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困局下的演說

困局下的演說

個人認為困局下的演說總較一些錦上添花, 激勵人心的演說困難.  一篇動人的"認輸" 和 "認錯"的演說確實有很多讓我們學習的地方.  特別找來兩篇感動的演說與大家分享...

一篇是美國大選後戈爾"認輸" 的演說;  而另一篇則是美國總統克林頓 "認錯" 的演說  ....

Thirty six days of political and legal turmoil followed in which lawyers for Bush and Gore fought each other bitterly in the Florida courts over the subsequent recount, filing dozens of lawsuits. The main issue involved thousands of questionable votes cast by Democratic voters who may have been confused by the balloting method. To vote for the candidate of their choice, each voter needed to puncture a computer punch card at the correct spot, using a small metal hole puncher. Many Democrats later claimed they had been confused by the placement of names on the ballot and had voted for the wrong candidate, punching a hole for conservative fringe candidate, Pat Buchanan, instead of Al Gore. Numerous voters also voted for more than one presidential candidate or failed to make a hole in the punch card and only indented their choice. All of this served to fuel the storm of controversy surrounding the various localized recounts throughout Florida.

By late November, the U.S. Supreme Court had agreed to step in at the request of the Bush legal team. The court then issued two major rulings, both of which amounted to defeats for Gore's legal team. The second and final ruling occurred on Tuesday night, December 12. The five conservative Supreme Court justices sided with Bush while the four liberal justices sided with Gore. The 5 to 4 ruling effectively halted any further recounting and let stand a declaration by Florida's secretary of state that Bush had won Florida by 537 votes, and thus the presidency. On Wednesday evening, Al Gore appeared on national TV to concede, delivering this speech which was widely praised for its gracious and friendly tone.



"...... This has been an extraordinary election. But in one of God's unforeseen paths, this belatedly broken impasse can point us all to a new common ground, for its very closeness can serve to remind us that we are one people with a shared history and a shared destiny. Indeed, that history gives us many examples of contests as hotly debated, as fiercely fought, with their own challenges to the popular will. Other disputes have dragged on for weeks before reaching resolution. And each time, both the victor and the vanquished have accepted the result peacefully and in a spirit of reconciliation.











This is the speech delivered by President Bill Clinton at the annual White House prayer breakfast on Friday, September 11, 1998, to an audience of more than 100 ministers, priests and other religious leaders assembled in the East Room. First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was also in attendance.

The speech, hand-written by the President, was delivered at the beginning of a day of tremendous political and personal turmoil surrounding the publication of the first report to Congress by Independent Counsel Ken Starr. The Starr Report laid the grounds for possible impeachment of the President, accusing Clinton of perjury, obstruction of justice and other offenses in connection with his sexual affair with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.


"...I may not be quite as easy with my words today as I have been in years past, and I was up rather late last night thinking about and praying about what I ought to say today. .....

It is important to me that everybody who has been hurt know that the sorrow I feel is genuine: first and most important, my family; also my friends, my staff, my Cabinet, Monica Lewinsky and her family, and the American people. I have asked all for their forgiveness.

But I believe that to be forgiven, more than sorrow is required - at least two more things. First, genuine repentance - a determination to change and to repair breaches of my own making. I have repented. Second, what my bible calls a ''broken spirit''; an understanding that I must have God's help to be the person that I want to be; a willingness to give the very forgiveness I seek; a renunciation of the pride and the anger which cloud judgment, lead people to excuse and compare and to blame and complain. ....

I am very grateful for the many, many people - clergy and ordinary citizens alike - who have written me with wise counsel. I am profoundly grateful for the support of so many Americans who somehow through it all seem to still know that I care about them a great deal, that I care about their problems and their dreams. I am grateful for those who have stood by me and who say that in this case and many others, the bounds of privacy have been excessively and unwisely invaded. That may be. Nevertheless, in this case, it may be a blessing, because I still sinned. And if my repentance is genuine and sustained, and if I can maintain both a broken spirit and a strong heart, then good can come of this for our country as well as for me and my family...."

Audio clips and full text (http://www.historyplace.com/speeches/clinton-sin.htm)