“As if the parent who lies awake terrified that their transgender son will be beaten and bullied at school is any more or less legitimate than the parent whose heart is shattered by a daughter in the grips of opioid addiction.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-MA) delivered an amazingly genuine speech for the Democrats in response to President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Tuesday night.
Kennedy, 37, the grandson of Robert F. “Bobby” Kennedy gave voice to true Democratic ideals in a way not heard since President Barack Obama left office.
He chastised Republicans, saying that for them, “dignity isn’t something you’re born with, but something you measure—by your net worth, your celebrity, your headlines, your crowd size. Not to mention the gender of your spouse. The country of your birth. The color of your skin. The god of your prayers.”
Rep. Kennedy slammed the Trump economy, saying that it makes “stocks soar, investor portfolios bulge, and corporate profits climb,” but it has “failed to giove workers their fair share of the reward.”
Without mentioning Trump, he took aim at the president for “turning American life into a zero-sum game,” and for “a government that struggles to keep itself open. Russia knee-deep in our democracy. An all-out war on environmental protection. A Justice Department rolling back civil rights by the day. Hatred and supremacy proudly marching in our streets. Bullets tearing through our classrooms, concerts, and congregations. Targeting our safest, sacred places.”
“We are bombarded with one false choice after another: Coal miners or single moms. Rural communities or inner cities. The coast or the heartland,” Kennedy challenged.
As if the mechanic in Pittsburgh and the teacher in Tulsa and the daycare worker in Birmingham are somehow bitter rivals, rather than mutual casualties of a system forcefully rigged for those at the top.
As if the parent who lies awake terrified that their transgender son will be beaten and bullied at school is any more or less legitimate than the parent whose heart is shattered by a daughter in the grips of opioid addiction.
So here is the answer Democrats offer tonight: we choose both. We fight for both. Because the strongest, richest, greatest nation in the world shouldn’t leave any one behind.
Kennedy honored the Dreamers, even switching to Spanish at one point.
“And to all the Dreamers watching tonight, let me be clear: Ustedes son parte de nuestra historia. Vamos a luchar por ustedes y no nos vamos alejar.”
“You are a part of our story. We will fight for you. We will not walk away. America, we carry that story on our shoulders.”
“You swarmed Washington last year to ensure no parent has to worry if they can afford to save their child’s life. You proudly marched together last weekend – thousands deep — in the streets of Las Vegas and Philadelphia and Nashville. You sat high atop your mom’s shoulders and held a sign that read: ‘Build a wall and my generation will tear it down.'”
Kennedy concluded:
You bravely say, ‘me too.’ You steadfastly say, ‘Black Lives Matter.’ You wade through flood waters, battle hurricanes, and brave wildfires and mudslides to save a stranger. You fight your own, quiet battles every single day. You drag your weary bodies to that extra shift so your families won’t feel the sting of scarcity. You leave loved ones at home to defend our country overseas, or patrol our neighborhoods overnight.
You serve. You rescue. You help. You heal.
That – more than any law or leader, any debate or disagreement – that is what drives us toward progress. Bullies may land a punch. They might leave a mark. But they have never, not once, in the history of our United States, managed to match the strength and spirit of a people united in defense of their future. Politicians can be cheered for the promises they make. Our country will be judged by the promises we keep.
THAT is the measure of our character. That’s who we are.
Out of many. One.
Ladies and gentlemen, have faith: The state of our union is hopeful, resilient, enduring.
Thank you, God Bless you and your families, and God Bless the United States of America.
Here’s video and text of his full speech:
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