约翰逊演讲稿WeShallOvercome.docx

约翰逊演讲稿WeShallOvercome.docx

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约翰逊演讲稿WeShallOvercome

约翰逊演讲稿：

WeShallOvercome

　　林登·贝恩斯·约翰逊（lyndonbainesjohnson）出生于得克萨斯州斯通威尔。

1930年毕业于该州圣马科斯西南师范学院，1935年毕业于乔治顿大学法律学院。

1930年至1932年在休斯敦任教。

　　1935年至1937年任全国青年总署得克萨斯州公署署长。

1937年国会补缺选举中当选为众议员，并任众议院海军委员会委员。

1941年至1942年在海军服役。

1948年当选为参议员。

1951年成为参议院民主党副领袖。

1953年起任参议院民主党多数派领袖，兼任参议院军事委员会、财政委员会、拨款委员会等要职。

1959年至1960年任参议院航空和空间科学委员会首任主席。

1956年争取民主党总统候选人提名失败。

1960年与肯尼迪竞争民主党总统候选人提名失败，接受肯尼迪提名他为副总统的建议。

1961年至1963年任副总统。

1963年11月22日肯尼迪总统遇刺身亡后继任总统。

1965年连任总统。

1969年1月退休。

1980年被授予总统自由勋章。

著有回忆录《高瞻远瞩》。

1973年1月22日在得克萨斯的圣安东尼奥因心脏病去世。

　　　　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.butthereiscauseforhopeandforfaithinourdemocracyinwhatishappeningheretonight.forthecriesofpainandthehymnsandprotestsofoppressedpeoplehavesummonedintoconvocationallthemajestyofthisgreatgovernment--thegovernmentofthegreatestnationonearth.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,orexplainthemostcomplexprovisionsofstatelaw.andevenacollegedegreecannotbeusedtoprovethathecanreadandwrite.

　　forthefactisthattheonlywaytopassthesebarriersistoshowawhiteskin.experiencehasclearlyshownthattheexistingprocessoflawcannotovercomesystematicandingeniousdiscrimination.nolawthatwenowhaveonthebooks--andihavehelpedtoputthreeofthemthere--canensuretherighttovotewhenlocalofficialsaredeterminedtodenyit.insuchacaseourdutymustbecleartoallofus.theconstitutionsaysthatnopersonshallbekeptfromvotingbecauseofhisraceorhiscolor.wehaveallswornanoathbeforegodtosupportandtodefendthatconstitution.wemustnowactinobediencetothatoath.

　　wednesday,iwillsendtocongressalawdesignedtoeliminateillegalbarrierstotherighttovote.

　　thebroadprinciplesofthatbillwillbeinthehandsofthedemocraticandrepublicanleaderstomorrow.aftertheyhavereviewedit,itwillcomehereformallyasabill.iamgratefulforthisopportunitytocomeheretonightattheinvitationoftheleadershiptoreasonwithmyfriends,togivethemmyviews,andtovisitwithmyformercolleagues.i'vehadpreparedamorecomprehensiveanalysisofthelegislationwhichihadintendedtotransmittotheclerktomorrow,butwhichiwillsubmittotheclerkstonight.butiwanttoreallydiscusswithyounow,briefly,themainproposalsofthislegislation.

　　thisbillwillstrikedownrestrictionstovotinginallelections--federal,state,andlocal--whichhavebeenusedtodenynegroestherighttovote.thisbillwillestablishasimple,uniformstandardwhichcannotbeused,howeveringenioustheeffort,tofloutourconstitution.itwillprovideforcitizenstoberegisteredbyofficialsoftheunitedstatesgovernment,ifthestateofficialsrefusetoregisterthem.itwilleliminatetedious,unnecessarylawsuitswhichdelaytherighttovote.finally,thislegislationwillensurethatproperlyregisteredindividualsarenotprohibitedfromvoting.

　　iwillwelcomethesuggestionsfromallofthemembersofcongress--ihavenodoubtthatiwillgetsome--onwaysandmeanstostrengthenthislawandtomakeiteffective.butexperiencehasplainlyshownthatthisistheonlypathtocarryoutthecommandoftheconstitution.

　　tothosewhoseektoavoidactionbytheirnationalgovernmentintheirowncommunities,whowanttoandwhoseektomaintainpurelylocalcontroloverelections,theanswerissimple:

openyourpollingplacestoallyourpeople.

　　allowmenandwomentoregisterandvotewhateverthecoloroftheirskin.

　　extendtherightsofcitizenshiptoeverycitizenofthisland.

　　thereisnoconstitutionalissuehere.thecommandoftheconstitutionisplain.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.whathappenedinselmaispartofafarlargermovementwhichreachesintoeverysectionandstateofamerica.itistheeffortofamericannegroestosecureforthemselvesthefullblessing