杰西ˇ杰克逊 (JESSE JACKSON)

在民主党全国大会上的演说 Speech to the Democratic National Convention

    共同的基础!

    杰西ˇ杰克逊(1941ˇ )生于南卡罗来纳州格林维尔ˇ在贫困中长大。他进伊利诺伊大学ˇ接着转入历史上为黑人创办的北卡罗来纳农业和技术学院ˇ以后又在芝加哥神学院学习。于1968年被委任为浸礼会牧师。

    在大学期间ˇ杰克逊曾在亚拉巴马州塞尔马与小马丁ˇ路德ˇ金一起游行ˇ同南方基督教领袖联合会建立了联系。杰克逊是一位具有超凡ˇ力的演说家ˇ他常激励青少年勤奋学习ˇ努力工作ˇˇ信自己。

    杰克逊在八十年代积极参与竞选政治活动。他在芝加哥领导了一场投票人登记运动ˇ促成该市选出第一位黑人市长。1984年杰克逊竞选民主党总统候选人提名。成为首位认真争取担任总统职务的黑人候选人。1988年他再次竞选民主党总统候选人提名ˇ票数仅次于马萨诸塞州州长迈克尔ˇ杜卡基思。

    杰克逊1988年7月20日在佐治亚州亚特兰大市民主党全国大会上的演说成为这次竞选活动激动人心的高潮ˇ因为它标志着黑人作为美国政治的一支重要力量已臻成熟。

    ……我们今天ˇ聚在一个十字路口ˇ一个需要作出决断的时刻。

    我们将发展壮大ˇ兼收并蓄ˇ取得统一和力量呢ˇ抑或ˇ入分裂和软弱无能的境地?

    我们来到亚特兰大ˇˇ古老南方的摇篮ˇ新兴南方的熔炉。

    今晚有一种喜庆的意味ˇ因为我们从种族斗争的战场依据法律从根本上转移到经济的共同基础上。明天ˇ我们将需要迈上新台阶。

    共同的基础ˇ

    ˇˇ耶路撒冷吧ˇ很多道路在那儿会合。一个小村庄成了三大宗教ˇˇ犹太教、基督教和伊斯兰教ˇˇ的诞生地。

    为什么那个村子如此得天独厚呢? 因为它提供了一个交汇点ˇ让不同的人聚在一起ˇ让不同的文化、不同的文明能汇合并找到共同的基础。

    当人们聚会的时候ˇ总是鲜花盛开ˇ空中弥漫着新春的芳ˇ。

    再比方纽约ˇ生气勃勃的大都市。是什么使纽约这 么特别呢?

    是自由女神铜ˇ的召唤ˇˇ把你们的疲倦、贫穷、拥挤不堪、渴望自由呼吸的民众交给我吧。

    不仅局ˇ于英国人。

    许多人ˇ许多文化ˇ许多语种ˇˇ有一点是共同的ˇ他们渴望自由呼吸。……

    共同的基础ˇ

    这便是今晚对我党提出的挑战。

    左翼。右翼。进步将不是通过漫无边际的自由主义或凝固呆滞的保守主义得以实ˇˇ而是依靠起关键作用的主体的共同生存。飞ˇ需要两翼。

    不论你是雄鹰或鸽子ˇ你不过是栖息在同一环境ˇ同一世界中的一只鸟。

    《圣经》教导说ˇ当狮子和羔羊躺在一起时ˇ两种动物都不会害怕ˇ将在山谷里和睦ˇ处。这听上去似乎不可能。狮子捕食羔羊ˇ羔羊遇上狮子自当逃走。但是即令狮子和羔羊也能找到共同的基础。为什么呢ˇ

    因为狮子和羔羊都不愿森林着火ˇ狮子和羔羊都不愿酸雨降临ˇ狮子和羔羊都不能在一场核战争中幸存。如果说狮子和羔羊能找到共同的基础ˇ我们作为文明的人类当然也能做到。

    唯我们走到一起之时ˇ我们才赢得了胜利。……

    共同的基础。

    美国不是由一支ˇ、一种颜色、一块布料制成的毯子。我童年在南卡罗来纳格林维尔居住ˇ那时祖母买不起毯子ˇ但她并不怨天尤 人ˇ我们也并没有冻死。ˇ反ˇ她找来一些旧布块ˇˇ羊毛、丝绸、华达呢、麻袋布的碎片ˇˇ只能用来擦鞋的碎布片。但是碎布片当然用不久。祖母勤劳的手拿起针ˇ把它们缝在一起ˇ做成一条被子ˇ美感、力量和文化的ˇ征。

    民主党党员们ˇˇ在我们必须缝制这样一条被子。农民们ˇ你们争取合理的价格ˇ但你们不能单独行动。你们的布料不够大。工人们ˇ你们为合理的工资而斗争。你们是对的ˇ但你们的布料不够大。妇女们ˇ你们争取可比价值和同工同酬。你们是对的ˇ但你们的布料不够大。妇女们ˇ母亲们ˇ你们争取生活正面的学前教育、日托和育婴期的照顾ˇ而不是生活负面的牢房福利待遇ˇ你们是对的ˇ但你们的布料不够大。

    学生们ˇ你们争取奖学金。你们是对的ˇ但你们的布料不够大。黑人和拉丁美洲人ˇ当我们为民权斗争时ˇ我们是对的ˇ但我们的布料不够大。同性恋者们ˇ当你们反对歧视ˇ争取艾滋病的治疗时ˇ你们是对的ˇ但你们的布料不够大。保守派和进步人士们ˇ当你们为自己的信仰奋斗ˇ右翼、左翼ˇ雄鹰、鸽子ˇˇ按你们的观点看ˇ你们是对的ˇ但你们的观点不够全面。

    可是切莫绝望。应该ˇ我的祖母那样聪明ˇ把布片碎料拼凑在一起ˇ用一根ˇ缝成一整块。当我们形成统一和具有共同基础的一条巨大的被单时ˇ我们将有力量带来保健、住房、职业、教育ˇ给我们国家带来希望。

    我们人民将赢得胜利。我们站在反动的漫漫长夜的终点。我们今晚团结一致ˇ决心朝新的方ˇ前进。有些人认为ˇ社会利益来自个人利益ˇ把社会生活看作增加私人财富的手段。几乎有八年时间ˇ我们被这些人牵着鼻子走。他们已准备牺牲很多人的共同利益以满足极少数人的私利和对钱财的贪欲。我们信任一个为公众服务的ˇ作为我们的民主手段的政府ˇ而不是为追求私人财富的贵族服务的工具ˇ……

    我只是ˇ把常识提到更高水平。第二次世界大战结束已43年了ˇ我们ˇ在每年耗费一千五百亿美元保卫欧洲和日本。如今我们比七年前在欧洲驻扎着更多部队ˇ然而战争的威胁从未ˇˇ在这么遥远。德国和日本成了债权国ˇˇ这意味着它们有了剩余。我们则是债务国ˇˇ这意味着我们欠了债。

    让它们更多地分担它们自己的防务责任吧ˇˇ我们可以用一部分开支建造ˇ样的房屋!

    用一部分开支培养教育我们的孩子。     将一部分开支用于长期保健服务。     将一部分开支用于ˇ除这些贫民窟ˇ让美国重新运转ˇ

    不论是白色、黑色或棕色的皮肤ˇ饥饿的婴儿瘪塌的肚皮颜色都一样。称之为痛苦ˇ称之为创伤ˇ称之为折磨。大多数穷人并未靠福利度日。

    有些穷人目不识丁ˇ看不懂报上的招聘广告。读懂招聘广告的穷人则找不到与他们的技能ˇ配的职业。我知道他们每天辛劳工作。我曾生活在他们中间。我就是他们的一员。

    我知道他们工作。他们一早出门赶乘公共汽车ˇ他们每天干活。他们养育别人的孩子ˇ他们每天干活。他们打扫街道ˇ他们每天干活。他们驾驶有司机室的运货车ˇ他们每天干活。他们在昨晚你们下榻的旅馆里换床单ˇ但却得不到 一份工会契约。他们每天干活。

    不必再一一列举了。他们并不懒惰。必须有人站出来为他们辩护ˇ因为这是正确的ˇ而他们无法为自己说话。他们在医院里干活。我知道他们在那儿工作。他们为发着高烧ˇ受病痛折磨的人擦身。他们为病人倒便盆。他们为病人洗便桶。没有什么工种比他们的更低贱了ˇ可是他们一旦病倒ˇ却不能躺在他们每天整理的床铺上。美国啊ˇ这可不好。我们的国家不该这样。……

    而我们的孩子们ˇ美国的年轻一代ˇˇ在你们把头抬起来。我们能赢得胜利。我们决不能让你们被毒品、暴力、过早怀孕、轻生、犬儒主义、悲观绝望所毁掉。我们能赢得胜利。

    不论今晚你们在哪里ˇ我要求你们怀有希望和梦ˇ。不要淹没你们的梦ˇ。最重要的是锻 炼ˇ即便在服药期间也要梦见你不再需要药物的一天。即便住在贫民窟也要梦见你重新站起来的一天。你们决不能停止梦ˇ。面对ˇ实ˇ对。但不要满足于ˇ状ˇ梦见的应是理ˇ的世界。怀有梦ˇ吧。面对痛苦ˇ但是爱心、希望、信念和梦ˇ将帮助你从痛苦中超脱出来。把希望和ˇˇ当作生存和进步的武器吧ˇ但是你们要坚持梦ˇˇ美国的年轻一代。做和平之梦。和平是合情合理的ˇ而战争在这个时代是荒谬的ˇ不可能打赢。

    梦见这样的教师吧ˇ他们为生活而不是为谋生而工作。梦见这样的医生吧ˇ他们对公众健康比对私人财富更关心。梦见这样的律师吧ˇ他们对公正比对一场审判更关切。梦见这样的传教士吧ˇ他们对预言比对牟取暴利更关心。梦见你们行进在正确合理的价值观念的大路上。……

    不要投降ˇ不要认输。为什么我能这样要求你们呢? 杰西ˇ杰克逊ˇ你不了解我的处境。你经常上电视。你不理解。我看见你和大人物们在一起。你不理解我的处境。我理解。你们近来确实看见我上电视ˇ但你们不明白是我造就了我自己。当他们看到我竞选入主白宫ˇ他们弄不懂为什么我参加竞选ˇ可是他们没有看到我是从什么家庭脱颖而出ˇ参加竞选的。

    我的经历值得一提。我过去并没有一直上电视。记者们过去并不总是等在我家门外。当我那年10月8日出生在南卡罗来纳格林维尔时ˇ没有哪个记者问我母亲她叫什么名字。没人愿意记下我家的住址。没人预料我母亲会取得成功。没人预料我会取得成功。要知道ˇ我是由一个十几岁的母亲所生ˇ而她的母亲生她时也只有十几岁。

    我理解。我深知被抛弃的滋味ˇ我知道人们对你刻薄ˇ说你一钱不值ˇ微不足道ˇ而且永远成不了气候。我理解。杰西ˇ杰克逊是我的第三个名字。我是被人收养的。当我没有名字时ˇ祖母给了我她的名字。我用杰西ˇ伯恩斯这一姓名直到十二岁。那时我不ˇ有空白ˇ祖母便给我取了个名字延续下去。我懂得什么时候没人知道你的名字。我懂得什么时候你没有名字。我理解。

    我不是在医院里出生的。我母亲没有医疗保ˇˇ我生在家里的床上。我确实懂得。我生在一个只有三间屋的房子里ˇ 盥洗室设在后院ˇ床边放着尿桶ˇ家中没有冷、热自来水。我懂。糊墙纸用作装饰吗? 不ˇ用来挡风。我懂。我是劳动人民出身ˇ所以无论你是黑人或白人ˇ我都理解你。

    我懂得干活的滋味。我不是生在富贵人家。我的手生来是拿铲子的。我母亲是个劳动妇女ˇ天天很早赶去上班ˇ袜子都走破了。她当然不好受ˇ但是她自己穿破袜子ˇ好让我的兄弟和我穿上ˇ配的袜子ˇ免得在学校被人耻笑。

    我理解。感恩节那天下午三点ˇ我们没吃上火鸡ˇ因为那时母亲正在给别人烤火鸡。我们只得踢足球玩。到六点左右母亲才从阿尔塔维特公共汽车上下来ˇ接着我们取出吃剩的食物ˇ在晚上八点吃我们的火鸡ˇˇ残羹剩菜、肉、酸果果酱。我确实理解。

    他们给你们ˇˇ你们这些今晚在街头ˇ尾的廉价公寓里观看这一电视广播的人ˇˇ贴上所有这些希奇古怪的标签。我理解。把你们称为流浪汉ˇ说你们可鄙ˇ不能成功ˇ无足轻重ˇ出身下贱ˇ低人一等。当你看见杰西ˇ杰克逊ˇ当我的名字列入候选人名单ˇ你也就被提名了。

    我生在贫民窟ˇ但贫民窟生活并不是我的命运ˇ贫民窟生活也不是你的命运ˇ你能够成功。抬起头来挺起胸ˇ你能够成功。有时天会变黑ˇ但黎明总会到来。你不要屈服。痛苦培育个性。个性培育信念。最后信念将不会ˇ失。

    你不该屈服。你或许可能ˇ或许不能达到目标ˇ但是你该明白你完全胜任ˇ你该坚持到底。我们决不屈服。美国将越变越好。始终抱着希望ˇ始终抱着希望ˇ始终抱着希望吧。明晚以后ˇ始终满怀希望吧。

    我非常爱你们。我非常爱你们。

. . . We meet tonight at a crossroads, a point of decision.

      Shall we expand, be inclusive, find unity and power; or suffer division and impotence?

      We come to Atlanta, the cradle of the old south, the crucible of the new South.

      Tonight there is a sense of celebration because we are moved, fundamentally moved, from racial battlegrounds by law. to economic common ground, tomorrow we will challenge to move to higher ground.

      Common ground!

      Think of. Jerusalem― the intersection where many trails met. A small village that became the birthplace for three great religions― Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

      Why was this village so blessed? Because it provided a crossroads where different people met, different cultures, and different civilizations could meet and find common ground.

      When people come together, flowers always flourish and the air is rich with the aroma of a new spring.

      Take New York, the dynamic metropolis. What makes New York so special?

      It is the invitation of the Statue of Liberty―  give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses who yearn to breathe free.

      Not restricted to English only.

      Many people, many cultures, many languages― with one thing in common, they yearn to breathe free. . . .

      Common ground'

      That is the challenge to our party tonight.

      Left wing. Right wing. Progress will not come through boundless liberalism nor static conservatism, but at the critical mass of mutual survival. It takes two wings to fly.

      Whether you're a hawk or a dove, you're just a bird living in the same environment, in the same world.

      The Bible teaches that when lions and lambs lie down together, none will he afraid and there will be peace in the valley. It sounds impossible. Lions eat lambs. Lambs sensibly flee from lions. But even lions and lambs find common ground. Why?

      Because neither lions nor lambs want the forest to catch on fire. Neither lions nor lambs want acid rain to fall. Neither lions nor lambs can survive nuclear war. If lions and lambs can find common ground, surely, we can as well, as civilized people.

      The only time that we win is when we come together....

      Common ground.

      America's not a blanket woven from one thread, one color, one cloth. When I was a child growing up in Greenville, S.C.. and grandmother could not afford a blanket, she didn't complain and we did not freeze. Instead, she took pieces of old cloth― patches, wool, silk, gabardine, crockersack on the patches― barely good enough to wipe off your shoes with.

      But they didn't stay that way very long. With sturdy hands and a strong cord, she sewed them together into a quilt, a thing of beauty and power and culture.

      Now, Democrats, we must build such a quilt. Farmers, you seek fair prices and you are right, but you cannot stand alone. Your patch is not big enough. Workers, you fight for fair wages. You are right. But your patch is not big enough. Women, you seek comparable worth and pay equity. You are right. But your patch is not big enough. Women, mothers, who seek Head Start and day care and pre-natal care on the front side of life, rather than jail care and welfare on the back side of life, you're right, but your patch is not big enough.

      Students, you seek scholarships. You are right. But your patch is not big enough. Blacks and Hispanics, when we fight for civil rights, we are right, but our patch is not big enough. Gays and lesbians, when you fight against discrimination and a cure for AIDS, you are right, hut your patch is not big enough. Conservatives and progressives. when you fight for what you believe, right-wing, left-wing, hawk, dove― you are right, from your point of view, but your point of view is not enough.

      But don't despair. Be as wise as my grand- mama. Pool the patches and the pieces together, bound by a common thread. When we form a great quilt of unity and common ground we'll have the power to bring about health care and housing and jobs and education and hope to our nation.

      We the people can win. We stand at the end of a long dark night of reaction. We stand tonight united in a commitment to a new direction. For almost eight years, we've been led by those who view social good coming from private interest, who viewed public life as a means to increase private wealth. They have been prepared to sacrifice the common good of the many to satisfy the private interest and the wealth of a few. We believe in a government that's a tool of our democracy in service to the public, not an instrument of the aristocracy in search of private wealth. . . .

      I just want to take common sense to high places. We're spending $150 billion a year defending Europe and Japan 43 years after the war is over. We have more troops in Europe tonight than we had seven years ago, yet the threat of war is ever more remote. Germany and Japan are now creditor nations― that means they've got a surplus. We are a debtor nation― it means we are in debt.

      Let them share more of the burden of their own defense― use some of that money to build decent housing!

      Use some of that money to educate our children!

      Use some of that money for long-term health care!

      Use some of that money to wipe out these slums and put America back to work! . . .

      Whether white, black or brown, the hungry baby's belly turned inside out is the same color. Call it pain. Call it hurt. Call it agony. Most poor people are not on welfare.

      Some of them are illiterate and can't read the want-ad sections. And when they can, they can't find a job that matches their address. They work hard every day, I know. I lived amongst them. I'm one of them.

      I know they work. I'm a witness. They catch the early bus. They work every day. They raise other people's children. They work every day. They clean the streets. They work every day. They drive vans with cabs. They work every day. They change the beds you slept in these hotels last night and can't get a union contract. They work every day.

      No more. They're not lazy. Someone must defend them because it's right, and they cannot speak for themselves. They work in hospitals. I know they do. They wipe the bodies of those who are sick with fever and pain. They empty their bedpans. They clean out their commode. No job is beneath them, and yet when they get sick, they cannot lie in the bed they made up every day. America, that is not right. We are a better nation than that. . . .

      And then, for our children, young America, hold your head high now. We can win. We must not lose you to drugs and violence, premature pregnancy, suicide, cynicism, pessimism and despair. We can win.

     Wherever you are tonight, I challenge you to hope and to dream. Don't submerge your dreams. Exercise above all else, even on drugs, dream of the day you're drug-free. Even in the gutter, dream of the day that you'll be up on your feet again. You must never stop dreaming. Face reality, yes. But don't stop with the way things are; dream of things as they ought to be. Dream. Face pain, but love, hope, faith, and dreams will help you rise above the pain.

      Use hope and imagination as weapons of survival and progress, but you keep on dreaming, young America. Dream of peace. Peace is rational and reasonable. War is irrational in this age and unwinnable.

      Dream of teachers who teach for life and not for a living. Dream of doctors who are concerned more about public health than private wealth. Dream of lawyers more concerned about justice than a judgeship. Dream of preachers who are concerned more about prophecy than profiteering. Dream on the high road of sound values. . . .

      Don't surrender and don't give up. Why can I challenge you this way? Jesse Jackson, you don't understand my situation. You be on television. You don't understand. I see you with the big people. You don't understand my situation. I understand. You're seeing me on TV but you don't know the me that makes me, me. They wonder why does Jesse run, because they see me running for the White House. They don't see the house I'm running from.

      I have a story. I wasn't always on television. Writers were not always outside my door. When I was born late one afternoon, October 8th, in Greenville, S.C., no writers asked my mother her name. Nobody chose to write down our address. My mama was not supposed to make it. And I was not supposed to make it. You see, I was born to a teen-age mother who was born to a teen-age mother.

      I understand. I know abandonment and people being mean to you, and saying you're nothing and nobody, and can never be anything. I understand. Jesse Jackson is my third name. I'm adopted. When I had no name, my grandmother gave me her name. My name was Jesse Burns until I was 12.So I wouldn't have a blank space, she gave me a name to hold me over. I understand when nobody knows your name. I understand when you have no name. I understand.

      I wasn't born in the hospital. Mama didn't have insurance. I was born in the bed at home. I really do understand. Born in a three-room-house, bathroom in the backyard, slop jar by the bed, no hot and cold running water. I understand. Wallpaper used for decoration? No. For a windbreaker. I understand. I'm a working person's person, that's why I understand you whether you're black or white.

      I understand work. I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I had a shovel programmed for my hand. My mother, a working woman. So many days she went to work early with runs in her stockings. She knew better, but she wore runs in her stockings so that my brother and I could have matching socks and not be laughed at at school.

      I understand. At 3 o'clock on Thanksgiving Day we couldn't eat turkey because mama was preparing someone else's turkey at 3 o'clock. We had to play football to entertain ourselves and then around 6 o'clock she would get off the Alta Vista bus: then we would bring up the leftovers and eat our turkey― leftovers, the carcass, the cranberries around 8 o'clock at night. I really do understand.

      Every one of these funny labels they put on you, those of you who are watching this broadcast tonight in the projects, on the corners, I understand. Call you outcast, low down, you can't make it, you're nothing, you're from no- body, subclass, underclass― when you see Jesse Jackson, when my name goes in nomination, your name goes in nomination.

      I was born in the slum, but the slum was not horn in me. And it wasn't born in you, and you can make it. Wherever you are tonight you can make it. Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Don't you surrender. Suffering breeds character. Character breeds faith. In the end faith will not disappoint.

      You must not surrender. You may or may not get there, but just know that you're qualified and you hold on and hold out. We must never surrender. America will get better and better. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive. Keep hope alive. On tomorrow night and beyond, keep hope alive.

      I love you very much. I love you very much.