Hillary Clinton’s speech at 2015’s Conference of Mayors is the best I have heard her give. Addressing difficult truths on race and gun violence in today’s America, the former Secretary of State was forceful, insightful, tender and on point. Those who pretend she was politicizing the massacre of nine African American women and men at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston might have agendas of their own. She spoke of the need for laws that do not interfere with responsible gun ownership, like universal background checks, and keeping guns out of the hands of abusers and the mentally disturbed. Stating that “once again, racist rhetoric had metastasized into racist violence,” Hillary shared uncomfortable and documented facts in the differences in treatment between black and white Americans, challenging us all not to look away. Digging deeper, Clinton noted “Our problem is not all kooks and klansmen. It’s the cruel joke that goes unchallenged…”
She later stated we need to focus on the “habits of our hearts” and be “cities, states and a country too busy to hate.” Practical as ever, Secretary Clinton encouraged us to “look at what is working across our country and then share it and scale it.” Her declaration that “one size fits all solutions rarely work” introduced her call for a “new, flexible federalism,” promising Mayors nationwide, regardless of party, a friend in the White House were she to be elected.
I have rarely seen anyone connect the threads on family, faith, economy, justice, civic involvement, bipartisanship and a practical government partnership with local authorities as well as Hillary Clinton does here. I can offer no stronger endorsement than to ask that you listen to her speech in its entirety and judge for yourself.
6 Comments
I am so glad you write so well and so thoroughly about Hillary Clinton. You do a real service to journalism in general. There are so many other journalists who seem to not process on their own. They are in some kind of “group think” repetition of each other’s Hillary hating…and they think they are so smart and original…when they are not thinking and presenting any original carefully original analytical position at all. Thank you! You are a breath of fresh air in media!
Tenaya, thank you so much for your kind comment. I hope I provide a resource to share that counteracts the typical beltway press coverage. Keep coming back!
I just watched it Anita, and you are right, it is excellent. Hillary is such a qualified and talented woman, and I am rooting for her all the way in 2016. Thank you for your courageous writing & reporting.
Many thanks, Steve. I am a pretty tough critic about most speeches. But beyond hitting out of the park, this was moving ans heartfelt.
[…] concerns. Her plans for reining in Wall Street, reducing cost of college education and child care, criminal justice and immigration reform, gun control, and equal pay for women deserve close examination. Yet we are […]
[…] concerns. Her plans for reining in Wall Street, reducing cost of college education and child care, criminal justice and immigration reform, gun control, and equal pay for women deserve close examination. Yet we are […]