Speech for a campaign rally at Johnstown, PA, September 29, 1984.  Includes handwritten notes and diacritic marks.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984/1146/thumbnail.jp

Ferraro, Geraldine

English

Fordham University School of Law

Fordham Law SchoolFLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship and HistorySpeeches 1984 Vice-Presidential Campaign9-29-1984Johnstown Rally SpeechGeraldine FerraroFollow this and additional works at: https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984Part of the Law CommonsThis Book is brought to you for free and open access by the 1984 Vice-Presidential Campaign at FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship andHistory. It has been accepted for inclusion in Speeches by an authorized administrator of FLASH: The Fordham Law Archive of Scholarship andHistory. For more information, please contact tmelnick@law.fordham.edu.Recommended CitationFerraro, Geraldine, "Johnstown Rally Speech" (1984). Speeches. 147.https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984/147. JOHNSTOWN . PENNSYLVANIA SAii IRDAY . SEPTEMBER 29 . l 984 THANK YOU, JOHN, FOR THAT V£B...Y ~INO INTRODUCTION. IN JOHN ..:-Ju ii N J 6 ..J rt/ MURTHA, THE PEOPLE OF JOHNSTOWN HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE WHO FIGHTS -----FOR YOUR INTERESTS EVERY DAY. You DES ER~ ..Jof/1VS / !N FACT, THE PEOPLE OF JOHNSTOWN DESERVE A LOT MORE. THE RESIDENTS OF "THE FRIENDLY Hous~You DESE:-VE A F!J_R As I STAND HERE IN T CITY" DESERVE A FRIEND IN THE WHITE -DEAL, NOT A RAW DEAL. I - ..,,, SHADOW OF THIS GIANT STEEL MILL,/! \;vr-z-y..,_y~ --- .... ~~~~~1i~~~~lli~~WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF RONALD REAGAN'S IN 1980, STEEL WORKERS AND COAL MINERS --THAT HE ~N'T F~ET -~u/ . You WERE PROMISED JOB~ND YOU GOT EVASIONS/ You WERE PROMISED LEADERSHIP~AND--;OU GOT EXCUSES" You WERE PROMISED A SHARE OF THE AMERICAN DREA~AND YOU GOT AN ALBUM OF PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES.~ JOHNSTOWN PAGE 2 IN 1984, ALL YOu'VE GOT TO SHOW FOR ,.THOSE PROMISES IS A PICTURE POSTCARD FROM THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION, AND THAT -POSTCARD SAYS: ~"EVERYTHING'S GREAT HERE IN AMERICA, JOHNSTOWN, - .WI SH YOU WERE (ERE, '/ . ---~- . . I Ja t{i\} I SAY TO YOU THAT IF RONALD REAGAN HAS LEFT JoHNSTOWN OFF ,.. HIS MAP~THEN LET'S PUT WALTER MoNDALE IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND SEND RONALD REAGAN BACK TQ HIS RANCH~ A FEW DAYS AGO., GEORGE BUSH ASKED A CROt-IO IN COLUMBUS: "Do YOU KNQ.I WHAT WINS ELECTI~S?~/JJ.ID ~E ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. BY ,,/PULL I NG OUT HIS WALLET AND SAY I NG:/ "IT'S WHO PUTS MONEY INTO THIS AND WHO TAKES MONEY OUT," THAT S~ IT ALI..~ THA~ SINGLE US MORE ABOUT THE TRUE CHARACTER OF ~TURE OF SELFISHNL TELLS THIS AoMINISTRATI,THAN ALL THEIR APPLE PIE RHETORIC, · OF COURSE WE CARE ABOUT MONEY~T LET'S ~ET SOMETHING STRAIGHT:~IS IS AN ELECTI~. NOT AN AUCTI~~ THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT IS ~P~OR ~TO THE HIGHEST BIDDERl"' You ALSO ~ ABOUT PEACE~XESTE~AY, MR. WITH MR , GROMYKO AND ·THEY HAD rA TALK/ THAT WAS I HOPE SERIOUS PROGRESS WAS MADE. REAGAN SAT DOWN ! A GOOD SIGN .. f / (~ JOHNSTOWN PAGE 3 BUT YOU DESERVE A LEADER WHO CALLS ON THE SOVIETS TO -NEGOTIATE AN ARMS CONTROL AGREEMENT ON HIS FIRST DAY IN OFFICE, - - -NOT ON THE F;:ST D~ OF HIS RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN./ You CARE ABOUT YOUR ~ WHO'LL TAKE POLLUTERS TO ENVIRONMENT~LET'S ELECT A PRESIDENT COURT, NOT TO LUNCH~ You CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN./vou WANT SCHOOLS THAT WILL HELP YOUR ~REN MEET THE CHALLENGES OF THE WJRLD./PRESIDENT REAGAN'S RESPONSE IS TO LAUNCH A TEACHER INTO SPACE. I SAY WE NEED TO HELP STUDENTS AND TEACHERS HERE ON E.!!:!.H/' You CARE ABOUT YOUR FELL~ AMERICANS WHO ARE DEFENDING THIS NATION OV~AS~ AND LATELY, YOU HAVE REASON TO BE WORRIED FOR THEIR SAFETY·/ MORE MARINES HAVE BEEN KILLED IN LEBANON IN THE LAST 17 · MONTHS THAN ANYWHERE ELSE SINCE VIETN~/THERE HAVE BEEN · ~~ w~ rt o ~ti~ · THREE -TIME, BOMBINGS. THE FIRST T7I, THE SECOND THE GATE WA~ HE _.. '~j'T Ii:~ _,, iLI ti! . I w "''> VV6'V ~""' ~ _.., THE FIRST INCIDENT WAS A TRAGED~E SECOND SHOWED NEGLECT;~ AND THE THIRD IS A DISGRACE~ / JOHNSTOWN PAGE 4 WHAT HAS BEEN JUST AS DISGRACEFUL IS THE PRESIDENT 1 S HANDLING O~ THIS DISASTER. LEADERS ARE TESTED IN MOMENTS OF CRISIS, N~ IN PREPAID COMMERCIALS /AND AT THIS MOMENT, PRESIDENT REAGAN IS F~NG THE CRITICAL ~·~ ' HE IS CASTING BLAME,~OT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILIT~ HE IS RUNNING FROM~ MI;AKES,· NOT LEARNING FROM THEM. /HE IS - __, /I REPEATING HIS ERRORS, NOT CORRECTING THEM. _., l WANT A PRESIDENT WHO ADMITS HIS MISTAKES AND LEARNS FROM THEM. I WANT A PRESIDENT WHO WORRIES MORE ABOUT PROTECTING ----.AMERICAN LIVES, AND LESS ABOUT .PROTECTING HIS OWN IMAGE. You ALSO CARE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBIJRS~ 'rlHEN YOUR NEIGHBIJRS ---LOSE THfJf JOBS, YOU KNOW IT 1 S TIME FOR THE PRESIDENT TO LOSE - __.. ---- --MR. REAGAN IS PLEASED WITH THE RALLY ON WALL STREET, I CAN'T TAKE P~E IN WALL STREET~WHEN PINE STREET IS BtJARDED UP. I LOOK AROUND AT BOARDED SHOP WINDOWS AND I SEE THE SHATTERED H~S OF SHOPKEEPERS~ [N ~STOWN TODAY~THERE FOOD PANTRIES HELPING THE UNEMPLOYED,,,.H;; 1 S 18 MORE THAN RONALD REAGAN TOOK OFFICE.~THE PEOPLE OF JOHN~OWN ARE COMPASSIONATE, EVEN IF OUR GOVERNMENT IS NOT. ARE 18 -WHEN JOHNSTOWN PAGE 5 WHEN U.S. STEEL THREATENED TO CLOSE ITS PL.ANT HERE LAST APRIL~OUR UNION ASKED THE G~RNM~T FO;:A ;;TTi::; TIME.!'B:T RONALD REAGAN GAVE YOU fHE BACK OF HIS HAND~ Hrs STEEL POLICY CAN BE DESCRIBED IN THREE WORDS:/"LET IT RUST::; -WALTER MONDALE PROMISES1 HE'LL CUT HAS OFFERED YOU _A ~LAN I INSTEAD OF VAGUE STEEL IMPORTS BY FIFTY PERCENT/HE'LL WORK WITH LABOR AND MANAGEMENT TO RETR8JN WORKERS AND MODERNIZE P~S I AND HE I LL PROMOTE OU! EXPORTS.:. I RIGHT·NOW1 WE'RE STAGGERING IN OUR HISTORY/ LET 1 S BE CLEAR: OUR EXPORTS AND DEMAND THAT OUR AS WIDE AS WE'VE OPENED o..JRS.~ UNDER THE LARGEST TRADE DEFICIT TRADE MEANS JOBS, ~E MUST PUSH ---- -- -- /"I TRADING PARTNERS OPEN THEIR DOORS THIS PRESIDENT DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THAT/HE TELLS THE -- - . --UNEMPLOYED TO CHECK THE WANT ADS I THE PROBLEM IS1 YOU DON'T GET ~ ALL THOSE FOREIGN NEWSPAPERS WHERE YOUR JOBS ARE ' BEING ADVERTISED N~ • . ~EOPLE LIKE TO RUN DOW! o..J.R ~R~E13S./BuT Yo..J AND J.._ KNOW THAT AMERICANS ARE NOT L.AZV. ~HE PEOPLE OF JOHNSTOWN ARE - --11 SAYING WITH A SINGLE VOICE: GIVE US JOBS1 AND WE 1 LL OUT-BUILD1 -OUT-SELL1 AND OUT-COMPETE ANY WORKERS ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH. - - --JOHNSTOWN PAGE 6 SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO RUN DOWN OUR UNIONS, EVEN WHILE THEY PRAISE THE LABOR UNION MOVEMENT OVERSEA~ AGREE WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION THAT WE SHOULD SUPPORT THE UNION MOVEMENT IN POLAND, ~BUT UNLIKE MR. REAGAN7.I B;:,IEVE_.WE SHOULD ALS~ SUPPORT '/J - -- -THE UNION MOVEMENT AT HOME/ _. RONALD REAGAN SAYS AMERICA IS BACK AND STANDING TAL~ I SAY WE'RE NOT THERE UNTIL JOHNSTOWN IS ALSO BACK AND ~J"QNI¥NG r!1-1-/ RONALD REAGAN SAYS THE ECONOMY IS MOVING AHEl>IJ~[ SAY WE -.r.. 7A~ MOVE AHEAD BY LEAVING BEHIND THE WORK~E INDU~ AND THE REGIONS THAT MAKE AMERICA THE GREATEST INDUSTRIAL NATION -=--IN THE WORLD. FINALLY, YOU CARE ABOUT BEING FAIR TO THE DISADVANTAGED. ----ACCORDING TO THIS ADMINISTRATION, IF YOU'RE: A DEFENSE CONTRACTOR, $2,000 FOR A THIRTEEN-CENT NUT IS NOT TOO HIGH A PRICE. BUT THE MINIMUM CUT. IF YOU'RE AN ELDERLY WOMAN LIVING ON SOCIAL SECURITY, BENEFIT OF $122 A MONTu~s EXTRAVAGANT AND MUST BE -- ---7J JOHNSTOWN PAGE 7 IF YOU'RE A .?'NTAGON SUPPLIE~$7,000 FOR A COFFEE MACHINE IS MARKET VALUE~ BUT IF r'RE A WORKER THROWN OUT OF A JOBJ THIS ADMINISTRATION SAYS~ VOTE WITH YOUR FEc:T~ IF YOU'RE HOMELESS~HEY SAY YOU LIKE IT THAT WAY.~IF YOU'RE HUNGRY, H~E~ME CHE~SE. ~ ~ !F YOU'RE ONE OF THOUSANQS OF DISABLED CUT OFF BY THIS ADMINISTRATI°.~S CRUEL~CIAL Sf£URITY ~SABILITY,,!_.OLICY~HEY SAY "SUE US. 'l AND THEN THEY CUT THE LEGAL SERVICES PROGRAMS THAT LET YOU DO THAT.~BuT IF~r;y,j'RE A BIG BANK FAILING BECAUSE OF ·MISMANAGEMENTJ THEY SAY~ TELL US HOW MUCH YOU NEED AND WE'LL SEND IT./ AND IF You'RE A VETERAN~HIS PRESIDENT SAID You DON'T NEED EXTRA COUNSELLING~ You DON'T NEED COMPENSATION FOR BEING ---POISONED BY AGENT ORANGE~ You ;;;;;;,T NEED A JOB. -I WANT AN ADMINISTRATION THAT SUPPLIES ITS SOLDIERS WHEN THEY GO TO WA~ BUT ALSO SUPPORTS THEM WHEN THE FIGHTING END~ THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS A CALCULATOR WHERE ITS HEART SHOULD JOHNSTOWN PAGE 8 I SAY TO MR. REAGAN: DON';T ~ELL US YOU CLEAN UP THE ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T, DON'T TELL US YOU'VE EXPANDED OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE YOU fiAVEN:l• DON'T TELL US YOU'~ SAVED °''"" r STEEL JOBS, BECAUSE YOU la191\'o'l!!!f4 IT. AND DON IT TELL US-, MR I PRESIDENT, THAT YOUR POLICIES ARE FAIR -- BECAUSE THEY AREN'T, DON'T PRETEND YOU HAVE A MONOPOLY ON PATRIOTISM, EITHER, BECAUSE YOU DON'T, No ONE IS MORE PROUD OF THIS COUNTRY THAN I AM, AND NO ONE IS MORE PATRIOTIC THAN AN IMMIGRANT'S DAUGHTER . NOMINATED BY HER PARTY TO BE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. , WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION. DOESN;'T UNDfBSJ;AN/rS THAT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO SERVE THIS COUNTRY AND THE LEAST VJORTHY KIND OF PATRIOTISM IS A COMMERCIAL OF SWELLING MUSIC AND SWEEPING VI~S MADE ON MADISON AVENUE./ - _. WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS THAT WHEN SOMEONE FINDS JOBS FOR THE 16,000 JOBLESS HERE ~ THAT WILL BE A PATRIOTIC ACT, WHEN WE EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, WE BUILD OUR COUNTRY'S FUTURE -- AND THAT WILL BE A PATRIOTIC ACT, WHEN WE KEEP THE PEACE, YOUNG MEN DON'T DIE AND THAT WILL BE A PATRIOTIC ACT. ,, JOHNSTOWN PAGE 9 WHEN WE PASS THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT_, WE OPEN DOORS EVERYWHERE -- ANO THAT WILL BE A PATRIOTIC ACT, WHEN WE FINALLY STOP THE ARMS RACE, WE'LL ENHANCE OUR SAFETY -- AND THAT WILL BE A PATRIOTIC ACT, THE TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. THE TIME TO REGISTER NEW VOTERS IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW, THE TIME TO CREATE JOBS IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW, THE TIME TO FREEZE THE ARMS RACE IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW, ~ti--- h. ~ ~ ~Lf~.trt_ ~~ ~ ~ THE TIME FOR FRITZ MONDALE TO BECOME PRESIDENT, AND GERRY FERRARO TO BECOME VICE PRESIDENT, IS NOT LATER. IT'S NOW. - END --

Johnstown Rally Speech

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https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1146&amp;context=vice_presidential_campaign_speeches_1984

Johnstown Rally Speech

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Fordham University School of Law

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