|
|
|
|
Sept
24, 2007
My Message to Congress
Voices for Peace Rally
Minnesota State Capitol
Congress! Listen to the
latest National Intelligence Report, the
independent study by the General Accounting
Office and the report by General David Jones –
all have said that the surge has not worked and
the President’s policy is a failure.
We were told that if the
President’s policy wasn’t working by this
September, we would change the course of the
war. Once
again, the President and his Administration
didn’t tell us the truth because there will be
no change to the policy.
Congress, listen to the soldiers, and listen to the
Generals, and listen to the messages of history.
Read
the entire speech.
May
20, 2007
A Mother's Approach to
Peace
Hennepin Avenue United Methodist Church
There are critical masses
right now on this planet that make our resolve
for peace and preservation so intensely urgent.
It is a fact that huge groups of
desperate people do desperate acts.
Therefore, it is obvious that we must
create a society, a world, where there are no
huge groups of desperate people – and we will
all be safer, happier!
Read
the entire speech.
April
19, 2007
Defining Happiness
Sophia's Chronicles - Wise Women Have Their Say
I chose this topic –
happiness - back in November.
I haven’t been happy, although I keep
lecturing myself to “count my blessings, for
goodness sake; you are so very, very
fortunate”.
I haven’t been happy because the burden
of having buried three sons in the light of this
continuing, unnecessary bloodshed and slaughter
in Iraq, in Darfur, and elsewhere, causing
hundreds of thousands of other loving, doting
parents to bury their dead has been weighing on
my emotions.
And of course, how could I have known
that only days before we gathered together here
in this room, the tragic, senseless murders of
the students and professors at Virginia Tech
would occur.
How can we possibly speak of happiness in
this time? As
we listen to the individual descriptions of the
precious people who were shot to death, we
identify with their loved ones and engage
ourselves in their mourning.
And we mourn for the perpetrators of the
tragedies; for the shock and horror and intense
sorrow their relatives will live with for the
rest of their lives.
Happiness is the furthest emotion from
our minds.
And yet, here we are with
the topic before us. I chose this subject
selfishly because I wanted to examine happiness.
I had lost the Governor’s race and knew
how unhappy I was that I wouldn’t be able to
influence Minnesotan’s embrace of affordable,
quality, universal health care coverage, that I
wouldn’t be able to get Minnesota back on its
feet educationally or agriculturally, and I
needed direction myself.
I wanted to feel happy again.
Read
the entire speech.
April 15, 2007
Free Democracy Summit and
the Art of Peace
Harbor City International School, Duluth, MN
I want to make it clear
that we should never feel we are not doing
enough – we must not get discouraged because
we are doing all we can, and still an
administration like this one takes us into an
unjustified, unilateral war.
We must not give in, but we must continue
to debate, to write, to dialogue with one
another. We
must continue to point out whenever and wherever
we can that treating one another with dignity,
with fairness, with honest motives of equal
opportunity leads to cohesive societies.
We must understand that community life is
not just important, it is necessary
for all in a community to thrive.
Let me stress once again that wherever you find
yourself, work for the common good, speak out,
think in broader terms.
Don’t narrow yourself to only picking
bodies out of the river, go upstream to where
the bodies are being thrown in and do the
preventive work that is so necessary.
Let me tell you that my plan was to
become
Minnesota
’s Governor and to have a large impact on
reform, a new direction, exciting Minnesotans
about universal health care coverage and passing
it into law. I
don’t get to do that, darn – but I still
have a voice and it is my responsibility to lift
it from the place I am.
A friend of mine, as I moved through this
life’s transition in work, told me that one
must never give up and stand still.
If one does that, then when hit, one
falls over.
But if one keeps active, moving, caring,
working, then when hit, one doesn’t fall over
but keeps moving when shoved even though there
is a twist, a shift in the path.
I experimented, and it was true.
It is something I have taken to heart.
Read
the entire speech.
March
19, 2007
Eyes Wide Open
Minnesota State Capitol Rotunda
The American Friends
Service Committee, a Quaker organization that
includes people of various faiths who are
committed to social justice, peace and
humanitarian service, a group that believes in
the worth of every person and faith, and in the
power of love to overcome violence and
injustice, has brought to us today this powerful
exhibit. Each
pair of boots honors a military casualty.
When I first attended this
exhibition at St. Kates, I thought I wouldn’t
be able to look at the boots representing Matt.
But with loving, Catholic sisters of
faith giving me strength, I walked over to the
boots representing Minnesotans.
I stood by Matt’s pair of boots – I
could see Matt standing there.
I bent down and rearranged the boots,
heels touching, toes pointed out, just as Matt
stood. It
was important to me.
I returned twice, and saw that no one had
reset the boots side by side, but left them just
as Matt stood.
But
how does this help us solve our conflicts
differently?
And how does sorrow at our own losses
help us to understand the losses of others, to
find that empathy which I have come to believe
is one of the most important elements of a
cohesive society and a possible peaceful world.
Read
the entire speech.
|
February 10,
2007
Peace and Preservation
Presented at Women's Vision Forum, Duluth, MN
"It is NOW because we can't wait any
longer. Our earth's climate is warming, we
have reached peak oil and are going to war
because of it, and people all over our
beautiful green and blue globe are
suffering--disease, famine, xenophobia--it is
time for us to come together.
It is also NOW because people are ready.
All of you in this room today are ready, and I
believe that deep in their hearts, if we can
penetrate through the scar tissue, those who
say "Bring it on!" know that it is
time to change course, not just in Iraq but in
our response to the challenges to the mother
earth we all share.
It is time because we must respond to the
February 2, 2007, report form the United
Nation's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC). The IPCC is comprised of
scientists from 113 countries and they state:
"Warming of the climate system is
unequivocal, as is now evident from
observations of increases in global average
air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting
of snow and ice, and rising global mean sea
level."
And there is yet one more powerful reason
for NOW! It is that the time has come for
women around the world to lead once again in a
major paradigm shift."
Read
the entire speech.
|
November
28, 2006
AAUW
Thank
you so much for inviting me to speak on a topic that is very
near and dear to my heart. I am so happy to be here with you
today. For
almost all of my 63 years, politics has been an important
part of my life—as a child growing up in Park Rapids and
Little Falls to the years I spent in the legislature on to
my quest to be
Minnesota
’s governor and now with
you today. I
have never once looked back with any regret and wouldn’t
change anything, except maybe the outcome of the last
primary election! I also want all of you to know that I am
not sad or disheartened about my race for Governor. I
carried important issues forward and I think we have made
our mark and pressed our points. I am thrilled at the
election results both in
Minnesota
and nationally; I believe
– at least I hope - that the citizens of other nations
have a received a message from the American voters.
The voters have finally awakened to the grave
mistakes made by this administration, mistakes that will
take an enormous amount of work from which to recover.
My sister is a concert pianist in
Istanbul
,
Turkey
; every week she sends me
the editorials from that country’s newspapers.
Their
perception of our actions is quite different from the
perception so many Americans have held up till this
election.
I am hopeful that we are once again on the path to
policy that makes our state and nation more responsible to
the tremendous challenges ahead.
Here
we are on your 125th anniversary, knowing what
effort lies ahead. But
you are up for the task; you are outstanding women carrying
out the vision that Marion Talbot and Ellen Richards put
forward on
November 28, 1881-
“an organization in which
women college graduates would band together to
open doors of higher education to other women and find wider
opportunities to use their training.”
We have come a long way since those early days. We
have won many battles in the fight for women’s equality.
Read
the entire speech.
November
11, 2006
A Safer World
Duluth Rose Garden Anti-War Rally
Thank you for gathering together today.
It is important that, in this time of hope, we keep
our voices strong. The
American people have spoken loudly and decisively –
sending a message to President Bush and to the rest of the
world that we will fight the crimes of terrorism, but we
must do it in a way that makes us safer, in a way that makes
the world safer. And
while we feel hopeful, hope is not enough, nor is it enough
to anticipate a change of course in
Iraq
. We must keep
ourselves as fully informed as possible during these times
when so much information is protected.
We must keep our voices strong so that they can be
the “wind beneath the wings” of the new members of
Congress and all of the newly empowered members, both
Republicans and Democrats.
The voters have democratically given them this power
to seek change – and without being called unpatriotic.
Read
the entire speech.
September
6, 2006
Duluth Pride Festival
Speech
"It
is sad and a shame that so few of our statewide candidates
refuse to reach out for social justice in its entirety.
I hope all of you agree that the only way we can
achieve real justice and equality in this state and in this
entire nation is if you stand up and demand it.
Some of you might be saying, “Well, maybe we can
live with just about anyone but Tim Pawlenty.
We can live with a Democrat in the Governor’s
mansion who will silently bow his head, or just look away
when the attacks on liberty come, and keep coming from those
who are most intolerant.”
"Our
personal rights and freedoms are under attack in this state
and in this nation. We
must stand up for freedom right here, and right now.
Silence does give aid and comfort to those who wish
to strip away our rights and liberties.
And yes, we are talking about freedom and peace in
our homeland. It
is about social justice for every Minnesotan and every
American."
Read
the entire Duluth
Pride Festival speech.
August
23, 2006
Fiscal Policy
Framework Speech
Hubert H. Humphrey
Institute of Public Affairs
Center for the Study of Politics and Governance
University
of
Minnesota
–
Minneapolis
"Minnesota
has a long and proud
tradition of nurturing success for all citizens.
Out of this grand tradition, we have fostered
world-class public education and higher education
institutions, cultivated the basic research of Norman
Borlaug and others that literally has saved millions of
lives, pioneered quality health-care systems, and so much
more. These
achievements came from a deeply rooted belief in moving our
society forward for the sake of the common good.
It meant creating the opportunities in life for all
to succeed.
The sake of the common good was so strongly held, it was
fully embraced by prominent Democrats and Republicans alike
throughout the 20th century, starting with our
first native-born Minnesota governor, John A. Johnson, and
moved forward by many truly prominent governors – Floyd B.
Olson, Harold Stassen, Elmer L. Andersen, Wendy Anderson, Al
Quie, Rudy Perpich and Arne Carlson, among others.
Those of you
listening most carefully might have noticed I said “the
sake of the common good was
so strongly held” throughout the 20th century.
For several years now, this basic assumption about
how to build a strong foundation of
Minnesota
society has been under
attack. Influenced
by some of the wealthiest and most powerful in our society,
we have seen a gradual shift in our state mission and our
deeply held convictions.
They have succeeded in tipping the scales to their
favor, moving our neutral and balanced tax system further
and further toward a regressive system.
Those with the highest incomes now pay state and
local taxes at the lowest rates.
The burden has shifted dramatically to moderate- and
low-income families. This
fact is well-documented in the Minnesota Tax Incidence
Study. The shift
has been accomplished by sliding responsibility over to
local property taxes, tuition and fees – typically paid
most heavily by those who can least afford it." (Download-PDF)
Check
out the specifics of my Fiscal
Policy Framework.
June 10, 2006
State Convention Address – Rochester, MN
“Today, this Governor and his Republicans have turned their back on this tradition. They have labeled these values as "liberal" and appealed to people's fears and prejudices. They have moved this state backward by increasing taxes and fees unfairly, by slashing resources for our schools, and by making our communities less safe, while passing the blame on to local officials.
For those whose wildest dreams consist of personal gain alone –the tradition of our Minnesota values could indeed be their worst nightmare.
But for those of us whose wildest dreams are of social and economic justice, universal health care and peace – these Minnesota values will guide our actions and bring joy and safety to our communities. We will appeal to people's hopes, dreams and aspirations.” (Download-Word)
January 15 , 2006
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Sermon/Speech
Oakland United Methodist Church – Minneapolis, MN
“The day is not far off when some of the people who have fallen asleep in the Cave of perverse, human-handed Apocalyptic-thinking are going to stir and wake and walk out of that burial chamber like Lazarus, seeking news of a living world. I see a time when the nation will rise up with a new appetite for Peace and a new craving for Justice. It is time to open the road and to announce, not with words, but with actions that affirm our commitment to each other, to tomorrow, and to democracy, because: 'We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind…' ourselves, King’s words, ' …of the fierce urgency of now.'” (Download-Word)
November 15 , 2005
Sen. Lourey Announces her Campaign for Governor,
Nemadji Research Corp., Bruno, MN
“We all know Minnesota can do better. And I feel strongly that it is my duty to work with all the citizens of this state to make Minnesota more competitive again. So, today… I am asking for your support… as I announce my campaign… for Governor of Minnesota!” (Download-Word)
December 18, 2004
College of St. Scholastica Fall Baccalaureate Commencement
“We live in a challenging world, and it takes a great sense of commitment to hold onto the core values that bring us true happiness.” (Download-Word)
November 17, 2004
The Minnesota Association of Cooperatives and the Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives, Concurrent Session
“Thank you for inviting me to talk about pharmaceutical drug pricing and the importation of Prescription Drugs from Canada.I have been working on this unjust crisis since I was first elected in 1990; we have NOT made progress on this issue. In fact, I believe we have lost ground.” (Download-Word)
|
|
|
