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I suppose this could be qualified as going in the "Politics" section, but more people will see it here. Just a touching speech on the importance of equality.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/20/86-year-old-wwii-vet.html

That's awesome. Im glad I saw that.

Salute from me.

So many comments from people who said they were in tears from it. It didn't really move me at all because the guy is reading (and with difficulty) from a sheet or something.

His message can be nice and all, but with all the comments I was expecting some amazing movie-quality speech. Not the level of a high school half-hearted book report.

doom, you're a bigger idiot than superking. I can't think of a bigger insult right now.

Thank you Enresshou. I mean that completely. Thank you.

Dearest Shego:

Fuck you.

That is all.

No Doom, on behalf of myself and all other veterans of foreign wars...Fuck you.

Nah man, without an amrican flag waving in the background, maybe some jets flying overhead...some dude with a gun just firing it in the air and a score by Hanz Zimmer...I just can't get behind this message.


Now if you'll excuse me I've got a tear in my eye for completely unrelated reasons.

I'm not saying his message wasn't a good one, jeez. It's a great message.

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Fine.

*takes it back*

There.

Thank you.

Docseverin said:

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Click to expand...

Seriously..it's like kids today think everyone should be awesome public speakers, media savvy, and speak in one-line sound bites. I blame TV.

The old guy is a war hero. He's not a movie star or reality show reject. It's his life and message that should be moving, not whether or not he can flamboyantly present one-liners.

Plus it looks AND sounds like he's trying not to cry.

What a beautiful speech. Thank you.

Beautiful.

Tinwhistler;280811][quote=Docseverin said:

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Click to expand...

Seriously..it's like kids today think everyone should be awesome public speakers, media savvy, and speak in one-line sound bites. I blame TV.

The old guy is a war hero. He's not a movie star or reality show reject. It's his life and message that should be moving, not whether or not he can flamboyantly present one-liners.[/QUOTE]

I felt the same way while attending a friends graduating commencement. The speaker was Paul Lauterbur (2003 Nobel winner in medicine), he was a pioneer in the development of MRI. Anyway, he is an old man now, very soft spoken. About 20 minutes into the speech people started talking and actually fucking booing him. It wasn't the content of his speech they were booing, it was that they weren't being entertained. This guy pretty much the pioneered revolution in medical and science progression, and people are actually fucking booing him because he's not jumping up and down, like a clown, to amuse them.

The worst part was he got very confused about what was going on and tried to walk off the stage. The university president had to step in and remind everyone to please be respectful. I was just plain shocked. It kind of shows you how much college has become a big fucking daycare for 20 year olds.

He was also fighting for Doom's right to say silly things and for us to pounce on the fact that he said silly things.

What a great speech! I'm not sure he'd be the same way if he didn't have a gay son, though. I've met quite a few older WWII gentlemen and I can tell you that they have their intolerant ones, too.

Wow. Very moving.

As for the other subtalk about good speeches? This is one that is very near and dear to my own heart, and one I give a special lecture series about at my university (specific to technical presentations, which if you've ever been to a conference, you know are usually dry and boring.)

Yes, exceptions should be made for those who earned it or who are of advanced age. But I don't totally blame TV. I also blame the fact that 99% of speakers are completely boring and dry. It has nothing to do with this particular speech, but it is almost an epidemic. (Also, it certainly doesn't excuse the behavior of idiotic audience members.)

Chazwozel;280837][quote=Tinwhistler;280811][quote=Docseverin said:

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Click to expand...

Seriously..it's like kids today think everyone should be awesome public speakers, media savvy, and speak in one-line sound bites. I blame TV.

The old guy is a war hero. He's not a movie star or reality show reject. It's his life and message that should be moving, not whether or not he can flamboyantly present one-liners.[/quote]

I felt the same way while attending a friends graduating commencement. The speaker was Paul Lauterbur (2003 Nobel winner in medicine), he was a pioneer in the development of MRI. Anyway, he is an old man now, very soft spoken. About 20 minutes into the speech people started talking and actually fucking booing him. It wasn't the content of his speech they were booing, it was that they weren't being entertained. This guy pretty much the pioneered revolution in medical and science progression, and people are actually fucking booing him because he's not jumping up and down, like a clown, to amuse them.

The worst part was he got very confused about what was going on and tried to walk off the stage. The university president had to step in and remind everyone to please be respectful. I was just plain shocked. It kind of shows you how much college has become a big fucking daycare for 20 year olds.[/QUOTE]
Wow. My wifes commencement had nothing to do with the graduating class, and people were still respectful. I think some people just don't know how to properly act in public.

I was considering posting this speech this morning, too. It's very, very touching.

Krisken;280845][quote=Chazwozel;280837][quote=Tinwhistler;280811][quote=Docseverin said:

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Click to expand...

Seriously..it's like kids today think everyone should be awesome public speakers, media savvy, and speak in one-line sound bites. I blame TV.

The old guy is a war hero. He's not a movie star or reality show reject. It's his life and message that should be moving, not whether or not he can flamboyantly present one-liners.[/quote]

I felt the same way while attending a friends graduating commencement. The speaker was Paul Lauterbur (2003 Nobel winner in medicine), he was a pioneer in the development of MRI. Anyway, he is an old man now, very soft spoken. About 20 minutes into the speech people started talking and actually fucking booing him. It wasn't the content of his speech they were booing, it was that they weren't being entertained. This guy pretty much the pioneered revolution in medical and science progression, and people are actually fucking booing him because he's not jumping up and down, like a clown, to amuse them.

The worst part was he got very confused about what was going on and tried to walk off the stage. The university president had to step in and remind everyone to please be respectful. I was just plain shocked. It kind of shows you how much college has become a big fucking daycare for 20 year olds.[/QUOTE]
Wow. My wifes commencement had nothing to do with the graduating class, and people were still respectful. I think some people just don't know how to properly act in public.[/QUOTE]

+1

I've never understood this. You don't have to like the speech, it's ok to be bored by it, but keep your fucking mouth shut for 20 minutes. It's not hard, in fact it's actually less work than heckling.

My University has a large student body so they have a big University ceremony but nobody walks. Each college has their own so that you can walk and your family takes pictures and all that. Anyway, I'm sitting in the front since I was in Anthropology and the Communications kids where making fun of peoples names. And not very good, it's not like they were pointing out hilarious rhymes. No, they were like, "Chang? Hahahaha, that's Chinese! They should go back to their country."

It was largely disappointing given that they'll go work for their dads at the PR firm and make buckets. The only saving grace is that 10-20% of them ended up not graduating. They have the ceremony before the grades are out.

doomdragon6 said:

So many comments from people who said they were in tears from it. It didn't really move me at all because the guy is reading (and with difficulty) from a sheet or something.

His message can be nice and all, but with all the comments I was expecting some amazing movie-quality speech. Not the level of a high school half-hearted book report.

Click to expand...

Dude the guy is quite old, he fought in WWII, you think he can remember like a whole 5 minute speech? Im 20 and I can't do that. Most public speakers have at least notes they glance down at from time to time.

Also yeah this video is awesome.

I'm pretty sensitive/emotional, I'll admit... but what happened while watching this video can only be described as "boohooing."

Good speech, though I wish Boingboing had provided a full transcript. Of course gay and homosexual people should be treated equally. It shouldn't take the gravitas of an 86/yo WW2 vet to accept that.

He described himself as a lifetime Republican, but he sounds more Libertarian to me.

Alot of people believe in equal rights without being Libertarians.. thank the gods.

makare1 said:

Alot of people believe in equal rights without being Libertarians.. thank the gods.

Click to expand...

True, but a Republican who believes in socially-liberal policies is usually a libertarian, given that they also tend to believe in small government.

Unless they're a neocon.

Libertarians are Republicans who want to be able to distance themselves from the Republican party.

Dave said:

Libertarians are Republicans who want to be able to pretend they have nothing to do with the Republican party.

Click to expand...

I hope you don't mind my little edit.

Krisken;281485][quote=Dave said:

Libertarians are Republicans who want to be able to pretend they have nothing to do with the Republican party.

Click to expand...

I hope you don't mind my little edit.[/QUOTE]

Better than how I said it and it's actually what I meant.

Libertarians are conservatives who got fed up with the republican's pandering to the turbochristians and broke away during the 80s and 90s. I was voting Ron Brown in '00, back before online mental midgets thought it was cool to tar them with the elephant brush in online forums. Libertarians are no more Republicans than Democrats are CPUSA.

And you guys are cocksuckers. You can tongue the rotten ass of Barry Goldwater until you learn the difference :curseyou:

I knew that would get his Liberepublican ire up.

I'm going to have to steal the phrase "Turbochristians".

And CG, as for him fighting not to cry...you can see a couple tears drip down near the end of the video.

Dave said:

I knew that would get his Liberepublican ire up.

Click to expand...

I'm sure if I dismissed your arguments every day because you live in Utah, you'd get tired of it too. You guys have been spinning this Libertarian=Stealth Republican bullshit for months and it's gotten beyond stale.

GasBandit;281525][quote=Dave said:

I knew that would get his Liberepublican ire up.

Click to expand...

I'm sure if I dismissed your arguments every day because you live in Utah, you'd get tired of it too. You guys have been spinning this Libertarian=Stealth Republican bullshit for months and it's gotten beyond stale.[/QUOTE]
Says the man who uses words like "Obamabot".

Chazwozel;280837][quote=Tinwhistler;280811][quote=Docseverin said:

No but stating that an 86 y/o veteran read his speech, like a half hearted high school book report was just a dick move and held no bearing on the message.

Click to expand...

Seriously..it's like kids today think everyone should be awesome public speakers, media savvy, and speak in one-line sound bites. I blame TV.

The old guy is a war hero. He's not a movie star or reality show reject. It's his life and message that should be moving, not whether or not he can flamboyantly present one-liners.[/QUOTE]

I felt the same way while attending a friends graduating commencement. The speaker was Paul Lauterbur (2003 Nobel winner in medicine), he was a pioneer in the development of MRI. Anyway, he is an old man now, very soft spoken. About 20 minutes into the speech people started talking and actually fucking booing him. It wasn't the content of his speech they were booing, it was that they weren't being entertained. This guy pretty much the pioneered revolution in medical and science progression, and people are actually fucking booing him because he's not jumping up and down, like a clown, to amuse them.

The worst part was he got very confused about what was going on and tried to walk off the stage. The university president had to step in and remind everyone to please be respectful. I was just plain shocked. It kind of shows you how much college has become a big fucking daycare for 20 year olds.[/QUOTE]

Wow. And you know the sad part is that it's likely a large percentage of them have had a relative/known somebody whose life was saved due to diagnostics enabled by that man's research.

GasBandit;281525][quote=Dave said:

I knew that would get his Liberepublican ire up.

Click to expand...

I'm sure if I dismissed your arguments every day because you live in Utah, you'd get tired of it too. You guys have been spinning this Libertarian=Stealth Republican bullshit for months and it's gotten beyond stale.[/QUOTE]

(This is the last post I'll make on the subject unless you want to take it to PMs - we've taken over the thread for too long already.)

I'm mostly joking because I know you hate it, but I still see it as being true. Every time someone espouses Republican talking points and you call them out on the bad things Republicans have done they almost to a man state that they are Libertarian. Maybe it's because they are too close to differentiate without getting really close, but there you have it. One thing Republicans are very, very good at is branding and using labels to isolate and denigrate. I believe this shift towards supposed Libertarianism is one such ploy.

Dave;281535][quote=GasBandit;281525][quote=Dave said:

I knew that would get his Liberepublican ire up.

Click to expand...

I'm sure if I dismissed your arguments every day because you live in Utah, you'd get tired of it too. You guys have been spinning this Libertarian=Stealth Republican bullshit for months and it's gotten beyond stale.[/quote]

(This is the last post I'll make on the subject unless you want to take it to PMs - we've taken over the thread for too long already.)

I'm mostly joking because I know you hate it, but I still see it as being true. Every time someone espouses Republican talking points and you call them out on the bad things Republicans have done they almost to a man state that they are Libertarian. Maybe it's because they are too close to differentiate without getting really close, but there you have it. One thing Republicans are very, very good at is branding and using labels to isolate and denigrate. I believe this shift towards supposed Libertarianism is one such ploy.[/quote]

You're just saying that because you live in Utah, exactly as I suspected. Though, I guess my support for gay rights and the decriminalization of drugs are a dead giveaway to my ulterior Republicanism!

And who knows, maybe they are turning to Libertarianism. Lord knows the Republicans ain't getting votes outside of bible-thumpers any more these days. Wouldn't it be funny if the implosion of the Republican party gave rise to the Libertarian party as a viable 3rd choice...

He reads like that because he no longer young. When you're 86, you'll find that your voice is no longer as exuberant or vibrant than when you were 30. For me, it contributes to the effect of his speech. Here is a man who gave his youth in service to our country and now that he is no longer young, reminds our generation of what they fought for.

*picks up his Moving Shovel*

Let's keep this thread on the rails. There's a political forum for a reason.

Also, good speech.