John Edwards

thank you __PUNCT__

we all here togeth __PUNCT__ but why ar we here __PUNCT__ why ar we here __PUNCT__ we ar here becaus somewher in america an eight __PUNCT__ year old girl goe to sleep hungri __PUNCT__ a littl girl who ought to be draw pictur and learn multipl cri herself to sleep __PUNCT__ prai that her father __PUNCT__ who ha been out of work for two year __PUNCT__ will get a job again __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

we ar here becaus somewher in america __PUNCT__ a hotel housekeep walk a picket_line with her union brother and sister fight for decent health_care benefit dure the dai and work the late __PUNCT__ shift at a diner at night so that she and her famili can live a decent life and so her boi can go to colleg and have choic she never had __PUNCT__

and somewher a young_man fold a colleg accept letter and put it in hi drawer becaus even with hi part __PUNCT__ time_job and hi mother second job __PUNCT__ he know he cannot afford to go __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

we ar here becaus somewher in america a mother wipe her hand on a dishcloth to go answer a knock on her door __PUNCT__ and open it to find an armi chaplain and an offic stand there with solemn face and her boi name __PUNCT__ her patriot son who enlist after __DATE__ __PUNCT__ on their lip __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

we ar here becaus somewher in the world __PUNCT__ a __NUM__ __PUNCT__ year old boi in a refuge_camp is bend under the weight of hi __NUM__ __PUNCT__ year old sister __PUNCT__

hi famili massacr __PUNCT__ he carri hi remain sister everywher __PUNCT__ and sleep with hi arm wrap tightli around her __PUNCT__ know that tomorrow he will have to do the same_thing __PUNCT__ and again the next dai and the dai after that becaus she is all the famili he ha now __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

we ar here becaus somewher in america a father come home from the second shift and feel a rage fever on the brow of hi sleep daughter as he kiss her goodnight __PUNCT__

and now __PUNCT__ bone __PUNCT__ weari and worri __PUNCT__ he cradl that child in hi arm at the emerg_room __PUNCT__ becaus there is nowher els for him to go __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

thei ar why we ar here __PUNCT__

becaus everywher in america __PUNCT__ peopl ar count on us to stand up for them __PUNCT__

and so i ask you __PUNCT__ will you stand up for that tire father forc into emerg room to get health_care for hi littl girl __PUNCT__ will you stand up for the brave young_boi in the refuge_camp __PUNCT__ will you stand up for the work_men and women in our labor_movement who have to fight for decent work_condit and live_wage __PUNCT__ will you stand up for the young_man who know that educ is hi wai out of the cycl of poverti and yet it seem beyond hi grasp __PUNCT__ will you stand up for that hungri eight __PUNCT__ year old girl so she doesn't give up on her life befor it even begun __PUNCT__ will you stand up for all the american_famili whose love on ar serv in iraq and afghanistan __PUNCT__ will you stand up __PUNCT__ will you stand up for america __PUNCT__ becaus if we don't stand up __PUNCT__ who will __PUNCT__ if we don't speak out __PUNCT__ who will __PUNCT__ forti_year year_ago __PUNCT__ speak in protest against the war in vietnam on the ev of it escal __PUNCT__ the reverend doctor martin_luther_king said there come a time when silenc is betray __PUNCT__

silenc is betray __PUNCT__

that time ha come again __PUNCT__

we cannot stand silent __PUNCT__

thei have to hear you __PUNCT__

can thei hear you __PUNCT__ i believ it is a betray not to speak out against the escal of the war our nation is engag in todai __PUNCT__ in iraq __PUNCT__

it is a betray for thi presid to send more troop into harm wai when we know it will not succe in bring stabil to the region __PUNCT__

and it is not right by our silenc to enabl thi presid to escal the war in iraq __PUNCT__

and we must not delud ourselv __PUNCT__ our silenc enabl thi presid to escal the war __PUNCT__

it is a betray not to stop the presid plan when we have the respons __PUNCT__ the power and the actual tool to prevent it __PUNCT__

be satisfi with non __PUNCT__ bind resolut we know thi presid will ignor is a betray __PUNCT__

and shut down debat in the senat on thi issu is wors than a betray __PUNCT__

it an outright denial of the peopl will __PUNCT__

and on more thing __PUNCT__ while i at it __PUNCT__

you describ yourself as __PUNCT__ the decid __PUNCT__

i have new for you __PUNCT__

the american_peopl ar the real __PUNCT__ decid __PUNCT__ mr __PUNCT__ presid __PUNCT__

and thei ar sai __PUNCT__ you have had your chanc __PUNCT__

american ar speak out __PUNCT__

and our leader must do no less __PUNCT__

you must stand up now against georg_bush escal of the war in iraq __PUNCT__

georg bush is count on us not to stand up __PUNCT__ not to fight against thi escal with everyth we have __PUNCT__

georg bush is count on a democrat_parti that will not press for what we know is right __PUNCT__

silenc is betray __PUNCT__

oppos thi escal with all the vigor and tool we have is a test of our polit_courag __PUNCT__

and you better believ that georg_bush __PUNCT__ dick_chenei and karl_rove ar bet that we don't have that courag __PUNCT__

thei don't think we have it in us __PUNCT__

thei count on their oppon to be weak __PUNCT__ and polit __PUNCT__ and care __PUNCT__

thi is not the time for polit_calcul __PUNCT__

thi is the time for polit_courag __PUNCT__

stand up __PUNCT__

be honest and chang cours in iraq is the first step in restor america abil to provid moral leadership throughout the world __PUNCT__

and make no mistak __PUNCT__ america must lead __PUNCT__

we ar the pre __PUNCT__ emin __PUNCT__ stabil power in the world __PUNCT__

if we don't stand up __PUNCT__ who will __PUNCT__ thi is the time for polit courag __PUNCT__ not onli when it come to speak out against iraq __PUNCT__ but also about the challeng we face here at home __PUNCT__

becaus __PUNCT__ when it come to __NUM___million_american american_live in poverti __PUNCT__ silenc is betray __PUNCT__

on in everi five children __PUNCT__ count them __PUNCT__ on in everi five american_children __PUNCT__ live in poverti __PUNCT__ here on the richest nation on the planet __PUNCT__

it doesn't have to be that wai __PUNCT__

the caus of poverti ar complex __PUNCT__ entrench __PUNCT__ and power __PUNCT__

and our will to address them and restor the promis of equal and social_justic must be just as strong __PUNCT__

ar you strong enough __PUNCT__ will you stand up to end_poverti in america __PUNCT__ it mean address educ __PUNCT__ job __PUNCT__ health_care __PUNCT__ hous __PUNCT__ predatori_lend __PUNCT__ and person_respons __PUNCT__

the fight will be long and it will not be easi __PUNCT__

ar you readi __PUNCT__ will you us your voic against poverti __PUNCT__ or will you stand silent __PUNCT__ stand up __PUNCT__

stand up to erad poverti in america __PUNCT__

when it come to __NUM___million_american without health_care __PUNCT__ silenc is betray __PUNCT__

the __NUM___million ar silent victim of a health_care_system gone wrong __PUNCT__ where polici ar driven by profit not patient care __PUNCT__

we have to stop let the health_insur insur_compani and the big pharmaceut concern decid our nation_health health_care_polici __PUNCT__

we have to give the silent victim __PUNCT__ who stand in line at free clinic and us the expir medicin of friend and neighbor __PUNCT__ we have to give them the digniti of univers_health_care __PUNCT__

and while we at it __PUNCT__ we have to stop us word like __PUNCT__ access to health care __PUNCT__ when we know with certainti those word mean someth less than univers care __PUNCT__

who ar you will to leav behind without the care he need __PUNCT__ which famili __PUNCT__ which child __PUNCT__ we need a truli univers solut __PUNCT__ and we need it now __PUNCT__

will you stand up for univers health_insur in america __PUNCT__ and it time we stood up for an energi_polici that not dictat by the profit_margin of big_oil __PUNCT__ and an environment_polici that not promot by or regul by pollut __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ not tomorrow __PUNCT__ or in the next decad or in the next gener __PUNCT__

todai __PUNCT__ our planet is at risk __PUNCT__ and here __PUNCT__ again __PUNCT__ silenc is betray __PUNCT__

so __PUNCT__ will you speak out __PUNCT__ will you stand up __PUNCT__ these ar the great_moral moral_imper of our time __PUNCT__

and by break the silenc we ar not break faith with our flag or our forefath or our brave young_men and women in uniform __PUNCT__

we ar keep faith with america __PUNCT__

becaus we ar better than thi __PUNCT__

we ar better than thi __PUNCT__

we should be the bright light __PUNCT__ the beacon for all the world __PUNCT__

we ar not the countri of the superdom in new orlean after katrina __PUNCT__ we ar not the countri of abu_ghraib or guantanamo __PUNCT__ we ar not the countri of secret surveil and govern behind close_door __PUNCT__

we ar american __PUNCT__ and we better than that __PUNCT__

and we ar democrat __PUNCT__ the parti of action __PUNCT__ not reaction __PUNCT__

we ar democrat __PUNCT__ the parti of principl __PUNCT__ not appeas __PUNCT__

the time for half __PUNCT__ measur __PUNCT__ empti promis __PUNCT__ and sweet rhetor is gone __PUNCT__

now is the time for courag __PUNCT__ decis and moral leadership __PUNCT__

it time to stand up for the promis of america again __PUNCT__ and for the principl that everi american matter __PUNCT__ no matter where you come from __PUNCT__ or what color your skin is __PUNCT__ or how much monei you have in your pocket __PUNCT__

let stand up for the work_peopl whose labor made thi countri great __PUNCT__

america wa built by men and women who work with their hand __PUNCT__

and organ_labor ha fought for and made better the live of everi work man and woman __PUNCT__ by give them a voic __PUNCT__ labor never stand silent where wrong need to be right __PUNCT__

will you stand with them __PUNCT__ it is time we acknowledg that it is organ labor __PUNCT__ which ha protect the american_worker against mistreat by corpor_america __PUNCT__

i am proud to stand besid organ_labor __PUNCT__ will you stand with them __PUNCT__ too __PUNCT__ will you walk with them and march with them __PUNCT__ we know on thing for sure __PUNCT__ it is time to be patriot about someth other than war __PUNCT__

it is time to do what you know is right and to speak out against what you know is wrong __PUNCT__

not tomorrow __PUNCT__

now __PUNCT__

speak out now __PUNCT__ take action now __PUNCT__

we don't have to wait to see if someon keep the promis of a __NUM___campaign __PUNCT__

in fact __PUNCT__ the transform chang thi countri need cannot wait until __DATE__ __PUNCT__

tomorrow begin todai __PUNCT__

and our oblig to act start right here __PUNCT__ right now __PUNCT__

becaus somewher in america __PUNCT__ becaus everywher in america __PUNCT__ peopl ar count on us to stand by them and to fight alongsid them for what we know in our heart is right __PUNCT__

so let stand up togeth __PUNCT__

we have alwai been the parti of promis who stood with the work man and woman __PUNCT__ the parti of hope who stood with the needi __PUNCT__ the parti of compass who stood with the young and the old and the frail __PUNCT__

it is who we ar __PUNCT__

in time like these __PUNCT__ we don't need to redefin the democrat_parti __PUNCT__ we need to reclaim the democrat parti __PUNCT__

thank you __PUNCT__ god_bless you and god bless thi great_countri __PUNCT__