN THE RELIGION. SHE IS ASKED TO BELIEVE.
00:26:01EQUALITY AND SOCIAL LIFE WHERE
00:26:01SHE IS THE SHE CHIEF FACTOR, A
00:26:05PLACE IN THE TRADES AND
00:26:08PROFESSIONS WHERE SHE MAY EARN
00:26:10HER BREAD IS BECAUSE OF HER
00:26:14BIRTHRIGHT TO SELF SOVEREIGNTY.
00:26:16BECAUSE AS AN INDIVIDUAL WILL,
00:26:19SHE MUST RELY ON HERSELF.
00:26:23NO MATTER HOW MUCH WOMEN PREFER
00:26:26TO BE PROTECTED AND SUPPORTED,
00:26:29NO MATTER HOW MUCH MEN DESIRE TO
00:26:31HAVE THEM DO SO, THEY MUST MAKE
00:26:35THE VOYAGE OF LIFE ALONE.
00:26:39AND FOR SAFETY IN AN EMERGENCY
00:26:42SEA, THEY MUST KNOW SOMETHING OF
00:26:45THE LAWS OF NAVIGATION TO GUIDE
00:26:49HER OWN CRAFT. WE MUST BE CERTAIN.
00:26:51WE MUST BE CAPTAIN, PILOT AND
00:26:55ENGINEER WITH CHART AND COMPASS
00:26:58TO STAND AT THE WHEEL TO MATCH
00:27:00THE WIND AND WAVES AND KNOW WHEN
00:27:02TO TAKE IN THE SAIL. IT MATTERS NOT WHETHER THE
00:27:08SOLITARY VOYAGER IS MANNED OR
00:27:14WOMAN.
00:27:19JOHN, YOU. YOU.
00:27:22YOU MENTIONED LINCOLN'S INTERPRETATION.
00:27:24YOU READ AN EARLY VERSION. AND OF COURSE, HE REACHES HIS
00:27:28OWN RHETORICAL APOGEE AND MAYBE
00:27:32THE AN EXTRAORDINARY RESURRECTION OF THE MEANING OF
00:27:35THE DECLARATION AT GETTYSBURG,
00:27:37WHERE YOU'VE SPOKEN NOT QUITE AS
00:27:40MEMORABLY, BUT YES, LESS LONGER,
00:27:45THOUGH. MUCH LONGER. MUCH LONGER. SO HOW DOES THAT FIT INTO THE
00:27:49AMERICAN GOSPEL, IN YOUR VIEW?
00:27:51WELL, WHAT'S STRIKING IS WHAT MISS BURSON READS IS THE
00:27:57INTELLECTUAL INSIGHT. YOU NOTICE THAT ABOUT THE
00:27:59HALFWAY MARK IS THE SOVEREIGNTY
00:28:01OF SELF.
00:28:03IT'S AN ECHO OF WHAT STEPHEN
00:28:07READ. WE ARE CREATED EQUAL.
00:28:10THERE IS A SOVEREIGNTY.
00:28:12THERE IS A INHERENT DIGNITY TO
00:28:15THE HUMAN SOUL.
00:28:17AND THE ENTIRE POINT OF THIS
00:28:20EXPERIMENT, WHICH IS UNDER SUCH
00:28:22STRESS AT THE MOMENT,
00:28:24ELECTIVELY, WE'VE CHOSEN 49.9%
00:28:27OF US HAVE CHOSEN TO DO THIS.
00:28:33THE EXPERIMENT WAS CREATED TO
00:28:38FULFILL WHAT HAD BEGUN WITH MAGNA CARTA.
00:28:41IT UNFOLDED THROUGH THE GLORIOUS REVOLUTION.
00:28:45THIS IDEA THAT, IN FACT, WE WERE
00:28:49CREATED EQUAL BEFORE THE BAR OF THE LAW, THE BAR OF HISTORY AND
00:28:52THE BAR OF GOD AND EVERY MOMENT
00:28:56THAT WE CELEBRATE IS A MOMENT
00:29:00WHERE WE HAVE MORE FULLY LIVED THAT OUT.
00:29:03AND EVERY MOMENT THAT WE ARE SHY
00:29:07ABOUT AND I WOULD ARGUE ASHAMED
00:29:11OF, IS ONE WHEN WE HAVE IT AGAIN, I'M A SOUTHERNER.
00:29:14AND SO IF EVERYBODY OF MY
00:29:18GENERATION WHO THINKS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE PETTUS BRIDGE
00:29:20WITH JOHN LEWIS INSTEAD OF AT THE FOOT OF THE BRIDGE WITH THE
00:29:24TROOPERS, IF EVERYBODY WHO THINKS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN ON
00:29:27THAT BRIDGE, NOBODY WOULD HAVE
00:29:28HAD TO BE ON THE BRIDGE RIGHT.
00:29:32AND SO I'M NOT THE POINT OF THIS
00:29:36BOOK. THE POINT OF THIS ARGUMENT IS NOT FOR US TO FEEL SUPERIOR TO
00:29:39THE PAST. QUITE THE OPPOSITE. I THINK WE SHOULD DRAW SOME
00:29:45INSPIRATION FROM THE FACT THAT
00:29:45THEY GOT SO MUCH WRONG RIGHT.
00:29:49AND SO IT'S SORT OF A I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S A RELIEF, BUT IT KIND OF IS.
00:29:53IT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GET EVERYTHING RIGHT.
00:29:57WE JUST NEED TO GET THAT ONE BIG THING RIGHT.
00:30:00ABRAHAM LINCOLN, WHAT, INTO 63,
00:30:0564 WAS OPEN TO SENDING BLACK
00:30:10PEOPLE OUT OF THE COUNTRY. HE WAS NOT A RACIAL EGALITARIAN
00:30:14DURING THE WAR. HOLZER'S GOING TO GO CRAZY HERE
00:30:17IN A MINUTE. BUT HE WAS IT. HE WAS ANTI SLAVERY, BUT HE WAS
00:30:23NOT A RACIAL EGALITARIAN.
00:30:25AND THAT'S LINCOLN.
00:30:29AND HE WAS FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG.
00:30:33SO LET'S LEARN FROM IT. LET'S NOT DISMISS HIM.
00:30:35LET'S NOT BE CONDESCENDING.
00:30:38FATHERS, LAISSEZ WE'RE USED TO
00:30:40SAY SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS IN RETROSPECT IS EASY. ALSO CHEAP.
00:30:44BUT LET'S LISTEN TO THESE FOLKS.
00:30:46LISTEN TO ELIZABETH CADY STANTON
00:30:51AND PERHAPS THE GREATEST 2.5
00:30:53MINUTES IN AMERICAN POLITICAL RHETORIC.
00:30:56AND STEPHEN, YOU'VE YOU'VE PERFORMED THESE WORDS AT
00:31:00GETTYSBURG MANY TIMES.
00:31:02SO THESE ARE THE WORDS FROM
00:31:05NOVEMBER 19TH, 1863.
00:31:12FOURSCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO,
00:31:15OUR FATHERS BROUGHT FORTH ON THIS CONTINENT A NEW NATION
00:31:19CONCEIVED IN LIBERTY AND
00:31:21DEDICATED TO THE PROPOSITION
00:31:23THAT ALL MEN ARE CREATED EQUAL.
00:31:29NOW WE ARE ENGAGED IN A GREAT
00:31:31CIVIL WAR, TESTING WHETHER THAT
00:31:34NATION OR ANY NATION SO
00:31:36CONCEIVED AND SO DEDICATE AND
00:31:39CAN LONG ENDURE. WE ALL KNOW THAT ON THE GREAT
00:31:44BATTLEFIELD OF THAT WAR, WE HAVE
00:31:46COME TO DEDICATE A PORTION OF
00:31:49THAT FIELD AS A FINAL RESTING
00:31:53PLACE FOR THOSE WHO HERE GAVE
00:31:55THEIR LIVES THAT THAT NATION MIGHT LIVE.
00:31:59IT IS ALL TOGETHER, FITTING AND
00:32:01PROPER THAT WE SHOULD DO THIS.
00:32:05BUT IN A LARGE SENSE, WE CANNOT
00:32:11DEDICATE, WE CANNOT CONSECRATE,
00:32:16WE CANNOT HALLOW THIS GROUND.
00:32:19THE BRAVE MEN LIVING AND DEAD
00:32:24WHO STRUGGLED HERE HAVE CANCER, CREATED IT FAR ABOVE OUR POOR
00:32:27POWER TO ADD OR DETRACT.
00:32:30THE WORLD WILL LITTLE NOTE NOR
00:32:32LONG REMEMBER WHAT WE SAY HERE,
00:32:34BUT IT CAN NEVER FORGET THAT
00:32:37WHAT THEY DID HERE.
00:32:42IT IS FOR US THE LIVING RATHER
00:32:46TO BE DEDICATED HERE TO THE UNFINISHED WORK WHICH THEY WHO
00:32:50FOUGHT HERE HAVE THUS FAR SO NOBLY ADVANCE.
00:32:53IT IS RATHER FOR US TO BE HERE
00:32:55DEDICATED TO THE GREAT TASK
00:32:58REMAINING BEFORE US, THAT FROM
00:33:00THESE HONORED DEAD, WE TAKE
00:33:02INCREASED DEVOTION TO THAT CAUSE FOR WHICH THEY GAVE THE LAST
00:33:07FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION THAT WE
00:33:10HERE HIGHLY RESOLVED, THAT THESE
00:33:12DEAD SHALL NOT HAVE DIED IN
00:33:15VAIN, THAT THIS NATION, UNDER GOD, SHALL HAVE A NEW BIRTH OF
00:33:19FREEDOM AND THAT GOVERNANCE MEN
00:33:22OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE SHALL NOT PERISH
00:33:28FROM THE EARTH.
00:33:39JOHN, LET'S LET'S TACKLE AN
00:33:42ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN VEXING AND
00:33:43DIVIDING US FOR 230 YEARS, AND
00:33:49THAT'S IMMIGRATION.
00:33:51THE VERY IDEA OF WELCOMING
00:33:56CATHOLICS, EASTERN EUROPEANS, ASIANS, LATINOS, --, AFRICANS,
00:33:59MIDDLE EASTERNERS HAS
00:34:03CONSISTENTLY AROUSED OPPOSITION,
00:34:05EVEN HATRED.
00:34:07AND YET ARRIVALS FROM OVERSEAS
00:34:13INEVITABLY ENLARGE AND ENHANCE
00:34:15THE COUNTRY.
00:34:19SOME OF THE SOME OF THE COMMENTS
00:34:21I DON'T THINK EVERYONE WILL KNOW THIS.
00:34:25SIEM RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES.
00:34:25I MEAN, AND IT'S BEEN GOING ON
00:34:29SINCE JOHN ADAMS. YEAH.
00:34:33THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS.
00:34:35AND THIS AGAIN IS SOMETHING THAT JUST BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED
00:34:38BEFORE DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING NOW. JUST BECAUSE IT'S WORKED OUT
00:34:42BEFORE DOES NOT MEAN IT'S GOING TO WORK OUT NOW.
00:34:45BUT HAROLD IS EXACTLY RIGHT. WE SHOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
00:34:48THIS IS A PERENNIAL ILL
00:34:50INSTINCT, AND IT'S BASED NOT ON HOPE, BUT ON FEAR.
00:34:54AND EDMUND BURKE HAS GREAT LINE
00:34:58ABOUT THERE IS NO MORE UNREAD
00:35:01REASONING, EMOTION THEN FEAR. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WHEN
00:35:05YOU'RE BACK AS AGAINST THE WALL, YOU'RE GOING TO LASH OUT.
00:35:09AND WHEN YOU'RE TOLD THAT THE
00:35:13PEOPLE WHO ARE PUSHING YOU AGAINST THE WALL ARE IMMIGRANTS,
00:35:17YOU'RE GOING TO LASH OUT AT THEM. WHETHER THE FACTS BACK THAT UP
00:35:21OR NOT.
00:35:23AND YOU HAD THIS IN THE 19TH
00:35:26CENTURY, THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
00:35:29YOU HAD THE.
00:35:32EDITORS OF HARPER'S AND THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY.
00:35:35IT WAS ENTIRELY RESPECTABLE. MADISON GRANT, YOU KNOW, THE
00:35:40ANGLOS, SAXON MYTHOLOGY, WHICH
00:35:45GAVE WAY TO ANGLO-SAXON RACIAL
00:35:47THEORIES, FALSE THEORIES OF ANGLO-SAXON RACIAL SUPERIORITY.
00:35:53AND IT CULMINATED REALLY UNTIL NOW.
00:35:57I THINK IN 1924. SO EXACTLY 100 YEARS AGO, THE
00:36:01MOST RESTRICTIVE IMMIGRATION ACT YOU CAN IMAGINE PASSED IN 1924.
00:36:06THOSE QUOTAS WERE STILL IN PLACE, WHICH IS WHAT THE STATE
00:36:09DEPARTMENT DECIDED TO FOLLOW WHEN THE ROOSEVELT
00:36:13ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE WE MUST SPEAK TRUTH. WHEN THE ROOSEVELT
00:36:17ADMINISTRATION DID NOT DO ENOUGH TO ACCEPT REFUGEES FROM NAZI
00:36:20GERMANY, FULL STOP.
00:36:22AGAIN, FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT,
00:36:25SAVIOR OF DEMOCRATIC CAPITALISM,
00:36:28RESCUER OF LIBERTY WITH WINSTON
00:36:31CHURCHILL, GOT THAT WRONG.
00:36:35WHY? BECAUSE HE WAS A HUMAN BEING.
00:36:40SO 100 YEARS AGO, THE KU KLUX
00:36:42KLAN WAS RE FOUNDED AT STONE
00:36:45MOUNTAIN, GEORGIA, NOT FAR FROM
00:36:47WHERE I GREW UP TO TWO 6 MILLION
00:36:49AMERICANS JOINED THE KLAN 100 YEARS AGO.
00:36:51THERE WERE FIVE GOVERNORS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE KLAN.
00:36:55100 YEARS AGO, TEXAS AND
00:36:57GEORGIA, BUT ALSO INDIA AND
00:37:00COLORADO AND OREGON HAD KLAN
00:37:04GOVERNORS 100 YEARS AGO. AND AS I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, I
00:37:06THINK SOME OF YOU ARE LIKE ME. 100 YEARS USED TO SEEM LIKE A
00:37:10LONG TIME.
00:37:14IT'S NOT QUITE AS LONG NOW, IS IT?
00:37:17THIS WAS 20 MINUTES AGO, AND IT
00:37:20WAS A CENTRAL PART OF THE GREAT SOCIETY.
00:37:23WHEN LYNDON JOHNSON SIGNED THE
00:37:25IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION
00:37:29ACT OF 1965, IT FINALLY UNDID
00:37:34THAT 1924 ACT.
00:37:36SO NOT BEFORE WE KNEW THAT YOU
00:37:38HAD ISSUED AN ANTHOLOGY OF YOUR
00:37:41OWN OF YOUR FAVORITE POETRY.
00:37:42WE ASKED YOU TO READ OUR OUR
00:37:46ASPIRATIONAL IMMIGRATION MOMENT IN AMERICA.
00:37:49AND THAT IS, OF COURSE, EMMA LAZARUS POEM, THE NEW COLOSSUS,
00:37:54WHICH SUPPOSED TO INDICATE THAT WE WERE LIGHTING THE WAY FOR NEW
00:37:59AMERICANS.
00:38:01THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1883.
00:38:05IT'S CALLED THE NEW COLOSSUS.
00:38:09NOT LIKE THE BRAZEN GIANT OF
00:38:12GREAT FAME WITH CONQUERING LIMBS
00:38:16ASTRIDE FROM LAND TO LAND.
00:38:18HERE AT OUR SEA WAS SUNSET GATES
00:38:22SHALL STAND A MIGHTY WOMAN WITH
00:38:26A TORCH WHOSE FLAME IS THE
00:38:29IMPRISONED LIGHT NING.
00:38:32AND HER NAME MOTHER OF EXILES
00:38:36FROM HER BEACON HAND GLOWS
00:38:40WORLDWIDE, WELCOME HER MILD EYES, COMMAND THE AIR BRIDGED
00:38:45HARBOR THAT TWIN CITIES FRAME.
00:38:49KEEP ANCIENT LANDS YOUR STORY.
00:38:52POMP CRIES.
00:38:54SHE WAS SILENT LIPS.
00:38:58GIVE ME YOUR TIRED YOUR POOR,
00:39:02YOUR HUDDLED MASSES YEARNING TO
00:39:06BREATHE FREE.
00:39:10THE WRETCHED REFUSE OF YOUR
00:39:12TEEMING SHORE.
00:39:14SEND THESE THE HOMELESS TEMPEST
00:39:20TOSSED TO ME.
00:39:24I LIFT MY LAMP BESIDE THE GOLDEN
00:39:30DOOR.
00:39:48JOHN FDR GAVE HIS, AS YOU KNOW,
00:39:51GAVE HIS FIRST FIRESIDE CHAT IN
00:39:54THIS VERY BUILDING THE DAY AFTER
00:39:58HIS ELECTION IN 1932, WHEN HIS
00:40:01REPUBLICAN OPPONENT DID NOT CONCEDE.
00:40:03IT MUST IT MUST BE A THING NOT TO CONCEAL.
00:40:07IT JUST SHOT BY THAT.
00:40:11WELL, HE WON EIGHT STATES OVER. SO. YEAH.
00:40:15TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
00:40:17THIS EXTRAORDINARY MARRIAGE OF
00:40:22ELOQUENCE AND VOICE AND
00:40:24TECHNOLOGY THAT FDR JUST SEEMED
00:40:26TO BE POISED TO TAKE THE FULLEST
00:40:30ADVANTAGE OF IT. EXACTLY. AT EXACTLY THE RIGHT TIME.
00:40:32GREAT LEADERS MASTER THE MEANS
00:40:35OF COMMUNICATION OF THEIR TIME.
00:40:37AND SO JEFFERSON AND LINCOLN
00:40:39WERE MARVELOUS WRITERS, IS WHAT
00:40:42YOU HEARD STEPHEN READ IN BOTH
00:40:44THOSE CASES, AS WERE WRITTEN
00:40:46ALMOST FOR THE EAR. RIGHT.
00:40:48SO THEY EXPECTED MORE PEOPLE TO
00:40:51READ THEM AND PERHAPS READ THEM
00:40:54ALOUD THAN WERE EVER GOING TO
00:40:56HEAR IT, FOR ALL THE OBVIOUS REASONS.
00:41:00WHAT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SAW,
00:41:02WHICH IS WHAT WINSTON CHURCHILL
00:41:05SAW, AND TRAGICALLY ALSO WHAT
00:41:07LEADERS, FASCIST LEADERS ALSO
00:41:09REALIZED WAS THAT RADIO WAS, IF
00:41:13YOU WILL, THE IPHONE OF THE ERA.
00:41:17RIGHT. SPEED IS A RELATIVE THING.
00:41:19AND SO IF YOU WERE THINK ABOUT
00:41:23IT, IF YOU WERE AN AMERICAN
00:41:24HOUSEHOLD OR UNTIL 1925 OR SO,
00:41:28YOU TOTALLY CONTROL THE FLOW OF
00:41:32INFORMATION AND CULTURE INTO YOUR HOUSE.
00:41:34YOU DECIDED WHAT MAGAZINES TO SUBSCRIBE TO, WHAT NEWSPAPERS TO
00:41:38READ, WHERE TO GO TO CHURCH,
00:41:40WHAT BOOKS TO CHECK OUT OF THE LIBRARY.
00:41:44SUDDENLY YOU BUY THIS MACHINE
00:41:46AND IT GOES IN THE PARLOR AND THERE'S PEOPLE ON THE COASTS.
00:41:52HOLLYWOOD IN NEW YORK, WHAT THEY THINK SUDDENLY MATTERS BECAUSE
00:41:55IT COMES INTO YOUR HOUSE.
00:41:59ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE WHERE WE ARE IS BECAUSE THAT PHONE IS
00:42:05NEXT TO PEOPLE'S HEARTS. IT'S IN YOUR POCKET.
00:42:08IT'S WITH YOU. IT'S DISTORTING IN THAT WAY.
00:42:12THERE'S AN INTIMACY TO THE
00:42:14MECHANICS OF DIVISION.
00:42:16AND SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT
00:42:20THRASHING YOURSELF, YOU FEEL YOU
00:42:22ARE BECAUSE THIS IT COMES TO YOU.
00:42:26WHAT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, THOUGH, DID IS HE USED TECHNOLOGY FOR THE GOOD HISTORY.
00:42:30I THINK I NEVER I THINK HE NEVER
00:42:33GOT OVER WANTING TO BE VINDICATE PEABODY, THE HEADMASTER OF
00:42:38GROTON, WHO ALWAYS SAID HE LOVED
00:42:43PLAYING THE HEADMASTER. RIGHT.
00:42:45AND HE LOVED BEING AN ACTOR.
00:42:47HE ONCE SAID TO ORSON WELLES, YOU KNOW, ORSON, YOU AND I ARE
00:42:50THE TWO BEST ACTORS IN AMERICA. YEAH.
00:42:55AND HE WATCHED HIMSELF IN A NEWSREEL ONCE AND SAID, THAT WAS
00:42:57THE GARBO IN ME. A BIT OF A REACH THERE.
00:43:02BUT. BUT THAT VOICE, AS YOU KNOW, THE
00:43:05FAMOUS STORY OF WALKING DOWN THE
00:43:09STREET STREETS IN CHICAGO FROM WINDOW TO WINDOW.
00:43:12AND YOU COULD HEAR THE WHOLE SPEECH BECAUSE EVERY HOUSE WAS
00:43:16LISTENING TO IT. SAUL BELLOW WRITES ABOUT THAT AND HE GOT OUT OF A CAR BECAUSE
00:43:20OF THE TRAFFIC JAM. AND NEVER MISSED THE SPEECH BECAUSE IT WAS SUMMER AND PEOPLE
00:43:24HAD THEIR WINDOWS ROLLED DOWN.
00:43:26SO CONSIDER THE ENORMOUS IMPACT
00:43:29AND THE UNIVERSAL AUDIENCE AS WE
00:43:34LISTENED TO STEPHEN LANG READING, ONE OF THE MOST
00:43:38CONSEQUENTIAL OF THE FIRESIDE CHATS, THE ONE THAT FDR
00:43:42DELIVERED IN TWO DAYS AFTER
00:43:44GERMANY ATTACKED POLAND.
00:43:47SO THIS IS SEPTEMBER 3RD, 1939.
00:43:52TONIGHT, MY SINGLE DUTY IS TO
00:43:54SPEAK TO THE WHOLE OF AMERICA.
00:43:58UNTIL 430 THIS MORNING, I HAD
00:44:01HOPE AGAINST HOPE THAT SOME MIRACLE WOULD PREVENT THE
00:44:05DEVIL'S STATING WAR IN EUROPE
00:44:07AND BRING TO AN END THE INVASION
00:44:10OF POLAND BY GERMANY FOR FOUR
00:44:13LONG YEARS, A SUCCESSION OF
00:44:16ACTUAL WARS AND CONCERT AND
00:44:18CRISES HAVE SHAKEN THE ENTIRE
00:44:20WORLD AND HAVE THREATENED IN
00:44:23EACH CASE TO BRING ON THE GIGANTIC CONFLICT WHICH IS TODAY
00:44:29UNHAPPILY, IN FACT, IT IS RIGHT
00:44:31THAT I SHOULD RECALL TO YOUR
00:44:33MINDS THE CONSISTING AND AT
00:44:36TIMES SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS OF YOUR
00:44:38GOVERNMENT IN THESE CRISES TO
00:44:40THROW THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE
00:44:43UNITED STATES INTO THE CAUSE OF
00:44:46PEACE, IN SPITE OF SPREADING
00:44:49WARS, I THINK THAT WE HAVE EVERY
00:44:51RIGHT AND EVERY REASON TO
00:44:53MAINTAIN AS A NATIONAL POLICY
00:44:56THE FUNDAMENTAL MORAL BLATTY'S
00:44:58THE TEACHINGS OF RELIGION, THE
00:45:02CONTINUAL ATION OF EFFORTS TO RESTORE PEACE.
00:45:05BECAUSE SOMEDAY, THOUGH, THE
00:45:07TIME MAY BE DISTANT, WE CAN BE
00:45:09OF EVEN GREATER HELP TO A
00:45:13CRIPPLED HUMANITY. YOU MUST MASTER AT THE OUTSET A
00:45:19SIMPLE BUT UNALTERABLE FACT IN
00:45:21MODERN FOREIGN RELATIONS BETWEEN
00:45:25NATIONS, WHEN PEACE HAS BEEN
00:45:27BROKEN ANYWHERE, THE PEACE OF
00:45:29ALL COUNTRIES, EVERYWHERE IS IN
00:45:35DANGER.
00:45:42SO THEN THERE'S THE WOMAN OFTEN
00:45:46DESCRIBED AS FDR, AS EYES AND EARS.
00:45:49ALTHOUGH I THINK THAT IN A SENSE
00:45:51IS DENYING HER OWN VOICE.
00:45:55AND OF COURSE, I MEAN, ELEANOR,
00:45:57JOHN, TALK ABOUT HER EMERGENCE
00:46:01IN YOUR BOOK AND INTO THE
00:46:03VOCABULARY OF DEMOC RACY.
00:46:07WELL, IT BEGINS IN TRAGEDY, RIGHT? AND SHE HAD AN UNIMAGINABLY
00:46:11HORRIBLE CHILDHOOD. RIGHT. HER FATHER WAS A TERRIBLE
00:46:15ALCOHOLIC, WROTE INTO A TREE
00:46:17RIGHT ON A HORSE AND DIED THAT
00:46:23WAY.
00:46:23AND I THINK IN ONE OF THE WORST
00:46:28ARGUABLY THE WORST DOMESTIC
00:46:30MOMENT I KNOW ABOUT IN WHITE
00:46:32HOUSE HISTORY WAS WHEN MRS. ROOSEVELT WOULD GET ANGRY WITH
00:46:36PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT FOR HAVING TOO LONG A COCKTAIL HOUR.
00:46:38HE WOULD SAY, IT'S NOT MY SIDE OF THE FAMILY WITH A DRINKING PROBLEM.
00:46:42YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE PRETTY ROUGH, RIGHT?
00:46:44BUT OUT OF THAT MARITAL, OUT OF
00:46:48OUT OF MARITAL TRAGEDY IN 1918,
00:46:52THE DISCOVERY OF FDR, HIS AFFAIR
00:46:57WITH ELEANOR'S FORMER SOCIAL SECRETARY, HE WAS ON HIS WAY
00:47:01BACK. HE GOT DOUBLE, DOUBLE PNEUMONIA
00:47:04ON HIS WAY BACK FROM A VISIT TO
00:47:07WORLD WAR ONE, THE GREAT WAR.
00:47:09MRS. ROOSEVELT FOUND LOVE
00:47:11LETTERS AND SHE WROTE HONESTLY
00:47:15AND WONDERFULLY.
00:47:17THE BOTTOM FELL OUT OF MY OWN
00:47:20PARTICULAR WORLD, AND I FACED
00:47:23MYSELF AND MY SURROUNDINGS, HONESTLY, FOR THE FIRST TIME.
00:47:29AND OUT OF RATHER BEING BROKEN
00:47:31DOWN BY TRAGEDY. SHE MASTERED IT.
00:47:35AND AS HEMINGWAY WOULD SAY, SHE BECAME STRONGER AT THE BROKEN
00:47:40PLACES.
00:47:41SO I, AFTER FDR, HIS DEATH AS
00:47:45I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, ELEANOR, BECAME CHAIR OF THE UN
00:47:49COMMISSION THAT DRAFTED THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN
00:47:53RIGHTS, WHICH SOME DAY SOME CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES
00:47:56WILL ADOPT FORMALLY, I SUPPOSE.
00:47:59LET'S HEAR HER DEFENSE OF THOSE
00:48:03RIGHTS. AND IT SEEMS AS IF THEY'VE NEVER NEEDED DEFENDING MORE.
00:48:07THIS IS A SPEECH THAT ELEANOR
00:48:09GAVE AT THE SORBONNE IN PARIS IN
00:48:121948, AND ELLEN BURSTYN, THE
00:48:16UNITED NATIONS HAS MADE IT CLEAR
00:48:21THAT IT INTENDS TO UPHOLD HUMAN
00:48:23RIGHTS AND TO PROTECT THE
00:48:27DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN
00:48:29PERSONALITY, TO REAFFIRM FAITH
00:48:31IN FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHTS, IN
00:48:34THE DIGNITY AND WORTH OF THE
00:48:37HUMAN PERSON, IN THE EQUAL
00:48:38RIGHTS OF MEN AND WOMEN, AND OF
00:48:43NATIONS, LARGE AND SMALL, AND TO
00:48:47PROMOTE SOCIAL PROGRESS.
00:48:49WE MUST NOT BE CONFUSED ABOUT
00:48:52WHAT FREEDOM IS.
00:48:54BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS ARE SIMPLE
00:48:58AND EASILY UNDERSTOOD.
00:49:01FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND A FREE
00:49:05PRESS, FREEDOM OF RELIGION AND
00:49:09ASSEMBLY.
00:49:09THE RIGHT OF MEN TO BE SECURE IN
00:49:13THEIR HOMES AND FREE FROM UNDER
00:49:18REASONABLE SEARCH AND SEIZURE
00:49:21AND FROM ARBITRARY ARREST AND
00:49:25PUNISHMENT. SOMETIMES THE PROCESSES OF
00:49:30DEMOCRACY ARE SLOW, AND I HAVE
00:49:34KNOWN SOME OF OUR LEADERS TO SAY
00:49:36THAT A BENEVOLENT DICTATOR LEADERSHIP WOULD ACCOMPLISH THE
00:49:41ENDS DESIRED IN A SHORTER TIME
00:49:43THAN IT TAKES TO GO THROUGH THE
00:49:46DEMOCRATIC PROCESS AND THE SLOW
00:49:50FORMATION OF PUBLIC OPINION.
00:49:52BUT THERE IS NO WAY OF ENSURING
00:49:56THAT A DICTATORSHIP SHIP WILL REMAIN.
00:50:00BUT NETHERLANDS OR THAT POWER
00:50:05ONCE IN THE HANDS OF A FEW, WILL
00:50:07BE RETURNED TO THE PEOPLE
00:50:11WITHOUT STRUGGLE.
00:50:13THIS, WE HAVE LEARNED BY EXPERIENCE.
00:50:19WE ACCEPT THE SLOW PROCESSES OF
00:50:23DEMOCRACY. SEE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT
00:50:26SHORTCUTS COMPROMISE PRINCIPLES
00:50:28ON WHICH NO COMPROMISE IS
00:50:32POSSIBLE IN A JUST SOCIETY.
00:50:47JOHN IN THE ROOSEVELT ERA, A LITTLE BIT BEFORE WE COME TO THE
00:50:50PERIOD WHEN PRESIDENTS HAVE
00:50:53PROFESSIONAL WRITERS IS AT THEIR
00:50:56BECK AND CALL TO HELP THEM WITH
00:50:58THEIR GREAT WORDS.
00:51:00TED SORENSEN, ONE OF THE GREATEST OF THE 20TH CENTURY
00:51:04PRESIDENTIAL SPEECH WRITERS,
00:51:08EVEN THEIR OWN CORRESPONDENCE IS OFTEN HANDLED BY BY OTHERS.
00:51:10SO HOW DO WE CREDIT PRESIDENTIAL
00:51:15UTTERANCES IN THE AGE OF THE GREAT SPEECHWRITERS?
00:51:17I THINK YOU ANSWERED IT THERE.
00:51:19IF THEY UTTER IT, IT'S THEIRS. RIGHT?
00:51:24I A FRIEND WHO ARGUES THE
00:51:25HARDEST THING ON PLANET EARTH IS
00:51:29TO GET ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THINK ABOUT IT.
00:51:3345 PEOPLE HAVE DONE IT OUT OF
00:51:34ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN ON
00:51:39EARTH IN THE UNITED STATES OF
00:51:41AMERICA SINCE 1789, 45, AND MY
00:51:46SENSE IS, I MEAN, MAYBE THERE'S
00:51:50THERE'S ALWAYS ONE EXCEPTION. SO WE'LL WE'LL LEAVE THAT.
00:51:54BUT I, I THINK WHEN.
00:51:59PRESIDENTS DO COMMISSION NEED
00:52:02PEOPLE TO HELP THEM CRAFT A MESSAGE.
00:52:07BUT IT'S, I THINK ALMOST AND IN
00:52:10SOME WAYS IT'S A MECHANICAL
00:52:14MANIFESTATION OF THE VALUES AND VISION THAT THAT PERSON HAS
00:52:18BROUGHT TO THE PINNACLE OF POWER. RIGHT.
00:52:21AND SO I MEAN, MAYBE IF YOU JUST START RUNNING IN SOMEONE'S
00:52:24WRITING FOR YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY. BUT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT HAD
00:52:28PLENTY TO SAY. I MEAN, HERE'S SO THIS SPEECH
00:52:31BACK HERE, THE 1941 STATE OF THE
00:52:37UNION. HARRY HOPKINS WAS LISTENING TO
00:52:41FDR READ THE DRAFT AND TO GO TO
00:52:45WHAT THIS PERSON WAS READING,
00:52:47WHICH IS A SEQUENTIAL CHAPTER. THE FIRST IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH
00:52:51AND EXPRESSION EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD.
00:52:54THE SECOND, FREEDOM OF EVERY PHRASE OF EVERY PERSON TO WORSHIP GOD IN HIS OWN WAY
00:52:57EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD. HARRY HOPKINS SAYS, YOU KNOW,
00:53:00MR. PRESIDENT, I WOULD CUT THAT EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD BECAUSE
00:53:04NOBODY GIVES A -- WHAT HAPPENS IN JAVA.
00:53:07AND FDR TURNED TO HIM.
00:53:09AND IN A WAY THAT PLAYING OFF
00:53:12THE POINT THAT STEPHEN JUST READ
00:53:14AND SAID, WELL, HARRY, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BECAUSE THE
00:53:17WORLD'S GETTING SO SMALL NOW.
00:53:21SO ROOSEVELT KNEW WHAT HE WANTED TO SAY. DID HE HAVE HELP?
00:53:25AND HOW HE SAID IT? ABSOLUTELY.
00:53:29AND AND NOT QUITE IN TANDEM WITH
00:53:34WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
00:53:34WE'RE GOING TO HEAR A FIRESIDE
00:53:38CHAT NOW THAT UNLIKE THE ONE WE HEARD BEFORE, WHICH WAS WRITTEN
00:53:41BY SEVERAL PEOPLE, INCLUDING
00:53:43ROBERT EMMOTT, SHERWOOD, THIS
00:53:47FIRESIDE CHAT WAS FDR, AS
00:53:51OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. IT'S LIKE A NIGHTTIME TWEET, I
00:53:55GUESS IN A WAY A LITTLE MORE.
00:53:57YOU KNOW, I LOVE YOU, BUT I GOT
00:54:01TO STOP YOU THERE. HA HA. MEANING AN INFORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT
00:54:07OF ENORMOUSLY CONSEQUENTIAL POLICY. THAT'S ALL. I MEAN, I DON'T THAT'S A LONG
00:54:11WAY AROUND. YEAH. AHEAD. WE TOOK THE LONG WAY. SO HERE HE.
00:54:16THIS IS THE WAY FDR TOLD AMERICA
00:54:18THAT THERE HAD BEEN AN INVASION
00:54:20OF THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT ON JUNE 6TH, 1944.
00:54:24HE DID IT IN A FIRESIDE CHAT, AND HE DID IT BY WRITING IT
00:54:28HIMSELF.
00:54:29HE WROTE A PRAYER.
00:54:33AND IN AN AGE IN WHICH OUR
00:54:35GOVERNMENT LEADERS ARE INVOKING
00:54:39GOD AS THE ANGEL OF HOLY WAR,
00:54:44HERE IS FDR ASKING GOD TO BLESS
00:54:48PEOPLE IN DANGER, IN A FIGHT FOR FREEDOM AND JUST STRIKES ME AS
00:54:51YOU MAY, WHEN TWO CORINTHIANS
00:54:53WALK INTO A BAR.
00:54:57SO FDR WROTE THIS PRAYER THE
00:55:00WEEKEND BEFORE IN THE SHADOW OF MONTICELLO.
00:55:04SO THERE'S A KIND OF A POETIC.
00:55:06HE WENT TO PAPA WATSON'S HOUSE, WHO WAS HIS ONE OF HIS
00:55:10ASSISTANTS WHO HAD A PLACE CALLED KENWOOD.
00:55:12IT'S STILL DOWN AT THE FOOT OF
00:55:14THE MOUNTAIN. JEFFERSON'S MOUNTAIN.
00:55:17HE USED THE BOOK OF COMMON
00:55:20PRAYER AT THE EPISCOPAL BOOK OF
00:55:22COMMON PRAYER AND THE KING JAMES BIBLE HE HAD AT HAND.
00:55:25BUT THAT WAS IT. SO THIS IS FDR IS D-DAY.
00:55:29PRAYER FROM JUNE 6TH, 1944.
00:55:35ALMIGHTY GOD, OUR SONS.
00:55:37PRIDE OF OUR NATION THIS DAY
00:55:40HAVE SET UPON A MIGHTY ENDEAVOR,
00:55:42A STRUGGLE TO PRESERVE OUR
00:55:46REPUBLIC, OUR RELIGION, AND OUR
00:55:50CIVILIZATION, AND TO SET FREE A
00:55:52SUFFERING HUMANITY TO LEAD THEM
00:55:56STRAIGHT AND TRUE, GIVE STRENGTH
00:55:58TO THEIR ARMS.
00:56:01STOUT TO THEIR HEARTS, STEAD AND
00:56:04FASTNESS IN THEIR FAITH.
00:56:07THEY WILL NEED THY BLESSINGS.
00:56:09THEIR ROAD WILL BE LONG AND HARD
00:56:12FOR THE ENEMY IS STRONG.
00:56:16HE MAY HURL BACK OUR FORCES.
00:56:18SUCCESS MAY NOT COME WITH
00:56:21RUSHING SPEED, BUT WE SHALL
00:56:24RETURN AGAIN AND AGAIN.
00:56:26AND WE KNOW THAT BY THAT GRACE
00:56:30AND BY THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF OUR
00:56:32CAUSE, OUR SONS WILL TRIUMPH.
00:56:36THEY WILL BE SO TRIED BY NIGHT
00:56:39AND BY DAY WITHOUT REST UNTIL
00:56:43THE VICTORY IS WON.
00:56:45THE DARKNESS WILL BE RENT BY
00:56:48NOISE AND FLAME.
00:56:50MEN'S SOULS WILL BE SHAKEN WITH
00:56:53THE VIOLENCE OF WAR.
00:56:56FOR THESE MEN ARE LATELY DRAWN
00:56:58FROM THE WAYS OF PEACE.
00:57:00THEY FIGHT NOT FOR THE LUST OF
00:57:04CONQUEST. THEY FIGHT TO END CONQUEST.
00:57:07THEY FIGHT TO LIBERATE.
00:57:09THEY FIGHT TO LET JUSTICE ARISE
00:57:12AND TOLERATE AND SEND GOOD WILL.
00:57:15AMONG ALL THY PEOPLE.
00:57:17THEY YEARN. BUT FOR THE END OF BATTLE, FOR
00:57:21THEIR RETURN TO THE HAVEN OF HOME.
00:57:25SOME WILL NEVER RETURN.
00:57:27EMBRACE THESE FATHER AND RECEIVE
00:57:31THEM THY HEROIC SERVANTS INTO
00:57:34THEIR KINGDOM.
00:57:38AND FOR US AT HOME.
00:57:40FATHER, MOTHER, CHILDREN, WIVES,
00:57:44SISTERS AND BROTHERS OF BRAVE
00:57:46MEN OVER SEAS WHOSE THOUGHTS AND
00:57:50PRAYERS ARE EVER WITH THEM, HELP
00:57:53US, ALMIGHTY GOD, TO REDEDICATE
00:57:57OURSELVES IN RENEWED FAITH IN
00:58:00THE IN THIS HOUR OF GREAT SACRIFICE.
00:58:04GIVE US STRENGTH.
00:58:05LET OUR HEARTS BE STOUT.
00:58:09TO WAIT OUT THE LONG TRAVAIL TO
00:58:12BEAR SORROWS THAT MAY COME TO
00:58:16IMPART OUR COURAGE ONTO OUR SONS.
00:58:20WHERESOEVER THEY MAY BE, AND
00:58:23HELP US TO CONQUER.
00:58:25THEY ARE PUZZLES OF GREED AND
00:58:28RACIAL ARROGANCE IS LEAD US TO
00:58:33THE SAVING OF OUR COUNTRY AND
00:58:35WITH OUR SISTER NATIONS INTO A
00:58:39WORLD UNITY THAT WILL SPELL
00:58:41ASSURE PEACE.
00:58:43A PEACE INVOLVING HORRIBLE TO
00:58:46THE SCHEMING OF UNWORTHY MEN.
00:58:51AND TO PEACE THAT WILL LET ALL
00:58:53OF MEN LIVE IN FREEDOM, REAPING
00:58:55THE JUST REWARDS OF THEIR HONEST TOIL.
00:59:02THY WILL BE DONE ALMIGHTY GOD.
00:59:08AMEN.
00:59:13THAT WAS ACCORDING TO TIME
00:59:17MAGAZINE. THAT WEEK, 100 MILLION AMERICAN PRAYED THAT PRAYER, WHICH I
00:59:21THINK MAKES IT THE LARGEST MASS PRAYER IN HUMAN HISTORY. MM.
00:59:25IT IT'S HARD TO IMAGINE A WAR, A
00:59:31CONFLICT SACRIFICE IS BETTER,
00:59:35EXPLAINED OR TO REMEMBER THAT
00:59:37THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN LEADERS FELT THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE
00:59:41OBLIGATION TO EXPLAIN HUMAN CONFLICT AND SACRIFICE, AND THE
00:59:44HUMAN SIDE OF THIS, TOO, IS ON
00:59:49JUNE 5TH, AS EISENHOWER IS GIVEN
00:59:52THE ORDER OF A DAWN ON THE 4TH OF JUNE.
00:59:55OKAY, LET'S GO. HE'D HAD TO POSTPONE ONE DAY. THIS WAS THE LAST DAY THEY COULD
00:59:58DO IT BEFORE THE THIRD WEEK OF
01:00:01JUNE, WHEN A HURRICANE HIT THE CHANNEL.
01:00:04SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN EVEN WOULD HAVE BEEN DISASTER.
01:00:07BUT BOTH ROOSEVELT AND CHURCHILL
01:00:10ALL SPENT THE EVENINGS ALONE
01:00:12WITH THEIR WIVES IN THE IN THE
01:00:14MIDST OF THIS MASSIVE DECISION,
01:00:18LARGE WHAT CHURCHILL CALLED THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPLICATED OPERATION EVER.
01:00:23AND ROOSEVELT, WHEN PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT AT ONE POINT TURNED TO
01:00:26MRS. ROOSEVELT THAT NIGHT AND
01:00:29SAID, I WONDER HOW LINCOLN WILL COME OUT.
01:00:33LINCOLN WAS A TREE FARMER AT HYDE PARK.
01:00:36LINCOLN CAME OUT FINE, BUT
01:00:40THAT'S WHAT THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF WAS THINKING ABOUT WAS ONE
01:00:44PERSON ON THAT BEACH AND BY
01:00:49EXTENSION, EVERYONE ON THE BEACH.
01:00:52LET'S LET'S COMBINE TWO OF THE
01:00:54THEMES THAT HAVE CONNECTED THE
01:00:56READINGS TONIGHT AND THE BOOK,
01:01:00HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN.
01:01:02FOR A CLOSING EXCERPT FROM
01:01:05SOMEONE WHO HAS SPOKEN HERE
01:01:07SEVERAL TIMES, ONCE FROM THIS STAGE AND ONCE UPSTAIRS.
01:01:11HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON.
01:01:13IT'S IT'S POSSIBLE THAT NO FIRST
01:01:15LADY EVER GAVE A MORE
01:01:17CONSEQUENTIAL SPEECH AS FIRST
01:01:19LADY THAN SHE DID AT BEIJING AT
01:01:22THE GLOBAL HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE.
01:01:26FOR WHATEVER COMMENTS SHE'S
01:01:27KNOWN FOR OR INDICTED FOR,
01:01:30SMALL, SMALL, I KNOWS THIS WAS
01:01:33TO ME HER HER SHINING AH,
01:01:35SHINING MOMENT. JOHN, DO YOU AGREE THAT IT WAS
01:01:39POLITICALLY COURAGEOUS FOR A FIRST LADY TO DO THAT? THIS IS 1995.
01:01:42SHE GOES TO CHINA TO TALK ABOUT
01:01:44THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS. SO, YEAH, RIGHT. IN CHINA.
01:01:48IN CHINA. YEAH. SO HERE'S HERE IS HILLARY
01:01:52CLINTON IN CHINA.
01:01:56IN NOVEMBER 1995.
01:01:56THIS IS TRULY A CELEBRATION, A
01:02:02CELEBRATION OF THE CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN MAKE IN EVERY ASPECT OF
01:02:06LIFE IN THE HOME, ON THE JOB, IN
01:02:10THE COMMUNITY, AS MOTHERS,
01:02:14WIVES, SISTERS, DAUGHTERS,
01:02:16LEARNERS, WORKERS, CITIZENS AND LEADERS.
01:02:20IT IS ALSO A COMING TOGETHER
01:02:22MUCH THE WAY WOMEN COME TOGETHER EVERY DAY IN EVERY COUNTRY.
01:02:28WE COME TOGETHER IN FIELDS AND
01:02:30FACTORY AND VILLAGE MARKETS AND
01:02:33SUPERMARKETS IN LIVING ROOMS AND
01:02:37BOARDROOMS WHILE PLAYING WITH OUR CHILDREN AND IN THE PARK OR
01:02:40WASHING CLOTHES IN A RIVER, OR
01:02:44TAKING A BREAK AT THE OFFICE WATER COOLER.
01:02:46WE COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT
01:02:49OUR ASPIRATIONS AND CONCERNS.
01:02:53AND TIME AND AGAIN, OUR TALK
01:02:55TURNS TO OUR CHILDREN AND OUR FAMILIES.
01:02:59HOWEVER DIFFERENT WE MAY APPEAR,
01:03:03THERE IS FAR MORE THAT UNITES US
01:03:05THAN DIVIDES US.
01:03:07WE SHARE OUR COMMON FUTURE, AND
01:03:11WE ARE HERE TO FIND COMMON
01:03:13GROUND SO THAT WE MAY HELP BRING
01:03:15NEW DIGNITY AND RESPECT TO WOMEN AND GIRLS.
01:03:19ALL OVER THE WORLD. AND IN SO DOING, BRING NEW
01:03:25STRENGTH AND STABILITY TO
01:03:27FAMILIES AS WELL.
01:03:29THERE ARE SOME WHO QUESTION THE
01:03:32REASON FOR THIS CONFERENCE.
01:03:34LET THEM LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF
01:03:36WOMEN IN THEIR HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS AND WORKPLACES.
01:03:40IF WOMEN HAVE A CHANCE TO WORK
01:03:43AND EARN AS FULL AND EQUAL PARTNERS IN SOCIETY, THEIR
01:03:48FAMILIES WILL FLOURISH. AND WHEN FAMILIES FLOURISH,
01:03:53COMMUNITIES AND NATIONS DO AS WELL.
01:03:55THAT IS WHY EVERY WOMAN, EVERY
01:04:00MAN, EVERY CHILD, EVERY FAMILY
01:04:02AND EVERY NATION ON OUR PLANET
01:04:05DOES HAVE A STAKE IN THE
01:04:07DISCUSSION THAT TAKES PLACE HERE.
01:04:11NO ONE SHOULD BE FORCED TO
01:04:13REMAIN SILENT FOR FEAR OF RELIGIOUS OR POLITICAL
01:04:17PERSECUTION AND ARREST. ABUSE OR TORTURE.
01:04:21I BELIEVE THAT NOW, ON THE EVE
01:04:24OF A NEW MILLENNIUM, IT IS TIME
01:04:27TO BREAK THIS SILENCE.
01:04:29IT IS TIME FOR US TO SAY HERE IN
01:04:33BEIJING AND FOR THE WORLD TO
01:04:35HEAR THAT IT IS NO LONGER
01:04:38ACCEPTABLE TO DISCUSS WOMEN'S
01:04:40RIGHTS AS SEPARATE FROM HUMAN RIGHTS.
01:04:44IF THERE IS ONE MESSAGE THAT ECHOES FORTH FROM THIS
01:04:48CONFERENCE, LET IT BE THAT HUMAN
01:04:51RIGHTS ARE WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND
01:04:54WOMEN'S RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS
01:04:56ONCE AND FOR ALL.
01:05:10JOHN. HEARING THESE WORDS, DOES IT
01:05:14MAKE YOU NOSTALGIC ABOUT THE VOICES AND THE ELOQUENCE OF THE
01:05:18PAST OR OPTIMISTIC? AND IF THE LATTER BECAUSE I KNOW I KNOW YOU.
01:05:22WHERE ARE THE VOICES COMING FROM?
01:05:25WHO DO YOU SEE AS BEING IN THE EDITION THAT YOUR KIDS WILL
01:05:29BRING OUT IN 30 YEARS WITH WITH THE NEW BATCH OF SPOKESPEOPLE
01:05:32FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM?
01:05:34IT'LL BE LIKE THE JETSONS, RIGHT?
01:05:37THEY'LL BE LIKE, THERE WON'T BE BOOKS THERE. WE'RE JUST THINK IT YOU KNOW, IT WILL HAPPEN.
01:05:41VERY AVATAR.
01:05:43I THINK. SO.
01:05:47AGAIN, I QUOTED HIM BEFORE, BUT
01:05:51ARTHUR SLATER USED TO SAY THAT
01:05:54IN 1940, IF YOU HAD DECIDED TO
01:05:56SAY THAT THE NEXT THREE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES
01:05:59WERE GOING TO BE A BACKBENCH SENATOR FROM MISSOURI, A MAJOR
01:06:02IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY, AND A
01:06:06HARVARD UNDERGRADUATE, YOU WOULD
01:06:08NOT HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF PEOPLE TO BET WITH YOU. RIGHT.
01:06:12AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S GOING TO EMERGE.
01:06:16BUT I AM CONFIDENT THAT SOMEONE WILL.
01:06:20AND I BELIEVE, ACTUALLY THAT OUT
01:06:24OF WHAT LINCOLN WOULD CALL A FIERY TRIAL AND I BELIEVE THIS,
01:06:26IS THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE BEING
01:06:30TAKEN OFF THE STREETS AND PUT IN CAGES.
01:06:34THERE ARE.
01:06:38CONSTITUTIONAL NORMS, WHICH IS A
01:06:41FANCY WAY OF SAYING YOU DON'T DO
01:06:43IT BECAUSE IT'S WRONG BEING SMASHED.
01:06:49WHY? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T.
01:06:51AND NOT ENOUGH FOLKS WHO HAVE
01:06:54ACHIEVED POWER WITHIN THE
01:06:56REPUBLIC ARE STANDING UP AGAINST IT.
01:07:00AND WE SHOULD HAVE SAT HERE AND READ ARTICLE ONE JUST FOR THE
01:07:03HELL OF IT. YOUR PART.
01:07:07THE ONLY GUY I KNOW WHO COULD MAKE THE CONSTITUTION SOUND PRETTY GOOD, RIGHT?
01:07:14REAPPORTIONMENT.
01:07:16SO I'M CONFIDENT. RIGHT.
01:07:19SO HERE'S. MAYBE IT'S A POINT TO END ON.
01:07:23MAYBE.
01:07:24IS THERE'S A REALLY INTERESTING
01:07:27POINT MADE BY MARK CARNEY THAT THAT SPEECH WOULD BE IN THIS. RIGHT.
01:07:31DO YOU REMEMBER THIS? THE DAVOS SPEECH WHERE HE USED A
01:07:35REALLY HE DID SOMETHING STARTLING. HE TOLD THE TRUTH.
01:07:41HE SAID THAT THE THE STORY OF
01:07:43THE POST WORLD WAR TWO, ATLANTIC
01:07:47ALLIANCE, LED BY AMERICAN POWER
01:07:50AND OUR MORAL INVESTMENT IN THE
01:07:55SECURITY OF OTHER NATIONS WAS A
01:07:59MYTH THAT WE NO LONGER ACCEPTED.
01:08:01IT WAS REALLY A FICTION. HE SAID. FICTION. I WOULD HAVE SAID ENOUGH.
01:08:05AND I THINK WHAT HE MEANT WAS
01:08:07THAT NATIONS NEED STORIES IN THE
01:08:11WAY PEOPLE NEED STORIES AND
01:08:17MYTHS ARE NOT BAD THINGS. MYTHS OR STORIES ABOUT THE
01:08:21ORIGIN, CAUSE AND DESTINY OF HUMAN LIFE.
01:08:26THE CENTRAL AMERICAN MYTH BEGINS
01:08:28WITH JEFFERSON AND CONTINUES TO
01:08:31UNFOLD THROUGH KING AND STANTON
01:08:35AND SENATOR CLINTON.
01:08:37THAT'S A STORY, IS IT?
01:08:41AS SIMPLE AS I JUST MADE IT OUT TO BE? OF COURSE NOT.
01:08:45YOU KNOW, IT'S THE STORY, ACTUALLY.
01:08:48IT'S IT'S NOT STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT ACTUALLY, IT IS KIND OF
01:08:53SIMPLE IN THE SENSE THAT IT'S ELEMENTAL.
01:08:56THERE IS A PRINCIPLE. WE HAVE IT.
01:08:59WE KNOW BECAUSE OF THE WORKINGS OF CONSCIENCE, WHAT THEODORE
01:09:04PARKER, WHO'S ALSO IN THIS BOOK CALLED THE MARK OF A MORAL
01:09:07UNIVERSE, YOU KNOW, BENDING TOWARD JUSTICE, BUT IT ONLY
01:09:10BENDS TOWARD JUSTICE IF WE INSIST THAT IT SWERVE BECAUSE
01:09:13SOMEBODY ELSE HAS ALREADY ALWAYS PULLING BACK.
01:09:17SO WE HAVE TO BE SURVIVORS AND
01:09:19THE VOICES OF THE SURVIVORS WILL BE IN THE NEXT FOR YOU.
01:09:25WELL, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE THAT
01:09:28AMERICA NEEDS GREAT STORIES. BUT I WOULD ADD THAT AMERICA
01:09:31NEEDS GREAT STORYTELLERS AND GREAT VOICES.
01:09:34AND THAT'S WHY, AS WE PREPARE TO
01:09:36GO UPSTAIRS AND CELEBRATE THIS
01:09:38REMARKABLE TRIO AND HAVE A BOOK RECEPTION WHERE YOU CAN BUY THIS
01:09:42EXTRAORDINARY BOOK AND THIS AND
01:09:44LIVE WITH THIS COLLECTION, I, I
01:09:46WANT TO ASK YOU TO JOIN ME IN
01:09:49THANKING JON MEACHAM, STEPHEN
01:09:51LANG AND ELLEN BURSTYN.
01:10:11AND DISCOVER AMERICA'S STORY WITH C-SPAN'S NEW AMERICAN
01:10:15HISTORY TIMELINE POSTER. THIS LARGE 4.5FT WIDE POSTER
01:10:19EXPLORES THE LIVES AND PUBLIC SERVICE CAREERS OF EVERY U.S.
01:10:22PRESIDENT ALONG WITH KEY HISTORICAL EVENTS, LANDMARKS,
01:10:26SUPREME COURT CASES, CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS AND
01:10:28MAJOR TECHNOLOGY MILESTONES THROUGHOUT OUR NATION'S HISTORY.
01:10:32THE POSTER ALSO FEATURES A SPECIAL AMERICA TO WINDOW
01:10:35SECTION HIGHLIGHTING THE COUNTRY'S FOUNDING AND THE 250TH
01:10:39ANNIVERSARY OF THE UNITED STATES. BRINGING AMERICAN HISTORY HOME
01:10:43WITH C-SPAN, AMERICAN HISTORY
01:10:45TIMELINE POSTER SCAN THE CODE OR
01:10:47VISIT C-SPAN SHOP YOUR BOOK TV
01:10:54CONTINUES. NOW TELEVISION FOR SERIOUS