Regards, Ivan
Posted on 09/06/2002 11:34:51 PM PDT by MadIvan
Never normally at a loss for words, New Yorkers are ridiculing their leaders for relying on oratory from the past rather than writing their own speeches for next week's anniversary of September 11.
The ceremony to mark the destruction of the Twin Towers features the mayor and the state governor but, instead of delivering new addresses, they will perform a medley of "greatest hits" from American rhetorical history.
New York's day will resound with renditions of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and Franklin D Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech.
While reaffirming America's pride in its heritage, the selection also underlines the challenge of commemorating an event without precedent.
A procession of bagpipe bands, a reading of the names of those who died and religious services across New York will pay tribute to the victims. President George W Bush will join other world leaders in the grieving city later in the day.
In theory the choice of speeches could be commended for simplicity, emotional impact and political sensitivity. However, it has been exposed to blistering criticism. The rhetoric is inappropriate or symbolic of the failure of leadership and imagination by today's politicians, or both, say the mockers.
Most controversial of all is the reading by George Pataki, governor of New York State, of Lincoln's mini-masterpiece at Gettysburg.
Garry Wills, author of a book on the Gettysburg speech, complained: "It is an insult to Lincoln, to the soldiers who died there and to the people who died last year because it doesn't address their specific tragedy."
"It's an insult to say people are incapable of coming up with anything adequate."
Challenged to justify the choice of the 1863 Gettysburg Address, Mr Bloomberg, not renowned for his rhetorical skills, managed a reply that was syntactically tortuous and, at best, of debatable accuracy. It points out that the 2,800 people who died on September 11 are heroes who have died so that we can continue to practise our religion and have the freedoms that we want," he said.
Freedom will be the theme of his own speech, first delivered by Roosevelt in 1941. James McGreevey, New Jersey's governor, will read the 1776 Declaration of Independence with its long list of the "Injuries and Usurpations" imposed on the North American colonies by George III.
As I understand it, many of the charges against poor old George III could be levelled twice as accurately as Governor McGreevy. ;) - Ivan
The poverty of rhetoric for the ceremony highlights the triumph of television with its emphasis on mood music and "moving moments" over the bygone era of rousing oratory.
Regards, Ivan
I am more than a little surprised by this, since I have been under the impression that Wills, a turncoat former conservative, was not a supporter of the WOT.
As far as the use of historical documents is concerned, it was a great tradition in the US to read the Declaration of Independence in full, as well as other documents, on the Fourth of July. This is in great part because America is a country about ideas, as Margaret Thatcher so accurately pointed out in one of her great speeches. There are still many places where the Declaration is read annually. For another example, George Washington's farewell address is still read in full in Congress every year.
We have serious work yet to do before we sheath the sword, and the occasion calls for something appropriate to the task.
It would be nice if they lay off of the politically-correct stuff for once, not mug for the cameras, and maybe read one of Patton's speeches to get the idea.
There's a good arguement to made for a national day of mourning..NOT a Holiday.a day of mourning. One day that we can show the kids who are now old enough to understand why we have to fight to be free and the carnage brought to us by our laxness and the barbarians out side our gates.
Saddest of all is that most New Yorkers and probably many many Americans have never even read these speeches before.
That works for me.
Bloomberg is a RINO. He's no Abe Lincoln!
Once, we knew right from wrong. Whining when tough decisions and sacrifices had to be made, enemies faced and our lost mourned would have been considered rude and shameful, tarnishing not only the reputation of the journalist, but the paper. Now, the whiner-children rule the airwaves/press and the adults are abiding by rules for adults
My objection is the political opportunism. It's an old custom to have readings of the Declaration, etc. at patriotic public events--not much done anymore (perhaps that's changing.) But to do it right they should have someone with great oratory skill. Think Charleton Heston. "When in the course of human events..."
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