Now, we must look to the future. Barbara Jordan: (06:01) "Rescue their liberties from violation. Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. A RESTful API to access Revs workforce of fast, high quality transcriptionists and captioners. Jordan died in 1996 from pneumonia, a complication of leukemia. We know that. I have confidence that we can form this kind of national community. The powers relating to impeachment are an essential check in the hands of the body, the Legislature, against and upon the encroachments of the Executive. It is chiefly designed for the President and his high ministers to somehow be called into account. It takes a lot of energy, dedication and bullet-proofing yourself to be: Alternate titles: Barbara Charline Jordan. The fact is that on yesterday, the American people waited with great anxiety for eight hours, not knowing whether their President would obey an order of the Supreme Court of the United States. If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that 18th-century Constitution should be abandoned to a 20th-century paper shredder. If we do not, we not only blaspheme our political heritage, we ignore the common ties that bind all Americans. Support students by having a transcript of the speech as they listen to Barbara Jordan. Barbara Jordan: Speech on Impeachment Jul 25, 1974 A President Is Impeachable If He Attempts To Subvert The Constitution This is the speech given by Representative Barbara Jordan (Democrat-Texas) reminding her colleagues on the House Judiciary Committee of the Constitutional basis for impeachment. Barbara Jordan: (09:55) Students can listen through a close reading lens documenting parts of Jordan's speech that they felt were convincing. The tone of the speech and the formal expressions that Jordan uses in this speech are a clear indicator that she is speaking to members of the House Judiciary Committee. '"5 The next evening, when the camera focused on her, Jordan opened with an African American perspective on the Constitution, then quickly moved her rhetorical position to that of all "the people" covered by that document of protections and promises. The framers confined in the Congress the power if need be, to remove the president in order to strike a delicate balance between a president swollen with power and grown tyrannical, and preservation of the independence of the executive. Pettiness can not be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. "Rescue their liberties from violation. They have often turned to the Democratic Party. There is no law that can require the American people to form a national community. A government is invigorated when each one of us is willing to participate in shaping the future of this nation. Barbara Jordan Career Center, formerly Barbara Jordan High School for Careers, is a public vocational school center at 5800 Eastex Freeway (U.S. Highway 59) in Houston, Texas, United States.It is a part of the Houston Independent School District.Prior to July 1, 2018, the school served as its own self-contained secondary school. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? Transcripts & captions for a better media workflow. At this point, I would like to juxtapose a few of the impeachment criteria with some of the actions the President has engaged in. We've been talking about it awhile now. While in Congress, one of Jordan's most famous actions was the 15-minute televised speech she gave to the members of the House Judiciary Committee during the Nixon impeachment hearings, on July 25, 1974. Of the impeachment process, it was Woodrow Wilson who said that, Nothing short of the grossest offenses against the plain law of the land will suffice to give them speed and effectiveness. 5. She also gave the keynote address in 1992, this time from a wheelchair; she had been afflicted by multiple sclerosis. And the most effective way to achieve that is through investing in The Bill of Rights Institute. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague Mr. Rangel in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. Speech-to-Text API for pre-recorded audio, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition engine. Read the transcript of her speech here. I do not mean political parties in that sense. When speaking to students, its ok to use broken English so that they can understand you more easi Thank you, ladies and gentleman for a very warm reception. Copyright 2023. Barbara Jordan: (07:46) The President had knowledge that these funds were being paid and that these were funds collected for the 1972 presidential campaign. We need to take to heart the words spoken by Thomas Jefferson, Let us restore to social intercourse that harmony and that affection without which liberty, and even life, are but dreary things.. But what we can do is defined new ways to implement that system and realize our destiny. "Who can so properly be the inquisitors for the nation as the representatives of the nation themselves?" Telegrams and letters poured into Jordan's office in the days following her speech. We are a people in search of a national community. So today we are not being petty. Extend your content reach and maximize your engagement rates. 4. We must not become the new puritans and reject our society. This is a belief that each American, regardless of background, has equal standing in the public forum, all of us. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? The Committee met in Washington, D.C. It limited impeachment to high crimes and misdemeanors and discounted and opposed the term maladministration. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference, is no democracy. It is designed to "bridle" the Executive if he engages in excesses. I recognize the gentle lady from Texas, Miss Jordan, for the purpose of general debate, not to exceed a period of 15 minutes. "The reaction from the other committee members was: 'You must be out of your head.' We must be. Achieving National Stature. 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. 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. Mr. Chairman, I join my colleague Mr. Rangel in thanking you for giving the junior members of this committee the glorious opportunity of sharing the pain of this inquiry. We are told that that evidence is insufficient. 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: Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States: "We, the people." B. In 1992 she again gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. This is the question which must be answered. Section 107, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. She was the first African-American as well as the first woman to deliver a keynote address at a partys convention. A President is impeachable if your attempts to subvert the constitution.. The purpose of Barbara Jordans speech is to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution. The most accurate AI-powered transcription on the market. They did not make the accusers and the judges the same person. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Two days later, on July 27, 1974, Jordan voted to impeach the president (Nixon would resign before the Senate commenced a trial). We know about the Huston plan. And that's what we are talking about. 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. Thats the question. Franics X. Clines, "Barbara Jordan Dies at 59; Her Voice Stirred the Nation," Barbara Jordan: (13:43) Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Barbara Jordan: (05:14) ", Statement at the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Impeachment Hearings, Support American RadioWorks with your Amazon.com purchases. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech? "The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." Barbara Jordan, 10/18/1976. Its the news, without the news. We know that the President met with Mr. Henry Petersen twenty-seven 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 and transmitting to the President. *Barbara wanted to have freedom for everyone. Barbara Jordan, a Democrat from Texas, was the first southern African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. In this election year, we must define the common good and begin again to shape a common future. As students listen to the speech they can highlight, underline, and . My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total. 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. The nature of impeachment, a narrowly channeled exception to the separation of powers maxim. Get a weekly digest of the weeks most important transcripts in your inbox. Explanation: Barbara Jordan was a famous American lawyer. My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total. For many, Barbara Jordan was the definition of an eloquent woman. She then accepted a position at the University of Texas, Austin, where she taught at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs until her death. Barbara Jordan: ( 14:23) A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. (THESIS) Barbara Jordan's speech at the 1976 Democratic National Convention effectively inspired her audience because she relied on the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos as well as. Barbara Jordan: (10:47) The committees subpoena is outstanding. But Ill tell you this, we as public servants must set an example for the rest of the nation. The purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech is to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution. Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) speaks at the House Judiciary Committee hearings on Watergate, ", We have heard time and time again that the evidence reflects the payment to defendants money. And in the Virginia ratification convention: "We do not trust our liberty to a particular branch. Renown orator Barbara Jordan delivers the Keynote Address to the delegates of the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Purpose - As the keynote speaker for the DNC, Jordan's purpose was, to some degree, the same purpose of all convention keynote speakers -- to rally support behind the democratic candidate for presidency . "Who can so properly be the inquisitors for the nation as the representatives of the nation themselves? Fielding's office, after having met with Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Young. . Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of United States. Her statement appears below: People want more. There is something special about tonight. (Remember: The passage, additional sample questions, and answer explanations can be found in Chapter 9.) As Americans sensed a fracturing of American life in the 1970s, Jordan called for Americans to commit themselves to a "national community" and the "common good." What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. Barbara Jordan: (11:17) We are trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. "It is to be used only for great misdemeanors," so it was said in the North Carolina ratification convention. Barbara Jordan to the House Judiciary Committee (video, audio, and transcript) http://watergate.info/1974/07/25/barbara-jordan-speech-on-impeachment.html, Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. This can be accomplished only by providing each citizen with every opportunity to participate in the management of the government. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of . The federal convention of 1787 said that. In establishing the division between the two branches of the legislature, the House and the Senate, assigning to the one the right to accuse and to the other the right to judge, the framers of this Constitution were very astute. Despite her absence from Washington, D.C., she remained influential in political affairs. As a high school student, she became a skilled public speaker, winning a national debate contest in 1952. They did not make the accusers and the judgersand the judges the same person. Under Title 17 U.S.C. This is a part of the reason why Americans have turned to the Democratic Party. The Bill of Rights Institute teaches civics. Has the President committed offenses, and planned, and directed, and acquiesced in a course of conduct which the Constitution will not tolerate? It contains rules about what power is wielded, who wields it and over whom it is wielded in the governing of a country. In that year also she published Barbara Jordan, a Self-Portrait. These assertions, false assertions, impeachable, those who misbehave. A constitution sets out how all the elements of government are organised and how power is carved up among different political units. Jordan declared she would not be an idle spectator to "the destruction of the Constitution" by Richard Nixon and his administration. Impeachment is intended for occasional and extraordinary cases, where a superior power acting for the whole people its put into operation to protect their rights and rescue their liberties from violations. Thank you Mr. Chairman. Make your investment into the leaders of tomorrow through the Bill of Rights Institute today! Those who "behave amiss or betray the public trust. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." Omissions? An hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. "So I said: 'Well, I'll just start with that. Now, I began this speech by commenting to you on the uniqueness of a Barbara Jordan making a keynote address. "If the President be connected in any suspicious manner with any person and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter him, he may be impeached. But when that document was completed on the 17th of September in 1787, I was not included in that We the people. Ive felt somehow, for many years, that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. In the 1990s she served as an adviser on ethics in government for Texas Gov. The President had knowledge that these funds were being paid and these were funds collected for the 1972 presidential campaign. 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. Journal of Applied Communication Research: Vol. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. ( Don't do it if you don't know it or if you Under Title 17 U.S.C. Jordan was so moved by Thurman's Sunday sermons she would preach them again to her dormitory roommates.3. Moreover, the President has made public announcements and assertions bearing the Watergate case, which the evidence will show he knew to be false. The President had knowledge that these funds were being paid and these were funds collected for the 1972 presidential campaign. What was the purpose of Barbara Jordans speech? 2, pp. Explore our upcoming webinars, events and programs. We have heard time and time again that the evidence reflects payment to the defendants of money. "It was as though she--a black woman, one of my. What is different? Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. , ditional film and typically kept more personal shots, like baby pictures, in photo albums that usually remained on a shelf.B. Excerpt taken from Great Speeches Volume 4 from Educational Video Group,. Our concept of governing is derived from our view of people. C.A 14-year-old girl was surprised when she discovered that her mother had been posting photos of her on social media without her even knowing about it. So today were not being petty. The President did know that it was Republican money, that it was money from the Committee for the Re-Election of the President, which was found in the possession of one of the burglars arrested on June the 17th. 2. Problems which include, lack of integrity in government, the feeling that the individual no longer counts, the reality of material and spiritual poverty, the feeling that the grand American experiment is failing or has failed. Barbara Jordan: (07:45) We are willing to suffer the discomfort of change in order to achieve a better future. 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. Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, "We, the people." "4 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. We know the question. That's the question. Audience - Jordan's audience was like-minded democrats who saw Jimmy Carter as their hope for a new direction in American government. The New York Times described her oratory as "Churchillian," and one writer suggested that her deep, Olympian sound could galvanize listeners "as though Winston Churchill had been reincarnated as a black woman from Texas. (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. 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