On Saturday, November 19, Michael Moore received the First Annual Paul Wellstone Award at a meeting of the Progressive Democrats of Genesee County in Flint, Michigan.
Wellstone was a well respected Democratic Senator from Minnesota who died in a small plane crash in October of 2002 shortly before the election which would have decided whether he would have served a third term in office. Wellstone was one of only two senators to vote against the October 11, 2002 Congressional authorization to approve the war in Iraq.
In a lengthy, well received speech, Moore spoken lightheartedly about some of the negative publicity he's received at the hands of media pundits and politicians (someone accused him of owning Halliburton stock - "I've never owned a share of stock in my life," Moore said, laughing), and then became serious as he turned his attention to the war in Iraq and the recent job cuts at the GM plants in Michigan. Disappointed at Senator John Kerry and other Democrats unable to admit that they made a mistake in voting for the war, he stated that he didn't believe the voters would vote for a Democrat for president in 2008 unless they admitted to the "central mistake of the Bush years." "The American people are a forgiving people," Moore said. "There is no shame in saying, 'I was wrong.' " He called for the immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq, citing a CIA report which stated that there was going to be a civil war in Iraq "whether we stayed or not." "Whose child should die next?" Moore asked. "For what?" He honored the 2100 soldiers who died in Iraq and the 15,000 who were maimed, saying, "Those soldiers would always be honored by us, because they did an incredible thing. They offered to serve this country and if necessary give their lives for us."
He also believes that after we pull out of Iraq we need to offer reparations to rebuild the country that we helped destroy.
Several times, Moore spoke on a personal level above aspects of his beliefs as a lifelong practicing Catholic and, after commenting on the recent GM announcements of job cuts in Michigan plants, Moore quoted a Bible verse which dealt with the treatment of the poor, stating that in order for the wealthy to get into heaven, they were going to need "a permission slip from the poor."
The speech, which appeared on C-SPAN, can be viewed in its entirety on Michael Moore's website.Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She has published numerous articles in local and regional publications on a wide range of topics, including business, education, the arts, and local events. Her feature articles include an interview with independent documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and a feature on prisoners at the New Hampshire State Prison in Concord. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.