What we have to do is strike a balance between the idea that government should do everything and the idea, the belief, that government ought to do nothing. My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. And in the Virginia ratification convention: "We do not trust our liberty to a particular branch. Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) speaks at the House Judiciary Committee hearings on Watergate, In this election year, we must define the common good and begin again to shape a common future. The purpose of the speech was to tell the problem that the Constitution had with the wordings. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction, but nothing else can. Common sense would be revolted, if we engaged upon this process for petty reasons. Explore our upcoming webinars, events and programs. A constitution sets out how all the elements of government are organised and how power is carved up among different political units. In 1976, are we to be one people bound together by common spirit, sharing in a common endeavor, or will we become a divided nation? The Bill of Rights Institute teaches civics. What is special? We believe that the people are the source of all governmental power, that the authority of the people is to be extended, not restricted. Barbara Jordan: (07:05) . Ann Richards and also was chairman for the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform. 2, pp. But, our deafness was only a temporary condition and not an irreversible condition. The citizens of America expect more, deserve and they want more than a recital of problems. And that's what we're talking about. We are attempting to fulfill our national purpose, to create and sustain a society in which all of us are equal. Thank you. What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. Convert your audio or video into 99% accurate text by a professional. Thank you, ladies and gentleman for a very warm reception. She passed the Massachusetts bar exam but moved to Tuskegee Institute (later renamed Tuskegee University) in Alabama and taught there for one year before returning to Texas and gaining admittance to the bar there. Now I began this speech by commenting to you on the uniqueness of a Barbara Jordan making a keynote address. Mark whether the sentence below is true or false:1 It seemed they all wanted that fifteen minutes on television," Jordan wrote.4, The night before her statement was scheduled, Jordan sat down to write. The words are, If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. . What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. Copyright 2023. As a high school student, she became a skilled public speaker, winning a national debate contest in 1952. The Constitution charges the President with the task of taking care that the laws be faithfully executed, and yet the President has counseled his aides to commit perjury, willfully disregard the secrecy of grand jury proceedings, conceal surreptitious entry, attempt to compromise a federal judge, while publicly displaying his cooperation with the processes of criminal justice. In our haste to do all things for all people, we did not foresee the full consequences of our actions. They did not make the accusers and the judgersand the judges the same person. ", James Madison again at the Constitutional Convention: "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution." The stance Jordan takes in the passage is best described as that of A) an idealist setting forth principles. The powers relating to impeachment are an essential check in the hands of the body of the Legislature against and upon the encroachments of the Executive. In 1992 she again gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. The Best Speech-to-Text Solution for Your Business Learn how Rev fits into your businesses workflow. My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminution, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution. "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.". We know about the Houston plan. A government is invigorated when each one of us is willing to participate in shaping the future of this nation. In 1976, she was the first black woman to deliver the keynote address at a Democratic National Convention. On July 24, 1974, she made this statement to the House Judiciary Committee regarding the impeachment of President Richard Nixon. These assertions, false assertions, impeachable, those who misbehave. They are indigenous to the American idea. If one citizen is unwilling to participate, all of us are going to suffer. Barbara Jordan: (10:47) We know the nature of impeachment. This morning, in a discussion of the evidence, we were told that the evidence which purports to support the allegations of misuse of the CIA by the President is thin. In a perfect storm of unlikely circumstances, Barbara Jordan, a junior congresswoman from Houston, Texas, who grew up in segregation, landed a primetime spot to deliver an opening statement on. We know that, we know the question. We know the nature of impeachment. 2. ", Beginning shortly after the Watergate break-in and continuing to the present time, the President has engaged in a series of public statements and actions designed to thwart the lawful investigation by government prosecutors. In her introduction, what did Representative Jordan make very clear? Add English on-screen subtitles for videos. A constitution sets out how all the elements of government are organised and how power is carved up among differen t political units. We are told that that evidence is insufficient. There is something special about tonight. So today were not being petty. Being a part of the civil rights movement she strived for change and cared about her constitution she gave a great speech and it really showed that she would not stand or tolerate even the president to disobey to constitution. "Who can so properly be the inquisitors for the nation as the representatives of the nation themselves?" Barbara Jordan: (10:11) *Freedom for all race, sex, and background. Jordan soared into the national spotlight on July 25, 1974, with a speech that established her as a moral and political force and defender of the Constitution and the rule of law. Become a freelancer and work on your own terms. She was the first African American congresswoman to come from the South. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of . For the American idea, though it is shared by all of us, is realized in each one of us. Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, "We, the people." Calculate how much it costs to transcribe, caption, or subtitle your content. Barbara Jordan: (05:27) Call To Action Historical Context Before Barbara When speaking to students, its ok to use broken English so that they can understand you more easi Although she acquired a reputation as an effective legislator, Jordan did not become a national figure until 1974 during the Watergate scandal, when her participation in the hearings held by the House Judiciary Committee on the impeachment of U.S. Pres. Telegrams and letters poured into Jordan's office in the days following her speech. It is wrong, I suggest, it is a misreading of the Constitution for any member here to assert that for a member to vote for an article of impeachment means that that member must be convinced that the President should be removed from office. Well I am going to close my speech by quoting a Republican President and I ask you that as you listen to these words of Abraham Lincoln, relate them to the concept of a national community in which every last one of us participates: The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind impeachment; but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the constitutional term "high crimes and misdemeanors." Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. "The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." That's the question. Jerry K. Frye Chairman and Associate Professor of Speech Communication , University of Minnesota , Duluth & Franklin B. Krohn Ph.D. student at S.U.N.Y . A. to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution B. to show that Congress was at work C. to explain the reason for an inquiry D. to thank members of the committee for being allowed to speak 1 See answer Advertisement Advertisement This, my friends, is the bedrock of our concept of governing. Barbara Jordan, 10/18/1976. They represent what this country is all about. These are the foundations upon which a national community can be built. Texas Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was selected to give the Opening Statement to the House Judiciary Committee on July 25, 1974, as it began its momentous proceedings on the Impeachment of President Richard Nixon. Respectful and Reasoned are the words which best describes the tone of Barbara Jordan's speech. Barbara Jordan: (08:14) An analysis of Barbara Jordan's 1976 keynote address. We are a heterogeneous party made up of Americans of diverse backgrounds. In 1962 and 1964 she was an unsuccessful candidate for the Texas House of Representatives, but she was elected in 1966 to the Texas Senate, the first African American member since 1883 and the first woman ever elected to that legislative body. We know that the President met with Mr. Henry Petersen 27 times to discuss matters related to Watergate, and immediately thereafter met with the very persons who were implicated in the information Mr. Petersen was receiving. But what we can do is defined new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny. (AP Photo), Barbara Jordan marked history in a number of ways, using the power of her speech and the clarity of her mind to break down barriers of race and gender. Barbara Jordan: (06:04) We know the nature of impeachment. It is to be used only for great misdemeanors, so it was said in the North Carolina Ratification Convention, and in the Virginia Ratification Convention, We do not trust our Liberty to a particular branch. 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