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Kerry
Remarks in Denver, Colorado
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WASHINGTON,
June 21 /U.S. Newswire/ --
The following is a transcript of remarks by Senator
John Kerry:
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Denver,
Colorado
Monday, June 21, 2004
Thank you for being here. And thank you Chris for that
kind introduction. Today is the first day of summer.
But the first day of summer here in the mountains feels
like the first day of fall back east.
Chris, your story is a constant reminder that one person
can overcome adversity and make a difference.
Listening to you just now, I know that with focus and
determination America can lead the world in science
and research so that one day you can walk. To stand
in the shadow of the Rockies and dream for anything
less for you, for your family, and for the thousands
of others who have suffered the same fate, would be
to go against the Denver spirit. After all, we're in
the "Mile High City" and in a country with
"Mile High Dreams."
You know, I think of those Americans who came west and
saw those mountains. They didn't buckle in fear at their
grand scale. They said we're going to scale them, and
keep going. And when we come to settings like this one
and parks like the Civic Center, we are reminded that
we are part of something bigger than ourselves.
That's what great urban green spaces do-they pull people
together by giving them a place to gather in the heart
of the city. Since 1926, people have gathered here for
public concerts, public vigils as in the wake of the
Columbine tragedy, and for celebrations like Cinco de
Mayo and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. And I just want
to say that the renovations to the amphitheater look
amazing.
And the man who helped build this park -- Mayor Robert
Speer - - once said, "Give while you live."
That's what he did for Colorado and that is what we're
going to do for America.
That's why we're here. You bring us one step closer
to an America stronger at home and respected in the
world -- today brings us one step closer to the end
of the Bush Administration.
We're here to fight for good-paying jobs that let American
workers actually get ahead.
We're here to make health care a right for all of our
people.
We're here to make this nation energy independent.
We're here to build a strong military, and lead strong
alliances, so that our military is never overextended
and young Americans are never put in harm's way because
we went it alone.
And we're here to build an economy of the future by
investing in science, technology, and higher education,
which is really what I want to focus on today.
You know, there is always something special for me about
coming to Colorado. I was born here at the Fitzsimons
Army Hospital when my father was a pilot in World War
II. My father and my mother taught me the value of service.
I've always been determined to give something back to
my country -- as a soldier, as a prosecutor, as a Senator.
And now, I'm running for President. It's been a great
adventure and a great privilege. So many of you have
welcomed Teresa and me and our kids into your homes
and hearts. You have told us the stories of your lives
-- and they have become the work of my life.
The poet Langston Hughes told the stories in this way:
"Let America be America again. Let it be the dream
it used to be" -- for those "whose sweat and
blood, whose faith and pain, whose hand at the foundry,
whose plow in the rain must bring back our mighty dream
again."
In 2004, we have to bring back our mighty dream again.
We have to make America all that it can become.
You know, working families all across our country are
living by the oldest and greatest of American values
- hard work, service, and caring for one another. And
I'm running for president because I believe that our
government should live by those values, too.
More than a million Americans who were working three
years ago have lost their jobs. And the new jobs finally
being created pay an average of $9000 less a year. Colorado,
we need a President who fights for your job as hard
as he fights for his own.
We also need a president who fights for the working
men and women of this country. As wages are going down,
your health care costs are going up; your tuitions are
going up; your bills are going up. In the last three
years, here in Colorado, health care premiums climbed
more than $2,600 and child care costs increased by more
than $2,000. But guess what didn't go up? You're right,
your wages! Family income has dropped by more than $1,400.
That's why last week, I talked about my economic plan
to build up our great middle class by lowering your
taxes so your incomes go up; cutting the deficit in
half by rolling back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy,
and honoring middle class values so you can balance
work and family. I'm running for president because I
want an economy that strengthens and expands the middle
class, not one that squeezes it -- Americans shouldn't
just be working and working for the economy -- the economy
should be working all Americans.
I have a plan to put good paying jobs at the heart of
our economy. And when I'm president, American taxpayers
will never again subsidize the loss of their own jobs.
I'm running for president, because I want an economy
that's built on people and products, not perks and privileges.
This week, I want to talk about my plan to create an
economy of the future-one that's based on innovation,
ingenuity, and imagination. By harnessing the brain
power of the best and brightest among us we can break
new frontiers in science and technology and make our
economy strong again. We can create the jobs of the
future, improve our quality of life, and once again
tap into America's greatest resource -- our people and
our sense of discovery.
We have always had this drive as a country to see around
corners. To wonder "What if?" What if this
plane takes flight at Kitty Hawk? What if we could go
to the moon? What if we could put millions of pages
on to one tiny computer chip? What if we could map our
entire DNA? What if we could cure cancer, Parkinson's,
AIDS, and Alzheimer's?
Just when it seems we've reached a plateau or come across
a problem too difficult to solve, there is someone,
somewhere in America who asks "what if?"
"What if" is, in its own way, a uniquely American
question -- a question that hasn't been asked enough
over the last three years. Americans deserve a president
who believes in science! And the American people deserve
a president who understands that when America invests
in science and technology and higher education we can
build a new and stronger economy for the 21st century.
Tomorrow, I will focus on the ways we can create a business
environment that develops and strengthens new technologies,
and how we can create universal access to broadband-a
technology that can transform our country and create
jobs. If Bangalore and India can be completely wired,
then so should all of Colorado and all of America. Our
leadership in science and technology is essential for
a strong economy and a strong national defense and effective
homeland security.
And on Thursday, I will talk about my plan to build
the workforce of the future by investing in lifelong
learning, helping more Americans go to and graduate
from college, and encouraging more women and minorities
to become involved in math and science.
Today, I want to discuss my plan for an America the
leads the world in science. Recently we've seen reports
that other countries are spending and investing more
in science. America has been losing its lead. As President,
I will see to it that America is once again at the forefront
of scientific discovery.
We need that to cure diseases, lower health care costs,
and invest in new research and technologies that will
create the good paying jobs of the next decade and generation.
First, we need a president who will once again embrace
our tradition of looking toward the future and new discoveries
with hope based on scientific facts, not fear. That's
what presidents are supposed to do. Franklin Roosevelt
built great national laboratories. Abraham Lincoln created
the National Academy of Sciences. President Eisenhower
established the White House Science Advisor. President
Kennedy started America on the path that ended up with
a man setting foot on the moon. And President Clinton
helped lead us to a map of the entire human genome.
Presidents think big and dream big. And nowhere is it
more important to do so than crossing the new horizons
of science and technology.
I am proud that today 47 Nobel Laureates have sent an
open letter to America in support of my campaign and
our cause to invest and lead the world in science. As
president, I will listen to the advice of our scientists
so I can make the best decisions. Their reports and
evaluations will be open so that you can make informed
decisions as well. This is your future and I will let
science guide us, not ideology.
Second, we need to invest in science and new technologies
that may help cure diseases, start great new industries
and deepen our understanding of the world in which we
live. That's why I will increase our funding to the
National Institutes of Health, the National Science
Foundation, the Department of Energy, and other important
agencies and initiatives that promote crucial research.
These advances have the opportunity to do so much good
in the world and new technologies like nanotechnology
and clean energy have the potential to transform the
American economy. Nationally, Colorado ranks 8th in
the total number of nanotech firms.
This state's economy is driven by cable TV, satellite,
and telecommunications. These industries powered much
of Colorado's economic growth during the 1990s. During
that decade, the population of this state grew by 31%,
but thanks to the economic boost of science and technology,
unemployment fell to 2.5 percent in January 2001. It
is clear-these technological advances are bringing good
paying jobs to Colorado.
And finally, we must lift the barriers that stand in
the way of stem cell research and push the boundaries
of medical exploration so that researchers can find
treatments that are there, if only they are allowed
to look. And we should do this while providing strict
ethical oversight.
More than 100 million Americans -- just like Chris --
have illnesses and injuries that one day could be cured
or treated with stem-cell therapy. Stem cells could
replace damaged heart cells or cells destroyed by cancer.
Stem cells may have the power to calm the hand of an
uncle with Parkinson's, and slow the loss of a grandmother's
memory. So many Americans have looked at me with tears
in their eyes and asked me to help them find a cure
for a daughter, a son, a parent who's suffering from
diseases that are controlling their future. By supporting
stem cell therapy, we have the possibility to control
the future. Not only can we reduce the economic cost
of healthcare, we can reduce the emotional and social
cost of families. We did it with Polio, we did it with
Small Pox, we did it with TB, we can do it again.
As America said good-bye to Ronald Reagan we also honored
the devotion and love of his wife Nancy. Her pleas for
stem cell research joined the pleas of millions across
this country and reinforces in all of us the need to
tear down every wall today that keeps us from finding
the cures of tomorrow. I have full faith that our scientists
will go forward with a moral compass -- with humane
values and sound ethics guiding the way.
If we pursue the limitless potential of science -- and
trust that we can use it wisely -- we will save millions
of lives and earn the gratitude of future generations.
We have the potential to do so much good while at the
same time meeting some very practical challenges --
lowering health care costs and creating new jobs.
It's about investing in the future of our country. And
when I am your president, I won't let ideology and fear
stand in the way!
When America sees a problem or a great possibility,
it is in our collective character to set our sights
on the horizon and not stop working until we get there.
That's what America does best - - and now we need to
let America be America again so we can lead in scientific
discoveries and advances!
That's how we make America strong at home. That's how
we build an economy for the 21st century that creates
good paying jobs. And we can chart this course together.
You know, when I was in Vietnam, I served on a small
boat on the Mekong Delta with men who came from places
as diverse as South Carolina and Iowa...Arkansas and
California.
We were literally all in the same boat -- and we came
together as one. No one asked us our politics. No one
cared where we went to school or what our backgrounds
were.
We were just a band of brothers who all fought under
the same flag, and all prayed to the same God. Today,
we're a little bit older, we're a little bit greyer.
But we still know how to fight for our country. And
what we're fighting for is an America where all of us
are truly in the same boat.
We're not just Democrats or Republicans. We are Americans.
We have to end the divisions in this country. We have
to work together for the America we can become. We need
good education for all our children. We need to protect
our environment. We need to strengthen our military
and lead strong alliances.
So, I ask for your help. Talk to your neighbors; talk
to your friends. Enlist in our cause.
My friends, this is the most important election of our
lifetime. And that's not something I'm telling you.
That's something you've told me again and again. And
now, the outcome is more in your hands than in mine.
In great movements for civil rights and equal rights
and the environment, we have come together as one America
to give life to our mighty dream.
So come together again and stand up for a great purpose
-- to make America stronger at home and respected in
the world.
We're a country of the future; we're a country of optimists.
We're the can-do people. And we just need to believe
in ourselves.
Let America be America again.
Thank you, and God bless you.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
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www.nano-tsunami.com
This
story has been adapted from a news release -
Diese Meldung basiert auf einer Pressemitteilung
-
Deze
tekst is gebaseerd op een nieuwsbericht -
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