VietPress USA (July 28th, 2016): Dear our Readers worldwide; the Los Angeles Times today published the full transcript with genius annotating of Hillary Clinton's speech at Democratic National Convention on July 28th, 2016 to accept her nomination from DNC for Democratic official American presidential Candidate 2016. If you need to read the original transcript with annotation, please click on this Link: http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-hillary-clinton-convention-speech-transcript-20160728-snap-htmlstory.html
VietPress USA would like to thank the Times journalist and the Los Angeles Times for the publication and distribution of this full transcript of Hillary Clinton's speech.
VietPress USA
Video of Hillary Clinton's speech at the DNC on July 28th, 2016:
Thank you all for the great convention that we’ve had.
And Chelsea, thank you. I'm so proud to be your mother and
so proud of the woman you've become. Thanks for bringing Marc into our family,
and Charlotte and Aidan into the world.
And Bill, that conversation we started in the law library 45
years ago is still going strong. It's lasted through good times that filled us
with joy, and hard times that tested us.
And I've even gotten a few words in along the way.
On Tuesday night, I was so happy to see that my
Explainer-in-Chief is still on the job. I'm also grateful to the rest of my
family and the friends of a lifetime. To all of you whose hard work brought us
here tonight. And to those of you who joined our campaign this week. And what a remarkable week it's been.
Hillary Clinton accepts the Democratic nomination for
president on climactic final night of convention »
We heard the man from Hope, Bill Clinton. And the man of
Hope, Barack Obama. America is stronger because of President Obama's
leadership, and I'm better because of his friendship.
We heard from our terrific vice president, the one-and-only
Joe Biden. He spoke from his big heart about our party's commitment to working
people, as only he can do.
First Lady Michelle Obama reminded us that our children are
watching, and the president we elect is going to be their president, too.
And for those of you out there who are just getting to know
Tim Kaine – you're soon going to understand why the people of Virginia keep
promoting him: from city council and mayor, to Governor, and now Senator. He'll make the whole country proud as our Vice
President.
And I want to thank Bernie Sanders. Bernie, your campaign
inspired millions of Americans, particularly the young people who threw their
hearts and souls into our primary.
You've put economic and social justice issues front and center, where
they belong.
And to all of your
supporters here and around the country:
I want you to know, I've heard you.
Your cause is our cause. Our country needs your ideas, energy, and
passion. That's the only way we can turn
our progressive platform into real change for America. We wrote it together – now let's go out there
and make it happen together.
My friends, we've come to Philadelphia – the birthplace of
our nation – because what happened in this city 240 years ago still has
something to teach us today.
We all know the story. But we usually focus on how it turned
out - and not enough on how close that story came to never being written at
all.
When representatives from 13 unruly colonies met just down
the road from here, some wanted to stick with the King. Some wanted to stick it
to the king, and go their own way. The revolution hung in the balance. Then
somehow they began listening to each other … compromising … finding common
purpose.
And by the time they left Philadelphia, they had begun to
see themselves as one nation.
That's what made it possible to stand up to a King. That
took courage. They had courage. Our Founders embraced the enduring truth that
we are stronger together.
America is once again at a moment of reckoning. Powerful
forces are threatening to pull us apart. Bonds of trust and respect are
fraying.
And just as with our founders, there are no guarantees. It
truly is up to us. We have to decide
whether we all will work together so we all can rise together.
Our country's motto is e pluribus unum: out of many, we are
one. Will we stay true to that
motto?
Well, we heard Donald Trump's answer last week at his
convention. He wants to divide us - from
the rest of the world, and from each other.
He's betting that the perils of today's world will blind us
to its unlimited promise. He's taken the Republican Party a long way... from "Morning in America" to "Midnight in America." He wants us
to fear the future and fear each other.
Well, a great Democratic President, Franklin Delano
Roosevelt, came up with the perfect rebuke to Trump more than eighty years ago,
during a much more perilous time. “The
only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Now we are clear-eyed about what our country is up against.
But we are not afraid. We will rise to the challenge, just as we always have.
We will not build a wall. Instead, we will build an economy where everyone who
wants a good paying job can get one.
And we'll build a path to citizenship for millions of
immigrants who are already contributing to our economy!
We will not ban a religion. We will work with all Americans
and our allies to fight and defeat terrorism.
Yet we know there is a lot to do.
Too many people haven't had a pay raise since the crash.
There's too much inequality. Too little social mobility. Too
much paralysis in Washington. Too many threats at home and abroad.
But just look at the strengths we bring as Americans to meet
these challenges. We have the most dynamic and diverse people in the world. We
have the most tolerant and generous young people we've ever had. We have the
most powerful military. The most innovative entrepreneurs. The most enduring
values.
Freedom and equality, justice and opportunity. We should be
so proud that these words are associated with us. I have to tell you, as your Secretary of
State, I went to 112 countries, and when people hear those words – they hear
America.
So don't let anyone tell you that our country is weak. We're
not. Don't let anyone tell you we don't have what it takes. We do.
And most of all, don't believe anyone who says: “I alone can
fix it.”
Those were actually Donald Trump's words in Cleveland. And
they should set off alarm bells for all of us.
Really? I alone can fix it? Isn't he forgetting? Troops on
the front lines.
Police officers and fire fighters who run toward danger.
Doctors and nurses who care for us. Teachers who change lives.
Entrepreneurs who see possibilities in every problem. Mothers who lost children to violence and are
building a movement to keep other kids safe.
He's forgetting every last one of us. Americans don't say: “I alone can fix it.” We
say: “We'll fix it together.”
Remember: Our Founders fought a revolution and wrote a
Constitution so America would never be a nation where one person had all the
power. Two hundred and forty years later, we still put our faith in each
other.
Look at what happened in Dallas after the assassinations of
five brave police officers. Chief David Brown asked the community to support
his force, maybe even join them.
And you know how the community responded? Nearly 500 people
applied in just 12 days. That's how Americans answer when the call for help
goes out.
20 years ago I wrote a book called “It Takes a
Village.” A lot of people looked at the
title and asked, what the heck do you mean by that?
This is what I mean. None of us can raise a family, build a
business, heal a community or lift a country totally alone.
America needs every one of us to lend our energy, our
talents, our ambition to making our nation better and stronger. I believe that
with all my heart.
That's why “Stronger Together” is not just a lesson from our
history. It's not just a slogan for our campaign.
It's a guiding principle for the country we've always been
and the future we're going to build.
A country where the economy works for everyone, not just
those at the top. Where you can get a good job and send your kids to a good
school, no matter what zip code you live in.
A country where all our children can dream, and those dreams
are within reach. Where families are strong… communities are safe… And yes, love trumps hate.
That's the country we're fighting for. That's the future
we're working toward… And so it is with
humility. . . determination . . . and
boundless confidence in America's promise… that I accept your nomination for
President of the United States!
Watch the final day of the Democratic National Convention in
less than 4 minutes
Now, sometimes the people at this podium are new to the
national stage.
As you know, I'm not one of those people. I've been your
First Lady. Served 8 years as a Senator from the great State of New York.
Then I represented all of you as Secretary of State.
But my job titles only tell you what I've done. They don't
tell you why.
The truth is, through all these years of public service, the
“service” part has always come easier to me than the “public” part.
I get it that some people just don't know what to make of
me. So let me tell you.
The family I'm from . . . well, no one had their name on big
buildings. My family were builders of a different kind. Builders in the way
most American families are.
They used whatever tools they had – whatever God gave them –
and whatever life in America provided – and built better lives and better
futures for their kids.
My grandfather worked in the same Scranton lace mill for 50
years. Because he believed that if he gave everything he had, his children
would have a better life than he did. And he was right.
My dad, Hugh, made it to college. He played football at Penn
State and enlisted in the Navy after Pearl Harbor.
When the war was over he started his own small business,
printing fabric for draperies. I
remember watching him stand for hours over silk screens.
He wanted to give my brothers and me opportunities he never
had. And he did.
My mother, Dorothy, was abandoned by her parents as a young
girl. She ended up on her own at 14,
working as a house maid. She was saved
by the kindness of others.
Her first grade teacher saw she had nothing to eat at lunch,
and brought extra food to share. The
lesson she passed on to me years later stuck with me: No one gets through life alone. We have to look out for each other and lift
each other up.
She made sure I learned the words of our Methodist faith:
“Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can,
as long as ever you can.”
I went to work for the Children's Defense Fund, going
door-to-door in New Bedford, Massachusetts on behalf of children with
disabilities who were denied the chance to go to school.
I remember meeting a young girl in a wheelchair on the small
back porch of her house. She told me how badly she wanted to go to school – it
just didn't seem possible. And I couldn't stop thinking of my mother and what
she went through as a child.
It became clear to me that simply caring is not enough. To
drive real progress, you have to change both hearts and laws. You need both
understanding and action.
So we gathered facts. We built a coalition. And our work
helped convince Congress to ensure access to education for all students with
disabilities.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
It's a big idea, isn't it?
Every kid with a disability has the right to go to school.
But how do you make an idea like that real? You do it step-by-step, year-by-year…
sometimes even door-by-door.
And my heart just swelled when I saw Anastasia Somoza on
this stage, representing millions of young people who – because of those
changes to our laws – are able to get an education.
It's true... I sweat the details of policy – whether we're
talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Michigan,
the number of mental health facilities in Iowa, or the cost of your
prescription drugs.
Because it's not just a detail if it's your kid - if it's
your family. It's a big deal. And it
should be a big deal to your president.
Over the last three days, you've seen some of the people
who've inspired me. People who let me into their lives, and became a part of
mine.
People like Ryan Moore and Lauren Manning. They told their
stories Tuesday night.
I first met Ryan as a 7-year-old. He was wearing a full body
brace that must have weighed forty pounds because I leaned over to lift him
up.
Children like Ryan kept me going when our plan for universal
health care failed…and kept me working with leaders of both parties to help create
the Children's Health Insurance Program that covers 8 million kids every
year.
Lauren Manning, who stood here with such grace and power,
was gravely injured on 9/11. It was the thought of her, and Debbie St. John,
and John Dolan and Joe Sweeney, and all the victims and survivors, that kept me
working as hard as I could in the Senate on behalf of 9/11 families, and our
first responders who got sick from their time at Ground Zero.
I was still thinking of Lauren, Debbie and all the others
ten years later in the White House Situation Room when President Obama made the
courageous decision that finally brought Osama bin Laden to justice.
In this campaign, I've met so many people who motivate me to
keep fighting for change. And, with your help, I will carry all of your voices
and stories with me to the White House.
And you heard, you heard from Republicans and Independents
who are supporting our campaign. I will be a President for Democrats,
Republicans, and Independents. For the struggling, the striving and the
successful. For those who vote for me and those who don't. For all Americans.
Together.
Tonight, we've reached a milestone in our nation's march
toward a more perfect union: the first
time that a major party has nominated a woman for President.
Standing here as my mother's daughter, and my daughter's
mother, I'm so happy this day has come. Happy for grandmothers and little girls
and everyone in between.
Happy for boys and men, too – because when any barrier falls
in America, for anyone, it clears the way for everyone. When there are no ceilings, the sky's the
limit. So let's keep going, until every
one of the 161 million women and girls across America has the opportunity she
deserves.
Because even more important than the history we make
tonight, is the history we will write together in the years ahead. Let's begin
with what we're going to do to help working people in our country get ahead and
stay ahead.
Now, I don't think President Obama and Vice President Biden
get the credit they deserve for saving us from the worst economic crisis of our
lifetimes.
Our economy is so much stronger than when they took
office. Nearly 15 million new
private-sector jobs. Twenty million more Americans with health insurance. And
an auto industry that just had its best year ever. That's real progress.
But none of us can be satisfied with the status quo. Not by
a long shot.
We're still facing deep-seated problems that developed long
before the recession and have stayed with us through the recovery.
I've gone around our country talking to working families.
And I've heard from so many of you who feel like the economy just isn't
working.
Some of you are frustrated – even furious. And you know
what??? You're right. It's not yet working the way it should.
Americans are willing to work – and work hard. But right
now, an awful lot of people feel there is less and less respect for the work
they do. And less respect for them, period.
Democrats are the party of working people. But we haven't
done a good enough job showing that we get what you're going through, and that
we're going to do something about it.
So I want to tell you tonight how we will empower Americans
to live better lives.
My primary mission as President will be to create more
opportunity and more good jobs with rising wages right here in the United
States... From my first day in office to my last! Especially in places that for
too long have been left out and left behind.
From our inner cities to our small towns, from Indian
Country to Coal Country. From communities ravaged by addiction to regions
hollowed out by plant closures.
And here's what I believe. I believe America thrives when
the middle class thrives. I believe that our economy isn't working the way it
should because our democracy isn't working the way it should.
That's why we need to appoint Supreme Court justices who
will get money out of politics and expand voting rights, not restrict them. And
if necessary we'll pass a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United!
I believe American corporations that have gotten so much
from our country should be just as patriotic in return. Many of them are. But
too many aren't. It's wrong to take tax breaks with one hand and give out pink
slips with the other.
And I believe Wall Street can never, ever be allowed to
wreck Main Street again. I believe in science. I believe that climate change is
real and that we can save our planet while creating millions of good-paying
clean energy jobs.
I believe that when we have millions of hardworking
immigrants contributing to our economy, it would be self-defeating and inhumane
to try to kick them out. Comprehensive immigration reform will grow our economy
and keep families together - and it's the right thing to do.
Whatever party you belong to, or if you belong to no party
at all, if you share these beliefs, this is your campaign.
If you believe that companies should share profits, not pad
executive bonuses, join us. If you
believe the minimum wage should be a living wage… and no one working full time
should have to raise their children in poverty… join us.
If you believe that every man, woman, and child in America
has the right to affordable health care…join us. If you believe that we should
say “no” to unfair trade deals... that we should stand up to China... that we
should support our steelworkers and autoworkers and homegrown
manufacturers…join us.
If you believe we should expand Social Security and protect
a woman's right to make her own health care decisions… join us.
And yes, if you believe that your working mother, wife,
sister, or daughter deserves equal pay… join us... Let's make sure this economy works for
everyone, not just those at the top.
Now, you didn't hear any of this from Donald Trump at his
convention. He spoke for 70-odd minutes
– and I do mean odd. And he offered zero
solutions.
But we already know he doesn't believe these things. No wonder he doesn't like talking about his
plans. You might have noticed, I love talking about mine.
In my first 100 days, we will work with both parties to pass
the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II. Jobs in manufacturing, clean energy,
technology and innovation, small business, and infrastructure.
If we invest in infrastructure now, we'll not only create
jobs today, but lay the foundation for the jobs of the future. And we will
transform the way we prepare our young people for those jobs.
Bernie Sanders and I will work together to make college
tuition-free for the middle class and debt-free for all! We will also liberate millions of people who
already have student debt.
It's just not right that Donald Trump can ignore his debts,
but students and families can't refinance theirs.
And here's something we don't say often enough: College is
crucial, but a four-year degree should not be the only path to a good job.
We're going to help more people learn a skill or practice a
trade and make a good living doing it.
We're going to give small businesses a boost. Make it easier to get credit. Way too many
dreams die in the parking lots of banks.
In America, if you can dream it, you should be able to build
it. We're going to help you balance
family and work. And you know what, if
fighting for affordable child care and paid family leave is playing the “woman
card,” then Deal Me In!
Now, here's the thing, we're not only going to make all
these investments, we're going to pay for every single one of them. And here's
how: Wall Street, corporations, and the super-rich are going to start paying
their fair share of taxes.
Not because we resent success. Because when more than 90% of
the gains have gone to the top 1%, that's where the money is. And we are going
to follow the money. And if companies take tax breaks and then ship jobs
overseas, we'll make them pay us back. And we'll put that money to work where
it belongs … creating jobs here at home!
Now I know some of you are sitting at home thinking, well
that all sounds pretty good. But how are you going to get it done? How are you going to break through the
gridlock in Washington?
Look at my record. I’ve worked across the aisle to pass laws and treaties and to launch new programs that help millions of people. And if you give me the chance, that’s what I’ll do as President.
But Trump, he's a businessman. He must know something about the economy.
Well, let's take a closer look. In Atlantic City, 60 miles from here, you'll
find contractors and small businesses who lost everything because Donald Trump
refused to pay his bills. Now remember what the President said last night --
don't boo, vote.
People who did the work and needed the money, and didn't get
it – not because he couldn't pay them, but because he wouldn't pay them. He
just stiffed them. That sales pitch he's making to be your president? Put your
faith in him – and you'll win big?
That's the same sales pitch he made to all those small businesses.
Then Trump walked away, and left working people holding the
bag.
He also talks a big game about putting America First. Please
explain to me what part of America First leads him to make Trump ties in China,
not Colorado. Trump suits in Mexico, not Michigan. Trump furniture in Turkey,
not Ohio. Trump picture frames in India, not Wisconsin.
Donald Trump says he wants to make America great again –
well, he could start by actually making things in America again.
The choice we face is just as stark when it comes to our
national security. Anyone reading the news can see the threats and turbulence
we face.
From Baghdad and Kabul, to Nice and Paris and Brussels, to
San Bernardino and Orlando, we're dealing with determined enemies that must be
defeated. No wonder people are anxious and looking for reassurance. Looking for
steady leadership. You want a leader who understands we are stronger when we
work with our allies around the world and care for our veterans here at home.
Keeping our nation safe and honoring the people who do it will be my highest
priority.
I'm proud that we put a lid on Iran's nuclear program
without firing a single shot – now we have to enforce it, and keep supporting
Israel's security.
I'm proud that we shaped a global climate agreement – now we
have to hold every country accountable to their commitments, including
ourselves.
I'm proud to stand by our allies in NATO against any threat
they face, including from Russia.
I've laid out my strategy for defeating ISIS. We will strike
their sanctuaries from the air, and support local forces taking them out on the
ground. We will surge our intelligence so that we detect and prevent attacks
before they happen. We will disrupt their efforts online to reach and
radicalize young people in our country. It won't be easy or quick, but make no
mistake – we will prevail.
Now Donald Trump says, and this is a quote, “I know more
about ISIS than the generals do….”
No, Donald, you don't. He thinks that he knows more than our
military because he claimed our armed forces are “a disaster.”
Well, I've had the privilege to work closely with our troops
and our veterans for many years, including as a Senator on the Armed Services
Committee. I know how wrong he is.
Our military is a national treasure. We entrust our
commander-in-chief to make the hardest decisions our nation faces. Decisions
about war and peace. Life and death.
A president should respect the men and women who risk their
lives to serve our country – including Captain Khan and the sons of Tim Kaine
and Mike Pence, both Marines.
Ask yourself: Does
Donald Trump have the temperament to be Commander-in-Chief? Donald Trump can't even handle the
rough-and-tumble of a presidential campaign.
He loses his cool at the slightest provocation. When he's gotten a tough question from a
reporter. When he's challenged in a debate. When he sees a protestor at a rally. Imagine him in the Oval Office facing a real
crisis. A man you can bait with a tweet is not a man we can trust with nuclear
weapons.
I can't put it any better than Jackie Kennedy did after the
Cuban Missile Crisis. She said that what worried President Kennedy during that
very dangerous time was that a war might be started – not by big men with
self-control and restraint, but by little men – the ones moved by fear and
pride.
America's strength doesn't come from lashing out. Strength
relies on smarts, judgment, cool resolve, and the precise and strategic
application of power. That's the kind of Commander-in-Chief I pledge to
be.
And if we're serious about keeping our country safe, we also
can't afford to have a President who's in the pocket of the gun lobby. I'm not here to repeal the 2nd Amendment. I'm
not here to take away your guns. I just don't want you to be shot by someone
who shouldn't have a gun in the first place.
We should be working with responsible gun owners to pass
common-sense reforms and keep guns out of the hands of criminals, terrorists
and all others who would do us harm.
For decades, people have said this issue was too hard to
solve and the politics were too hot to touch. But I ask you: how can we just
stand by and do nothing? You heard, you saw, family members of people killed by
gun violence. You heard, you saw, family members of police officers killed in
the line of duty because they were outgunned by criminals. I refuse to believe
we can't find common ground here.
We have to heal the divides in our country. Not just on
guns. But on race. Immigration. And more. That starts with listening to each
other. Hearing each other. Trying, as best we can, to walk in each other's
shoes.
So let's put ourselves in the shoes of young black and
Latino men and women who face the effects of systemic racism, and are made to
feel like their lives are disposable.
Let's put ourselves in the shoes of police officers, kissing
their kids and spouses goodbye every day and heading off to do a dangerous and
necessary job. We will reform our criminal justice system from end-to-end, and
rebuild trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
We will defend all our rights – civil rights, human rights
and voting rights… women's rights and workers' rights… LGBT rights and the
rights of people with disabilities!
And we will stand up against mean and divisive rhetoric
wherever it comes from. You know, for the past year, many people made the mistake
of laughing off Donald Trump's comments – excusing him as an entertainer just
putting on a show. They think he couldn't possibly mean all the horrible things
he says – like when he called women “pigs.”
Or said that an American judge couldn't be fair because of
his Mexican heritage. Or when he mocks and mimics a reporter with a
disability. Or insults prisoners of war
like John McCain –a true hero and patriot who deserves our respect.
At first, I admit, I couldn't believe he meant it either. It
was just too hard to fathom – that someone who wants to lead our nation could
say those things. Could be like that.
But here's the sad truth: There is no other Donald
Trump...This is it. And in the end, it comes down to what Donald Trump doesn't
get: that America is great – because America is good.
So enough with the bigotry and bombast. Donald Trump's not
offering real change. He's offering empty promises. What are we offering? A
bold agenda to improve the lives of people across our country - to keep you safe,
to get you good jobs, and to give your kids the opportunities they deserve. The
choice is clear, my friends.
Every generation of Americans has come together to make our
country freer, fairer, and stronger. None of us ever have or can do it
alone.
I know that at a time when so much seems to be pulling us
apart, it can be hard to imagine how we'll ever pull together again. But I'm
here to tell you tonight – progress is possible. I know because I've seen it in the lives of
people across America who get knocked down and get right back up. And I know it
from my own life.
More than a few times, I've had to pick myself up and get
back in the game. Like so much else, I got this from my mother. She never let me back down from any
challenge. When I tried to hide from a neighborhood bully, she literally
blocked the door. “Go back out there,” she said. And she was right. You have to
stand up to bullies.
You have to keep working to make things better, even when
the odds are long and the opposition is fierce.
We lost our mother a few years ago but I miss her every
day. And I still hear her voice urging
me to keep working and to keep fighting for right, no matter what. That's what
we need to do together as a nation.
And though "we may not live to see the glory," as
the song from the musical Hamilton goes, "let us gladly join the
fight." Let our legacy be about "planting seeds in a garden you never
get to see."
That's why we're here...not just in this hall, but on this
Earth. The Founders showed us that. And so have many others since. They were
drawn together by love of country and the selfless passion to build something
better for all who follow. That is the story of America. And we begin a new
chapter tonight.
Yes, the world is watching what we do. Yes, America's
destiny is ours to choose. So let's be stronger together, my fellow Americans.
Let’s look to the future with courage and confidence. Let’s build a better
tomorrow for our beloved children and our beloved country. And when we do,
America will be greater than ever.
oOo
Hanh Duong