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. Barbara Jordan, 10/18/1976. And in the Virginia ratification convention: "We do not trust our liberty to a particular branch. Barbara Jordan served in the U.S. House of Representatives from the 18th district of Texas between 1973 and 1979. Congress has a lot to do: Appropriations, Tax Reform, Health Insurance, Campaign Finance Reform, Housing, Environmental Protection, Energy Sufficiency, Mass Transportation. And that's what we are talking about. I do not mean political parties in that sense. The drawing of political lines goes to the motivation behind the impeachment, but impeachment must proceed within the confines of the Constitutional term high crime and misdemeanors. Full text and audio of Barbara Jordan - 1974 House Judiciary Statement on the Nixon Impeachment Proceedings Make your investment into the leaders of tomorrow through the Bill of Rights Institute today! Barbara Jordan: (05:14) who gave a speech at career day at Jordan's high school. The government must remove them, seek to remove them. 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. Full transcript of Representative Barbara Jordans Keynote Speech at the 1976 DNC on July 12, 1976. So today were not being petty. "It is designed as a method of national inquest into the conduct of public men." In this election year, we must define the common good and begin again to shape a common future. 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. Barbara Jordan: (00:01) Two days after Jordan delivered this speech, the House Judiciary Committee recommended impeachment. If we do not, we not only blaspheme our political heritage, we ignore the common ties that bind all Americans. The purpose of the speech was to tell the problem that the Constitution had with the wordings. Barbara Jordan: (12:22) 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. An hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. Our concept of governing is derived from our view of people. We were further cautioned today that perhaps these proceedings ought to be delayed because certainly there would be new evidence forthcoming from the President of the United States. 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.. We know the nature of impeachment. We are told that that evidence is insufficient. (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. So today we are not being petty. Representative Barbara Jordans speech was televised to the American people. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men. That's the question. Learn more about the different ways you can partner with the Bill of Rights Institute. Barbara Jordan: (04:51) There has not even been an obfuscated indication that this committee would receive any additional materials from the President. Jordan was the youngest of three daughters in a close-knit family. In other words, the jurisdiction comes from the abuse or violation of some public trust. "We divide into parties more or less friendly or inimical to the accused." Its tough, difficult, not easy, but a spirit of harmony will survive in America only if each of us remembers that we share a common destiny. In her speech, she mentions that though the Constitution laid by Washington and Hamilton included the phrase "We, the people", they forget to include her. "The reaction from the other committee members was: 'You must be out of your head.' 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. Today I am an inquisitor. Create a better, more engaging experience for every student. 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. ", We have heard time and time again that the evidence reflects the payment to defendants money. Before the invention of social media apps, parents could not engage in sharenting and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to globally embarrass their children.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.D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment.l tmi, Article Sharetening Total TMIWhat is this Article mainly about?A.In the past, people took plenty of photographs using traditional film and typically k Let there be no illusions about the difficulty of forming this kind of a national community. Indignation so great as to overgrow party interest may secure a conviction; but nothing else can.". *Barbara wanted to have freedom for everyone. Barbara Jordan: (02:32) Under Title 17 U.S.C. It takes a lot of energy, dedication and bullet-proofing yourself to be: Today, I am an inquisitor, and hyperbole would not be fictional and would not overstate the solemnness that I feel right now. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of . Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. "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. There has not even been an obfuscated indication that this committee would receive any additional materials from the President. It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision. Make your content more accessible to people with disabilities. Has the President committed offenses, and planned, and directed, and acquiesced in a course of conduct which the Constitution will not tolerate? We know the nature of impeachment. Barbara Jordan: (03:55) Pettiness cannot be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States, "We, the people." Fielding's office, after having met with Mr. Ehrlichman and Mr. Young. And if we do it as individuals, there is no president of United States who can veto that decision. That is what we are talking about. The words are, If the president is connected in any suspicious manner with any person, and there be grounds to believe that he will shelter that person, he may be impeached. Just a story. Texas columnist Molly Ivins said that Jordan would be the obvious choice in a casting call for the voice of God.2, The youngest of three daughters of a Baptist minister in a poor Houston neighborhood, Jordan attended segregated schools, graduated from the all-black Texas Southern University, and earned a law degree from Boston University in 1959, where she was deeply affected by Howard Thurman, dean of Marsh Chapel. The subjects of its jurisdiction are those offenses which proceed from the misconduct of public men." We've been talking about it awhile now. The Constitution doesn't say that. A RESTful API to access Revs workforce of fast, high quality transcriptionists and captioners. They did not make the accusers and the judges the same person. Barbara Jordan: ( 09:55) Impeachment is intended for occasional and extraordinary cases, where a superior power acting for the whole people it's put into operation to protect their rights and rescue their liberties from violations. Pettiness can not be allowed to stand in the face of such overwhelming problems. Mr. Chairman, you are a strong man, and it has not been easy but we have tried as best we can to give you as much assistance as possible. e baby pictures, in photo albums that usually remained on a shelf. I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. On July 25, 1974, Jordan delivered an inspiring speech to the House Judiciary Committee, on national television, calling for an impeachment trial of then-president Richard Nixon for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. But when the document was completed on the seventeenth of September 1787 I was not included in that We, the people. I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. We are a people trying not only to solve the problems of the present, unemployment, inflation, but we are attempting on a larger scale to fulfill the promise of America. Before the invention of social media apps, parents could not engage in sharenting and, therefore, did not have the opportunity to globally embarrass their children.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.D.Parents with an abundance of pride in their kids often post their children's photos on social media even though such postings can cause their children great embarrassment.l tmi, What is this Article mainly about? 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. First, we believe in equality for all and privileges for none. In that year also she published Barbara Jordan, a Self-Portrait. The speech is considered to be one of the greatest speeches in . Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, My faith in the Constitution is whole; it is complete; it is total., Notice of Non-Discrimination and Equal Opportunity. If the impeachment provision in the Constitution of the United States will not reach the offenses charged here, then perhaps that eighteenth century Constitution should be abandoned to a twentieth century paper shredder. We admit our mistakes. ", James Madison again at the Constitutional Convention: "A President is impeachable if he attempts to subvert the Constitution.". Only two years later, Jordan delivered her speech to introduce the idea of impeachment to her colleagues and to the American public. 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. Chairman: (00:04) , ept more personal shots, like baby pictures, in photo albums that usually remained on a shelf.B. This is the question which must be answered. Even as I stand here and admit that we have made mistakes, I still believe that as the people of America sit in judgment on each party, they will recognize that our mistakes were mistakes of the heart. We are trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. The purpose of the speech was to tell the problem that the Constitution had with the wordings. A to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution, help pleaseArticle Sharetening Total TMIWhat is this Article mainly about?A.In the past, people took plenty of photographs using tra What that recital of the evidence this morning did not include is what the President did know on June the 23rd, 1972. Earlier today, we heard the beginning of the preamble to the Constitution of United States. Ibid., 193. . 5, No. We should now forthwith proceed to answer 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 . Rep. Barbara Jordan (D-Texas) speaks at the House Judiciary Committee hearings on Watergate, Audience - Jordan's audience was like-minded democrats who saw Jimmy Carter as their hope for a new direction in American government. One writer lamented that Jordan's booming voice, with its thundering call to principles enshrined in the Constitution, was "a song of the past."7. Thank you. It is reason, and not passion, which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision. It limited impeachment to high crimes and misdemeanors and discounted and opposed the term "maladministration." A government is invigorated when each one of us is willing to participate in shaping the future of this nation. It is a concept deeply rooted in a set of beliefs firmly etched in the national conscience of all of us. Barbara Jordan was the first African American woman elected to be as a Texas State Senator. Transcribe your audio files to find high-impact insights in minutes. 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. . We believe that. Industry-leading accurate legal transcription to ensure you dont miss a statement. July 25, 1974. Explanation: Barbara Jordan was a famous American lawyer. 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 "Rescue their liberties from violation. Barbara Jordan: (05:27) 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. Jordan was so moved by Thurman's Sunday sermons she would preach them again to her dormitory roommates.3. We call ourselves public servants. "Protect their rights." "We always said that if Hollywood ever needed somebody to play the role of God Almighty, they ought to get Barbara Jordan." 8. In 1992 she again gave the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. The language used by Jordan is legal, and so is the topic that she covers. Speech-to-Text API for pre-recorded audio, powered by the worlds leading speech recognition engine. House of Representatives in 1972 (Trescott). The remarks are often cited as one of the great examples of American political oratory. 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. They did not make the accusers and the judges the same person. Barbara Jordan: (03:02) We know that, we know the question. We know about the Huston plan. 3. In some cases, such as the United States, the constitution is a specific written document. She attended Texas Southern University in Houston, becoming a member of the debate team that tied Harvard University in a debateone of her proudest college moments. ", Justice Story: "Impeachment" is attended"is intended for occasional and extraordinary cases where a superior power acting for the whole people is put into operation to protect their rights and rescue their liberties from violations." Which structure does the author use to organize information in the text Improving Old MacDonald's Farm? What is it? We know the nature of impeachment. That is not sufficient reason for the majority of the people of this country to decide to vote Democratic. Ibid., 185-86. 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. Let each person do his or her part. Grady, "Magnificent Voice Stilled at Last. And if the President wants to supply that material, the committee sits here. Now, that I have this grand distinction, what in the world am I supposed to say? A nation is formed by the willingness of each of us to share in the responsibility for upholding the common good. Has the President committed offenses and planned and directed and. I felt somehow for many years that George Washington and Alexander Hamilton just left me out by mistake. We are a generous people, so why cant we be generous with each other? Were told that that evidence is insufficient. And when the people raised their voices, we didnt hear. (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. The Framers confided 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. 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? If we promise as public officials, we must deliver. Transcripts & captions for a better media workflow. This is a belief that each American, regardless of background, has equal standing in the public forum, all of us. Barbara Jordan remarks on impeachment during Watergate. We need one branch to check the other.. The purpose of Barbara Jordan's speech is to explain a problem with the wording of the Constitution. In the 1990s she served as an adviser on ethics in government for Texas Gov. We are trying to be big, because the task we have before us is a big one. 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