Tuesday, January 20, 2009

On King and Obama...The Pam Roach Speech That Went Undelivered

If it had gone as planned I was to represent the Republican Caucus last Friday by delivering a speech during the Martin Luther King Day celebration in the Senate chambers. I had my remarks all prepared and I was honored to have been asked to speak for my colleagues.

But, I didn't have a chance to give it.

There were apologies afterwards. I was offered a chance to enter my remarks in the record. That's about all that can happen when you are left out after a quick gavel.

Senator Franklin gave a beautiful speech. Nearing 80 she has lived a life of hurt and hope. Rosa is our only black member. She is a liberal from Tacoma. She was an Obama delegate to the Democrat National Convention. Her dreams have been answered.

Next came a wonderful black pastor who gave a large part of the "I Have A Dream" speech...that was really a sermon. He had every word, with perfect intonation, truly, coming from the heart. The other 47 white Senators, and one dear Korean, sat spellbound. We worked our minds to feel the passion of the historic event of the past and the one soon coming.

I wanted to be a part of that. Whites want to feel they are a part of this moment in black history, which is really the history of a whole nation...The whole point of Obama's inauguration is inclusion.

The pastor finished with passion. And, before any comments could be made the session ended. We had always in the past been able to remark. This year you will have to read the remarks from the party of Lincoln... in the record.

Let's move forward...together. That was King's admonition. That is Obama's mantra.
http://www.senaterepublicans.wa.gov/roach/news.htm
Please see "News and Views" section on this Senate link.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Post your speech. I for one would love to read it!