John Kerry: Speech to the 2004 Democratic National Convention (En-Ch)

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Boston, MA - We are here tonight because we love our country.

We are proud of what America is and what it can become.

My fellow Americans: we are here tonight united in one simple purpose: to make America stronger at home and respected in the world.

A great American novelist wrote that you can't go home again.  He could not have imagined this evening.  Tonight, I am home. Home where my public life began and those who made it possible live.  Home where our nation's history was written in blood, idealism, and hope.  Home where my parents showed me the values of family, faith, and country.

Thank you, all of you, for a welcome home I will never forget.

I wish my parents could share this moment.  They went to their rest in the last few years, but their example, their inspiration, their gift of open eyes, open mind, and endless world are bigger and more lasting than any words.

I was born in Colorado, in Fitzsimmons Army Hospital, when my dad was a pilot in World War II.  Now, I'm not one to read into things, but guess which wing of the hospital the maternity ward was in?  I'm not making this up.  I was born in the West Wing!

My mother was the rock of our family as so many mothers are. She stayed up late to help me do my homework. She sat by my bed when I was sick, and she answered the questions of a child who, like all children, found the world full of wonders and mysteries.

She was my den mother when I was a Cub Scout and she was so proud of her fifty year pin as a Girl Scout leader. She gave me her passion for the environment.  She taught me to see trees as the cathedrals of nature. And by the power of her example, she showed me that we can and must finish the march toward full equality for all women in our country.

My dad did the things that a boy remembers.  He gave me my first model airplane, my first baseball mitt and my first bicycle.  He also taught me that we are here for something bigger than ourselves; he lived out the responsibilities and sacrifices of the greatest generation to whom we owe so much.  

When I was a young man, he was in the State Department, stationed in Berlin when it and the world were divided between democracy and communism. I have unforgettable memories of being a kid mesmerized by the British, French, and American troops, each of them guarding their own part of the city, and Russians standing guard on the stark line separating East from West. On one occasion, I rode my bike into Soviet East Berlin. And when I proudly told my dad, he promptly grounded me.

But what I learned has stayed with me for a lifetime. I saw how different life was on different sides of the same city. I saw the fear in the eyes of people who were not free.  I saw the gratitude of people toward the United States for all that we had done. I felt goose bumps as I got off a military train and heard the Army band strike up "Stars and Stripes Forever."  I learned what it meant to be America at our best. I learned the pride of our freedom.  And I am determined now to restore that pride to all who look to America.

Mine were greatest generation parents. And as I thank them, we all join together to thank that whole generation for making America strong, for winning World War II, winning the Cold War, and for the great gift of service which brought America fifty years of peace and prosperity.   

My parents inspired me to serve, and when I was a junior in high school, John Kennedy called my generation to service.  It was the beginning of a great journey – a time to march for civil rights, for voting rights, for the environment, for women, and for peace. We believed we could change the world. And you know what? We did.

But we're not finished. The journey isn't complete.  The march isn't over.  The promise isn't perfected.   Tonight, we're setting out again.  And together, we're going to write the next great chapter of America's story.

We have it in our power to change the world again.  But only if we're true to our ideals – and that starts by telling the truth to the American people. That is my first pledge to you tonight.  As President, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House.

I ask you to judge me by my record:  As a young prosecutor, I fought for victim's rights and made prosecuting violence against women a priority.  When I came to the Senate, I broke with many in my own party to vote for a balanced budget, because I thought it was the right thing to do.  I fought to put a 100,000 cops on the street.

And then I reached across the aisle to work with John McCain, to find the truth about our POW's and missing in action, and to finally make peace with Vietnam.   

I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.  I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws.  I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders.   And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.

My fellow Americans, this is the most important election of our lifetime. The stakes are high. We are a nation at war – a global war on terror against an enemy unlike any we have ever known before. And here at home, wages are falling, health care costs are rising, and our great middle class is shrinking. People are working weekends; they're working two jobs, three jobs, and they're still not getting ahead.

We're told that outsourcing jobs is good for America. We're told that new jobs that pay $9,000 less than the jobs that have been lost is the best we can do.  They say this is the best economy we've ever had.  And they say that anyone who thinks otherwise is a pessimist.  Well, here is our answer:  There is nothing more pessimistic than saying America can't do better.

We can do better and we will.  We're the optimists. For us, this is a country of the future. We're the can do people.  And let's not forget what we did in the 1990s. We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt.  We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves – and we can do it again.

So tonight, in the city where America's freedom began, only a few blocks from where the sons and daughters of liberty gave birth to our nation – here tonight, on behalf of a new birth of freedom – on behalf of the middle class who deserve a champion, and those struggling to join it who deserve a fair shot – for the brave men and women in uniform who risk their lives every day and the families who pray for their return – for all those who believe our best days are ahead of us – for all of you – with great faith in the American people, I accept your nomination for President of the United States.

I am proud that at my side will be a running mate whose life is the story of the American dream and who's worked every day to make that dream real for all Americans – Senator John Edwards of North Carolina. And his wonderful wife Elizabeth and their family. This son of a mill worker is ready to lead – and next January, Americans will be proud to have a fighter for the middle class to succeed Dick Cheney as Vice President of the United States.

And what can I say about Teresa?  She has the strongest moral compass of anyone I know. She's down to earth, nurturing, courageous, wise and smart.  She speaks her mind and she speaks the truth, and I love her for that, too. And that's why America will embrace her as the next First Lady of the United States.

For Teresa and me, no matter what the future holds or the past has given us, nothing will ever mean as much as our children. We love them not just for who they are and what they've become, but for being themselves, making us laugh, holding our feet to the fire, and never letting me get away with anything.  Thank you, Andre, Alex, Chris, Vanessa, and John.

And in this journey, I am accompanied by an extraordinary band of brothers led by that American hero, a patriot named Max Cleland.  Our band of brothers doesn't march together because of who we are as veterans, but because of what we learned as soldiers. We fought for this nation because we loved it and we came back with the deep belief that every day is extra.  We may be a little older now, we may be a little grayer, but we still know how to fight for our country.

And standing with us in that fight are those who shared with me the long season of the primary campaign:  Carol Moseley Braun, General Wesley Clark, Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt, Bob Graham, Dennis Kucinich, Joe Lieberman and Al Sharpton.

To all of you, I say thank you for teaching me and testing me – but mostly, we say thank you for standing up for our country and giving us the unity to move America forward.

My fellow Americans, the world tonight is very different from the world of four years ago. But I believe the American people are more than equal to the challenge.

Remember the hours after September 11th, when we came together as one to answer the attack against our homeland. We drew strength when our firefighters ran up the stairs and risked their lives, so that others might live. When rescuers rushed into smoke and fire at the Pentagon.  When the men and women of Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to save our nation's Capitol. When flags were hanging from front porches all across America, and strangers became friends. It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us.  

I am proud that after September 11th all our people rallied to President Bush's call for unity to meet the danger. There were no Democrats.  There were no Republicans. There were only Americans.  How we wish it had stayed that way.

Now I know there are those who criticize me for seeing complexities – and I do – because some issues just aren't all that simple.  Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so.  Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn’t make it so. And proclaiming mission accomplished certainly doesn't make it so.  

As President, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence.  I will immediately reform the intelligence system – so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics.  And as President, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: the United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.

I know what kids go through when they are carrying an M-16 in a dangerous place and they can't tell friend from foe.  I know what they go through when they're out on patrol at night and they don't know what's coming around the next bend. I know what it's like to write letters home telling your family that everything's all right when you're not sure that's true.  

As President, I will wage this war with the lessons I learned in war.  Before you go to battle, you have to be able to look a parent in the eye and truthfully say: "I tried everything possible to avoid sending your son or daughter into harm's way. But we had no choice. We had to protect the American people, fundamental American values from a threat that was real and imminent."  So lesson one, this is the only justification for going to war.

And on my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces: You will never be asked to fight a war without a plan to win the peace.

I know what we have to do in Iraq.  We need a President who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, and reduce the risk to American soldiers.  That's the right way to get the job done and bring our troops home.

Here is the reality: that won't happen until we have a president who restores America's respect and leadership -- so we don't have to go it alone in the world.  

And we need to rebuild our alliances, so we can get the terrorists before they get us.  

I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as President.  Let there be no mistake:  I will never hesitate to use force when it is required.  Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security.  And I will build a stronger American military.

We will add 40,000 active duty troops – not in Iraq, but to strengthen American forces that are now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our special forces to conduct anti-terrorist operations. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives – and win the battle.  And we will end the backdoor draft of National Guard and reservists.

To all who serve in our armed forces today, I say, help is on the way.

As President, I will fight a smarter, more effective war on terror. We will deploy every tool in our arsenal: our economic as well as our military might; our principles as well as our firepower.  

In these dangerous days there is a right way and a wrong way to be strong. Strength is more than tough words. After decades of experience in national security, I know the reach of our power and I know the power of our ideals.

We need to make America once again a beacon in the world. We need to be looked up to and not just feared.  

We need to lead a global effort against nuclear proliferation – to keep the most dangerous weapons in the world out of the most dangerous hands in the world.   

We need a strong military and we need to lead strong alliances.  And then, with confidence and determination, we will be able to tell the terrorists: You will lose and we will win.  The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom.  

And the front lines of this battle are not just far away – they're right here on our shores, at our airports, and potentially in any town or city. Today, our national security begins with homeland security. The 9-11 Commission has given us a path to follow, endorsed by Democrats, Republicans, and the 9-11 families.  As President, I will not evade or equivocate; I will immediately implement the recommendations of that commission.  We shouldn't be letting ninety-five percent of container ships come into our ports without ever being physically inspected.  We shouldn't be leaving our nuclear and chemical plants without enough protection.  And we shouldn't be opening firehouses in Baghdad and closing them down in the United States of America.

And tonight, we have an important message for those who question the patriotism of Americans who offer a better direction for our country.  Before wrapping themselves in the flag and shutting their eyes and ears to the truth, they should remember what America is really all about. They should remember the great idea of freedom for which so many have given their lives.  Our purpose now is to reclaim democracy itself. We are here to affirm that when Americans stand up and speak their minds and say America can do better, that is not a challenge to patriotism; it is the heart and soul of patriotism.

You see that flag up there.  We call her Old Glory. The stars and stripes forever. I fought under that flag, as did so many of you here and all across our country. That flag flew from the gun turret right behind my head. It was shot through and through and tattered, but it never ceased to wave in the wind. It draped the caskets of men I served with and friends I grew up with.  For us, that flag is the most powerful symbol of who we are and what we believe in. Our strength. Our diversity. Our love of country. All that makes America both great and good.

That flag doesn't belong to any president. It doesn't belong to any ideology and it doesn't belong to any political party. It belongs to all the American people.

My fellow citizens, elections are about choices. And choices are about values.  In the end, it's not just policies and programs that matter; the president who sits at that desk must be guided by principle.

For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values. But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans.  Values are not just words.  They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

You don't value families by kicking kids out of after school programs and taking cops off our streets, so that Enron can get another tax break.

We believe in the family value of caring for our children and protecting the neighborhoods where they walk and play.  

And that is the choice in this election.

You don't value families by denying real prescription drug coverage to seniors, so big drug companies can get another windfall.  

We believe in the family value expressed in one of the oldest Commandments: "Honor thy father and thy mother."  As President, I will not privatize Social Security. I will not cut benefits. And together, we will make sure that senior citizens never have to cut their pills in half because they can't afford life-saving medicine.   

And that is the choice in this election.

You don't value families if you force them to take up a collection to buy body armor for a son or daughter in the service, if you deny veterans health care, or if you tell middle class families to wait for a tax cut, so that the wealthiest among us can get even more.

We believe in the value of doing what's right for everyone in the American family.

And that is the choice in this election.

We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the true face of America.  Not narrow appeals that divide us, but shared values that unite us.  Family and faith.  Hard work and responsibility. Opportunity for all – so that every child, every parent, every worker has an equal shot at living up to their God-given potential.

What does it mean in America today when Dave McCune, a steel worker I met in Canton, Ohio, saw his job sent overseas and the equipment in his factory literally unbolted, crated up, and shipped thousands of miles away along with that job?  What does it mean when workers I've met had to train their foreign replacements?  

America can do better.  So tonight we say: help is on the way.

What does it mean when Mary Ann Knowles, a woman with breast cancer I met in New Hampshire, had to keep working day after day right through her chemotherapy, no matter how sick she felt, because she was terrified of losing her family's health insurance.

America can do better.  And help is on the way.

What does it mean when Deborah Kromins from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania works and saves all her life only to find out that her pension has disappeared into thin air – and the executive who looted it has bailed out on a golden parachute?

America can do better.  And help is on the way.

What does it mean when twenty five percent of the children in Harlem have asthma because of air pollution?

America can do better.  And help is on the way.

What does it mean when people are huddled in blankets in the cold, sleeping in Lafayette Park on the doorstep of the White House itself – and the number of families living in poverty has risen by three million in the last four years?  

America can do better.  And help is on the way.

And so we come here tonight to ask: Where is the conscience of our country?

I'll tell you where it is: it's in rural and small town America; it's in urban neighborhoods and suburban main streets; it's alive in the people I've met in every part of this land. It's bursting in the hearts of Americans who are determined to give our country back its values and its truth.

We value jobs that pay you more not less than you earned before.  We value jobs where, when you put in a week's work, you can actually pay your bills, provide for your children, and lift up the quality of your life.  We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better.

So here is our economic plan to build a stronger America:  

First, new incentives to revitalize manufacturing.  

Second, investment in technology and innovation that will create the good-paying jobs of the future.  

Third, close the tax loopholes that reward companies for shipping our jobs overseas.  Instead, we will reward companies that create and keep good paying jobs where they belong – in the good old U.S.A.  

We value an America that exports products, not jobs – and we believe American workers should never have to subsidize the loss of their own job.

Next, we will trade and compete in the world.  But our plan calls for a fair playing field – because if you give the American worker a fair playing field, there's nobody in the world the American worker can't compete against.  

And we're going to return to fiscal responsibility because it is the foundation of our economic strength.  Our plan will cut the deficit in half in four years by ending tax giveaways that are nothing more than corporate welfare – and will make government live by the rule that every family has to follow: pay as you go.  

And let me tell you what we won't do: we won't raise taxes on the middle class. You've heard a lot of false charges about this in recent months. So let me say straight out what I will do as President: I will cut middle class taxes.  I will reduce the tax burden on small business. And I will roll back the tax cuts for the wealthiest individuals who make over $200,000 a year, so we can invest in job creation, health care and education.

Our education plan for a stronger America sets high standards and demands accountability from parents, teachers, and schools. It provides for smaller class sizes and treats teachers like the professionals they are. And it gives a tax credit to families for each and every year of college.

When I was a prosecutor, I met young kids who were in trouble, abandoned by adults.  And as President, I am determined that we stop being a nation content to spend $50,000 a year to keep a young person in prison for the rest of their life – when we could invest $10,000 to give them Head Start, Early Start, Smart Start, the best possible start in life.

And we value health care that's affordable and accessible for all Americans.

Since 2000, four million people have lost their health insurance. Millions more are struggling to afford it.

You know what's happening. Your premiums, your co-payments, your deductibles have all gone through the roof.

Our health care plan for a stronger America cracks down on the waste, greed, and abuse in our health care system and will save families up to $1,000 a year on their premiums.  You'll get to pick your own doctor – and patients and doctors, not insurance company bureaucrats, will make medical decisions.  Under our plan, Medicare will negotiate lower drug prices for seniors. And all Americans will be able to buy less expensive prescription drugs from countries like Canada.  

The story of people struggling for health care is the story of so many Americans. But you know what, it's not the story of senators and members of Congress.  Because we give ourselves great health care and you get the bill. Well, I'm here to say, your family's health care is just as important as any politician's in Washington, D.C.

And when I'm President, America will stop being the only advanced nation in the world which fails to understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected, and the elected – it is a right for all Americans.

We value an America that controls its own destiny because it's finally and forever independent of Mideast oil.  What does it mean for our economy and our national security when we only have three percent of the world's oil reserves, yet we rely on foreign countries for fifty-three percent of what we consume?  

I want an America that relies on its own ingenuity and innovation – not the Saudi royal family.

And our energy plan for a stronger America will invest in new technologies and alternative fuels and the cars of the future -- so that no young American in uniform will ever be held hostage to our dependence on oil from the Middle East.

I've told you about our plans for the economy, for education, for health care, for energy independence.  I want you to know more about them.  So now I'm going to say something that Franklin Roosevelt could never have said in his acceptance speech:  go to johnkerry.com.

I want to address these next words directly to President George W. Bush: In the weeks ahead, let's be optimists, not just opponents. Let's build unity in the American family, not angry division. Let's honor this nation's diversity; let's respect one another; and let's never misuse for political purposes the most precious document in American history, the Constitution of the United States.

My friends, the high road may be harder, but it leads to a better place. And that's why Republicans and Democrats must make this election a contest of big ideas, not small-minded attacks. This is our time to reject the kind of politics calculated to divide race from race, group from group, region from region. Maybe some just see us divided into red states and blue states, but I see us as one America – red, white, and blue. And when I am President, the government I lead will enlist people of talent, Republicans as well as Democrats, to find the common ground – so that no one who has something to contribute will be left on the sidelines.

And let me say it plainly: in that cause, and in this campaign, we welcome people of faith. America is not us and them. I think of what Ron Reagan said of his father a few weeks ago, and I want to say this to you tonight: I don't wear my own faith on my sleeve. But faith has given me values and hope to live by, from Vietnam to this day, from Sunday to Sunday. I don't want to claim that God is on our side. As Abraham Lincoln told us, I want to pray humbly that we are on God's side. And whatever our faith, one belief should bind us all: The measure of our character is our willingness to give of ourselves for others and for our country.

These aren't Democratic values. These aren't Republican values. They're American values.  We believe in them. They're who we are. And if we honor them, if we believe in ourselves, we can build an America that's stronger at home and respected in the world.

So much promise stretches before us. Americans have always reached for the impossible, looked to the next horizon, and asked: What if?

Two young bicycle mechanics from Dayton asked what if this airplane could take off at Kitty Hawk?  It did that and changed the world forever.  A young president asked what if we could go to the moon in ten years?  And now we're exploring the solar system and the stars themselves.  A young generation of entrepreneurs asked, what if we could take all the information in a library and put it on a little chip the size of a fingernail?  We did and that too changed the world forever.

And now it's our time to ask: What if?

What if we find a breakthrough to cure Parkinson's, diabetes, Alzheimer's and AIDS?  What if we have a president who believes in science, so we can unleash the wonders of discovery like stem cell research to treat illness and save millions of lives?

What if we do what adults should do – and make sure all our children are safe in the afternoons after school?  And what if we have a leadership that's as good as the American dream – so that bigotry and hatred never again steal the hope and future of any American?

I learned a lot about these values on that gunboat patrolling the Mekong Delta with young Americans who came from places as different as Iowa and Oregon, Arkansas, Florida and California.  No one cared where we went to school.  No one cared about our race or our backgrounds. We were literally all in the same boat. We looked out, one for the other – and we still do.

That is the kind of America I will lead as President – an America where we are all in the same boat.

Never has there been a more urgent moment for Americans to step up and define ourselves. I will work my heart out.  But, my fellow citizens, the outcome is in your hands more than mine.  

It is time to reach for the next dream.  It is time to look to the next horizon.  For America, the hope is there.  The sun is rising.  Our best days are still to come.  

Goodnight, God bless you, and God bless America.

watch video:
http://mfile.akamai.com/12294/as ... /john_kerry_100.asf

约翰-克里的演说

波士顿，马萨诸塞州 -- 我们今晚在这里是因为我们爱我们的国家。

我们为美国今天和未来感到骄傲。

我的美国同胞们：我们今晚团结在一起为了仅仅一个目的：让美国在国内更强大，在世界上受到尊重。

一位伟大的美国小说家曾写道，你不能再回到家了。他不可能想象到今晚。今晚，我回到家了。这是我的公务生活开始的家，是使我的公务生活有可能的人们生活的家。这是我们用鲜血、理念和希望所书写的国史的家，是我的父母教给我家庭、信仰和国家的价值观的家。

感谢你们，感谢你们所有的人，你们对我回家的欢迎让我永生难忘。

我希望我的父母能共享这瞬间。他们几年前安息了，但是他们的榜样，他们的激励和他们给我礼物--睁开的眼睛、敞开的心胸和无穷无尽的世界--比任何言语更硕大、更持久。

我出生在科罗拉多州的费兹孟斯陆军医院，当时我的父亲是一名第二次世界大战中的飞行员。我并不迷信，但你们猜医院产科病房是在医院的哪边？不是我编的，就在西厅！（注：白宫西厅是总统及其幕僚工作的地方）

就象许多母亲那样，我的母亲是我们的家庭的支柱。她为了帮我做家庭作业睡晚觉，当我患病时她坐在我的床边，她回答一个对世界充满好奇和神秘感的孩子--像所有孩子一样--的问题。

当我是一个童子军时，她是我的领队，她为她五十年前当女童子军领袖的徽章感到骄傲。她给了我对环境的热爱，她教我树木是自然界的大教堂。她用她的榜样的力量告诉我，我们能够而且必须走完争取我们国家所有的妇女得到完全平等的征程。

我的爸爸做男孩子记得的一些事情。他给了我第一架模型飞机，第一个棒球手套和第一辆自行车。他也教诲我我们的生活是为了比我们自己更大的目的；他尽了我们所托福的那最伟大的一代人的责任和奉献。

当我是一个年轻人时，他在国务院工作，驻扎在柏林。当时的柏林和整个世界被划分为民主和共产主义两部分。我永远忘不了孩童时代的迷惑：英国、法国和美国的部队各自把守城市的一部分，俄国警卫站守在分割东西方的实线上。有一次，我骑了我的自行车进入了苏联的东柏林，当我骄傲地告诉我的爸爸时，他立刻关了我的禁闭。

但是我所学到的东西伴随了我一生。我看到同一城市的两边有多么不同的生活。我看到不自由的人们的眼中的恐惧，我看到人们因为我们的所作所为而对美国的感谢。当我从一辆军用火车下来听到军乐队奏响的"星条旗永不落"时，我感到热血沸腾。我学到了最好的美国意味着什么，我学到了为我们的自由而骄傲。现在，我决心让所有寄希望于美国的人们恢复那种骄傲。

我的父母是最伟大一代。我感谢他们的同时也让我们一起感谢那一代使美国强大，赢得二次世界大战，赢得冷战，他们的服务给美国带来五十年的和平和繁荣。

我的父母鼓励我为国服务。当我在上初中时，约翰-肯尼迪呼吁我们这一代要为国服务。这是一个伟大征程的开始--那时大家走上征途，为了民权，为了投票权，为了环境，为了妇女和为了和平。当时我们相信我们能够改变世界，你知道什么？我们真的改变了世界。

但是我们还没有完成任务，征程还没有到头，进军还没有结束，理想还没有完全实现。 今晚，我们再一次地出发，我们一起将谱写美国历史上的下一个伟大篇章。

我们有力量再一次地改变世界。但是前提是我们真心实意地面对我们的理想--这要从对美国人民讲真话开始。这是我今晚对你们的第一个保证。作为总统，我将恢复白宫的信誉和信用。

我请你们根据我的记录来评判我：作为一个年轻的检察官，我曾为受害者的权力战斗，并且优先起诉针对妇女的暴力。当我来到参议院时，我与我自己的党内许多人持不同意见，投票赞成平衡预算，因为我认为这是正确的。我还为把十万名警察放到街道上而斗争。

同时，我还横跨党派的界限与约翰-麦凯恩一起工作，去寻找我们的战俘和失踪军人的真相，最后与越南达成和解。

我将是一个永远不会把我们误导而投入战争的总司令。我将有一位副总统，他不会在和造成污染的人秘密会晤后重写我们的环境法。我将有一位国防部长，他会倾听我们的军事领导人的最佳建议。我还将任命一位总检察官，他能真诚地捍卫美国的宪法。

我的美国同胞们，这是我们一生中最重要的一次选举，输赢代价极高。我们是一个处于战争状态的国家--在一场全球反恐战争中面对的敌人是不同于任何我们已知的。同时在国内，工资在下降，医疗保健费用在上升，我们伟大的中产阶级在缩小。人们在周末还在工作；他们干两份、三份工作，但仍然是收不抵支。

有人告诉我们，把工作外包到海外对美国有益。有人告诉我们，新的工作即使比原先失去的少付九千美元，那也已经是我们最佳的选择了。他们说现在的经济是我们历史上最好的经济。他们还说不同意这些观点的人是悲观主义者。我们的回答是：最真正悲观的人是说美国不能做得更好。

我们能做得更好，我们会做得更好。我们是乐观主义者。对我们来说这个国家是属于未来的国家，我们的人民是能干的人民。让我们不忘记我们在九十年代所做到的。我们平衡了预算，我们降低了债务，我们创造了两千三百万个新的工作机会。我们让百万人摆脱了贫穷，我们把中产阶级的生活水准提高了。我们只要相信我们自己--我们还能再做一次。

因此今晚，在美国的自由开始的城市，在离自由的儿女孕育出我们的国家仅仅几个街口远的地方，今晚我代表自由的新生，代表属于胜利的中产阶级，代表那些还在挣扎中但应有公平的机会加入中产阶级的人们，代表每天冒者生命危险的勇敢的军人们，代表祈祷的他们回家的军人家属们，代表所有相信的最好日子还在前头的人们，代表你们所有人，怀着对美国人民的巨大信心，我接受你们提名我为美国总统候选人。

我为身边的这位竞选伙伴而骄傲，他的生平是美国梦实现的故事，他每天兢兢业业地工作是为了让所有的美国人的梦想实现。他是北卡罗来纳州的约翰-爱德华兹参议员。我也为他的极好的妻子伊丽莎白和他们的家庭而骄傲。这个钢铁工人的儿子已经准备就绪来领导美国。明年一月，美国人民将为有一名中产阶级的斗士接替迪克-切尼当美国的副总统而骄傲。

我能就特里萨说什么呢？她是我知道的有最强的道德观的人。她脚踏实地、温柔、勇敢、明智和聪明。她讲心里话，她讲真话，我也因为这一点爱她。同时这也是为什么美国将接纳她成为美国的下一位第一夫人的原因。

无论今后会怎样，无论过去发生了什么，没有任何比我们的孩子们对特里萨和我更重要的了。我们不仅因为他们是谁，以及他们成就了什么而爱他们，而且因为他们的存在，因为他们让我们欢笑，因为他们把我们脚按在火炉上，因为他们不放过我的任何过失。感谢你们，安德列，亚历克斯，克里斯，范尼莎和约翰。

在这个征途中，我由一帮杰出的兄弟们陪伴，领头的是美国英雄，一位名叫马克斯-克莱兰的爱国者。我们这帮兄弟们不是因为我们都是老兵才在一起的，而是因为我们当兵时所学到的。我们为了这个国家战斗是因为我们爱她，我们能够回来深感每一天都是额外的。现在我们可能老了一些，我们的头发可能白了一些，但是我们仍然知道如何为了我们的国家而战斗。

在场战斗中和我们站在一起的，与我一起经历了漫长的党内竞选的有：卡罗尔-莫斯利-布朗，韦斯利-克拉克将军，霍华德-迪安，迪克-格普哈德，鲍勃-格雷厄姆，丹尼斯-库希尼什，乔-利伯曼和艾尔-夏普顿。

我感谢你们教导我和考验我，我更感谢你们为我们的国家挺身而出，感谢你们为了把美国向前推进而带给我们团结。

我的美国同胞们，今天的世界和四年以前的世界十分不同，但我相信美国人民完全胜任新的挑战。

回忆一下9/11之后的若干小时，我们万众一心回应敌人对我们国土的攻击。当我们的救火人员跑上楼梯冒者他们的生命危险去拯救他人时，当援救者冲进五角大楼的烟火中时，当93航班上的人们牺牲自己保护国家首都时，当全美国国旗飘扬在家家户户门前时，当陌生人成为朋友时，我们得到了力量。这是我们看到的最可悲的一天，但也是把我们心中最美好的东西带出来的一天。

我为我们的人民在9/11之后响应布什总统的号召团结起来共度危险关而骄傲。那时没有民主党人，没有共和党人，我们都只是美国人。我们多么希望一直是那样啊。

现在我听说有人批评我把事情看得太复杂。我是看到事情的复杂性，因为有些事情不那么简单。说伊拉克有大规模破坏性武器，但没有找到。说我们能便宜地打一场战争，但不是如此。宣告战争已经结束，显然不是那样。

作为总统，我会问很难的问题和要求确切的证据，我将立即改革情报系统，从而让政策由事实来引导，让事实永远不会因政治而被歪曲。同时，作为总统，我将带回这个国家的历史传统：美利坚合众国永远不会因为我们想要发动战争而发动战争，而是我们不得不发动战争时才发动战争。

我知道我们的孩子们在危险的地方抗着M-16步枪，分不清朋友和敌人的时候的心情。我知道他们在夜间巡逻时不知道下一个路口会出现什么状况时的心情。我知道你写信给家里说一切都好，但你自己都没有把握时的感觉。

作为总统，我将在发动战争时用上我在战争中学到的教训。在你开始战斗之前，你要能看着一位父母的眼睛，诚实地说："我已经使出了所有可能的不把你的儿女送上战场去冒险的手段，但是我们没有选择了。我们必须为了美国人民，保护基本的美国价值，抗击一个真正的迫在眉睫的威胁。"因此作为第一个教训，这是发动战争的唯一的正当理由。

在我上任的第一天，我将向我们武装力量中的所有军人发布通告：你们将永远不会被要求去参加一个没有赢得和平的计划的战争。

我知道我们在伊拉克所必须要做的。我们需要一位有信誉的总统把我们的盟友团结到我们的身边，共同承担负荷，减少美国纳税人的付出，减少美国士兵的危险。那才是把事情办好，并且把我们的士兵带回家的正确方式。

现实是这样的：以上那些不会发生，除非我们有一位能够使美国重新受到尊敬的和有领导力的总统，这样我们在世界上才不必单独行动。

同时，我们需要重建我们的联盟，从而可以在恐怖分子殃及我们之前制住他们。

我是一个年轻人的时候参加过保卫祖国，我作为总统时，我将继续保卫祖国。毫无疑问，如果必须使用武力时，我决不会犹豫。任何对我们的攻击会有快速坚决的反击。我将永远不会让任何国家或国际组织否决我们的国家安全。我将建立一个更强的美国军队。

我们将增加四万名现役军人，不在伊拉克，而是加强现有的分布过散、分布过广和受到压力的美国军队。我们将加倍特种部队的力量来进行反恐行动。我们将给我们的部队提供最新的武器和技术来保护他们的生命并且赢得战斗。同时，我们将结束对国家卫队和后备役军人的非常规性征兵。

对今天在我们的武装力量中服役的士兵，我告诉你们，帮助就要到来了。

作为总统，我将进行一场更聪明、更有效的反恐战争。我们将把武器库中所有的工具使用起来：我们经济及其我们的军力，我们的原则及其我们的火力。

在这些危险的日子里，有一种正确的用强方式和一种错误的用强方式。力量不仅仅体现在讲硬话。根据我在国家安全方面的几十年的经验，我知道我们的力量所及，我知道我们的理念的力量。

我们需要美国再一次地在世界上作一个灯塔。我们需要他人寄希望于我们而不是害怕我们。

我们需要领导一个全球的反对核扩散的努力，让世界上最危险的武器不落在世界上最危险的人手里。

我们需要一个强大的军队，我们需要领导强大的联盟。那时，我们可以充满信心和决心地告诉恐怖分子：你们将失败，我们将取得胜利。未来不属于恐惧，未来属于自由。

这场战斗的前线不仅仅在遥远的他国，同时也在我们的海岸上、机场上，并且有可能在任何乡村和城市里。今天，我们的国家安全始于国土安全。9-11委员会已经给我们指出了一条路，它由民主党人、共和党人和9-11遇难者家庭共同签署。作为总统，我将不徊避不支吾，我将立即执行委员会的建议。我们不应该让百分之九十五的集装箱船不经检查地进入我们的港口。我们不应该让我们的核工厂和化工厂没有足够的保护。同时，我们不应该在巴格达设立消防队而在美利坚合众国关闭消防队。

今晚，我们要对那些怀疑为国家指出更好方向的美国人的爱国精神的人发表重要的忠告。他们要回忆一下美国意味者什么，而不要把他们自己用国旗包起来，不要在真理面前闭起他们的眼睛和耳朵。他们应该记得多少人为之献出生命的自由的巨大含义。我们现在的目的是要求归还民主，我们在这里肯定地说，当美国人站起来说出心里话，说美国能做得更好时，它不是对爱国主义的挑战，它是全心全意的爱国主义。

你们看那面国旗，我们称她为传统的光荣。星条旗永不落。我，在这里的许多人以及全国许多人这面国旗下战斗过。国旗在我的脑后的枪塔上飘扬，她一次次地被射中、被撕破，但是她永不停止地在风中飘扬。她覆盖在与我一起服役的军人的灵柩上，覆盖在与我一起长大的朋友们的灵柩上。对我们来说，国旗是我们的标志和我们的信念的最有力的代表。她标志着我们的力量，标志者我们的多元化，标志着我们对祖国的爱。所有这些使得美国伟大而优秀。

这国旗不属于任何总统，她不属于任何意识形态，也不属于任何政党。她属于所有的美国人民。

我的同胞，选举是一种选择，而选择基于价值观。说到底，不仅仅政策和计划很重要，坐在宝座上的总统还必须坚持原则。

四年来，我们已经听到许多有关价值观的谈论。但是讲价值观而没有行动只是标语。价值观不仅仅是言词，而是我们生活的基础，是我们奋斗的目的，是我们为之奋斗的人。现在是谈论家庭价值观的人开始珍重家庭的时候了。

如果你把孩子们从校外计划中赶走，把警察们从街道上撤走，从而让安然公司能得到再一次的减税，你并不珍重家庭。

我们相信家庭价值观，因为我们关爱孩子们，保护他们所要行走和玩耍的邻近住宅区。

这是这次选举中所要进行的选择。

如果你否决真正的老人处方药物的保险，从而让大的制药公司再一次发财，你并不珍重家庭。

我们相信最古老的圣训之一所表达的家庭价值观："尊敬你的父亲和你的母亲"。作为总统，我将不会让社会保障私有化，不会减少福利。让我们一起努力保证老年人决不再因负担不起救命的药而不得不把药片切半来吃。

这是这次选举中所要进行的选择。

如果你迫使他们筹钱为当兵的儿女买防身装甲，如果你不给退役军人医药保健，或者如果你告诉中产阶级家庭等待减税，从而让我们中最富有的那些得到更多，你并不珍重家庭。

我们相信做对美国家庭中的每个人都正确的事那样的家庭价值观。

这是这次选举中所要进行的选择。

我们相信重要的问题不是用价值观的假面具来吸引少数人，而是能显示美国的真面目的共同的价值观；不是用分裂的办法来吸引少数人，而是用共同的价值观团结我们。其中包括家庭和信仰，努力工作和责任感和为所有人提供机会。这样所有的孩子们，所有的父母们，所有的工人们都有同等的机会来充分发挥上帝给予他们的潜力。

我在俄亥俄州坎顿市见到一位钢铁工人大卫-麦可恩，他看到他的工作被送到海外，他的工厂的设备拔地而起，装上箱，和他的工作一起被运往成千上万英里以外。如此，今日的美国意味着什么呢？我见到过美国工人不得不训练他们的外国的替代者，这意味者什么呢？

美国能做得更好。因此今晚我们说：帮助就要到来了。

我在新罕布什尔州见到一位叫玛丽-安-诺勒斯的患乳腺癌的妇女，她害怕失去家庭健康保险，不得不在化疗期间日复一日地坚持工作，无论她病得多利害。这意味者什么呢？

美国能做得更好，帮助就要到来了。

来自宾夕法尼亚州费城的黛柏拉-克鲁闵斯工作、积攒了一辈子，但发现她的退休金已经化为烟灰，而掠走钱财的主管通过金钱保护伞安然无恙。这意味者什么呢？

美国能做得更好，帮助就要到来了。

由于哈雷姆区的空气污染，百分之二十五的孩子们患有气喘病。这意味者什么呢？

美国能做得更好，帮助就要到来了。

人们在寒冷中蜷缩在毛毯中，在白宫台阶下的拉斐特公园中睡觉，生活在贫困中的家庭数在过去四年中增加了三百万。这意味者什么呢？

美国能做得更好，帮助就要到来了。

我们今晚在这里发问：我们国家的良心在哪里？

我告诉你们我们国家的良心在哪里：她在美国的乡村和小镇里，她在城市的居民区和市郊的主要街道上，她在这块土地上四面八方我见过的人们的心中，她在下决心要回我们的国家的价值和诚实的美国人民的汹涌澎湃的心中。

我们珍重那些比以前的工作支付你更多而不是更少的工作机会。我们所珍重的工作机会是，当你工作了一个星期以后，你能实际上付得起你的帐单，为你的孩子提供必要的条件，并且提高你的生活质量。我们珍重一个中产阶级不是被挤榨而是生活地更好的美国。

如下是我们建设一个更强大的美国的经济计划：

首先，刺激制造业再生。
第二，投资于技术和革新，创立未来的高报酬的工作。
第三，堵住那些奖赏把我们的工作运到海外的公司的税收漏洞。相反，我们将奖赏那些创造和保留高报酬的工作机会于它们应该在地方--上好的老美国--的公司。

我们看重一个出口产品，而不是出口工作。--我们相信美国工人绝不应被迫资助他们自己的工作机会的流失。

其次，我们将在世界上交易和竞争。但是我们的计划要求一个公平的竞争环境--因为如果你给美国工人一个公平的竞争环境，美国工人可以跟世界上任何人竞争。

我们还将恢复财政责任，因为它是我们的经济力量的基础。我们的计划将通过结束那些无异于给公司福利的免税条款，在四年后把赤字减少一半--我们要让政府遵守每一个家庭所必须遵守的生活规则：边付帐边过日子。

同时，让我告诉你们我们将不会做的事：我们将不增加中产阶级上的税务。最近几个月你们听到许多关于这方面的错误指责。因此，让我直接了当地说出我作为总统要做的事：我将减少中产阶级的税收，我将为小型企业减轻税收负担。同时，我将收回每年挣二十万美元以上的最富有的个人的减税，从而投资于工作机会的创造，医疗保健和教育。

我们的建设一个更强大的美国的教育计划树立了很高的标准，对父母、教师和学校要求审计责任。它能够减少班级的人数，并把教师当做他们本来就是的专业人员对待。同时，它给家庭每一年上大学的税务补贴。

在我当检察官时，我遇到过被成年人遗弃并惹上麻烦的年青孩子们。作为总统，我决心让我们的国家不再满足于花费五万美元一年把一个年青人一生放在监狱里，我们可以投资一万美元把他们放到"从头开始"，"从早开始"，"聪明的开始"等计划中，这是他们的生活的最好的开始。

我们还珍重所有美国人付得起、用得上的医疗保健。

自从2000年，四百万个人已失去了他们的健康保险。数百万人在挣扎地负担它。

你知道发生了什么，你的保险费，你的自付额，你的首付额全都已经涨破屋顶了。

我们建设一个更强大的美国的医疗保健计划，将严厉打击我们的医疗保健系统中的浪费、贪婪和滥用，会让家庭保险费节省多达每年一千美元。你将能选择你自己的医生-是患者和医生，而不是保险公司的官僚们，来作医疗决定。在我们的计划下，联邦医疗保险将为老年人谈判到更低的药物价格。同时，所有的美国人将能够从像加拿大一样的其他国家购买低价的处方药物。

人们为了医疗保健而挣扎的故事是许许多多美国人的故事。但是你知道么，它不是国会的参议员和众议员们的故事，因为我们给了我们自己极好的医疗保健，而把帐单给了你们。让我在这里声明，你们的家庭医疗保健和华盛顿的政治家们的家庭的医疗保健同等重要。

当我成为总统时，美国将不再是世界上唯一的先进国家还没能认识到医疗保健不是富人、有关系的人和被选上的人的特权--它是所有美国人的一种权利。

我们珍重一个最终并且永不依赖于中东的石油，从而控制自己的命运的美国。我们仅仅有百分之三的世界石油储备，但我们所消耗的百分之五十三的石油依赖于外国，它对我们的经济和我们的国家安全意味着什么呢？

我想要一个依赖于自己的发明和创新，而不是依赖于沙特皇室的美国。

我们建设一个更强大的美国的能源计划将投资于新的技术和另类燃料以及未来的汽车--这样不会再有年青美国军人成为我们对中东石油的依赖性的人质了。

我已经告诉了你们我们有关经济、教育、医疗保健和能源独立的计划。我想要你们知道更多的计划。我现在将要说富兰克林-罗斯福绝对不可能在他的接受提名的演说中讲的话：去访问johnkerry.com。

以下这些话我想直接对乔治-W-布什总统说：在以后的一段时间里，让我们成为乐观主义者，不仅仅是对手。让我们在美国的大家庭里促成团结，而不是促成愤怒的分裂。让我们尊重这个国家的多元化，让我们彼此尊重； 同时，让我们从不为了政治目的误用美国历史上的最宝贵的文件：美国宪法。

我的朋友们，有前途的道路可能是更艰难的道路，但是它走向一个更好的地方。因此共和党人和民主党人必须使这次选举成为一个大思想的论争，而非小心眼的攻击。这是我们拒绝那样的算计者搞种族分裂，群体分裂和区域分裂的政治的时候了。也许，某些人只看见我们分成了红色州和蓝色州，但是我看见我们是一个美国--红色、白色和蓝色。作为总统，我领导的政府将征召有才能的人，包括共和党人和民主党人，寻求共同的立场--这样就不会让可以作贡献的人被撇在一边。

同时，让我说清楚：在那个事业中，在这个竞选中，我们欢迎有信仰的人们。美国不是我们和他们。我想到罗-里根几个星期以前谈到他的父亲所说过的话，我想今晚对你们说：我不把我的信仰披在我的袖子上。但是，信仰给了我价值观，给了我从越南到今天，从一个周日到下一个周日生活的希望。我不想要声称上帝在我们的一边。正如亚伯拉罕-林肯告诉我们的，我想要谦恭地祈祷我们在上帝的一边。无论我们有什么信仰，一种信念应该约束我们所有人：衡量我们的性格的尺度是我们为了他人和为了我们的祖国作出奉献的愿望的大小。

这些不是民主党的价值观，这些也不是共和党的价值观，它们是美国人的价值观。我们相信它们，它们就是我们的本性。如果尊重它们，如果我们相信我们自己，我们能够建设成一个在国内更强大和在世界上受到尊重的美国。

有多少希望在我们的面前延伸开来。美国人总是达到不可能的目标，眺望下一个地平线，总是问：要是…会怎么样？

来自戴顿市的两个年青的自行车机械师问要是这飞机能够在基蒂霍克起飞会怎么样？飞机果然起飞了，并且永远地改变了世界。一位年轻的总统问要是我们能在十年后上到月亮会怎么样？而我们现在正在探索太阳系和星球自身了。一代年轻的企业家们问要是我们能把一座图书馆的所有信息存放在指甲片大小的芯片上会怎么样？我们做到了，这也永远地改变了世界。

现在是我们问要是…会怎么样的时候了。

要是我们找到了一种医学突破从而可以医治帕金森病、糖尿病、阿尔茨海默病和爱滋病了会怎么样？要是我们有一位相信科学的总统会怎么样？我们因而能够通过类似茎干细胞研究，发现奇迹来治疗疾病，拯救数百万生命。

要是我们做成年人应该做的事--确保我们所有的孩子们下午放学后的安全会怎么样？要是我们有和美国梦一样好的领导人会怎么样？--那样偏执和仇恨再也不会偷去任何美国人对未来的希望。

我在与来自许多不同地方的诸如衣阿华州、俄勒冈州、阿肯色州、佛罗里达州和加利福尼亚州的年青美国人在炮舰上巡逻于湄公河三角州时学到了许多这些价值观。没有人关心我们在何处上学，没有人关心我们的种族和背景，我们不折不扣地是在同一条船上。我们为彼此留心观望--我们仍然在这么做。

这就是我作为总统所要领导的美国的样子--一个我们同舟共济的美国。

美国人再也没有更紧迫的必须起来界定我们自己的时候了。我将竭心尽力地工作。但是，我的同胞们，结果是掌握在你们的手里而不在我的手里。

这是去实现下一个梦想的时候了。这是眺望下一个地平线的时候了。对于美国，希望就在那里。太阳在升起，我们最好的日子还在前头。

大家晚安，愿上帝祝福你们，愿上帝祝福美国。