The following
is a transcript of a speech by John A.
Pérez, Speaker and member of the California State Assembly, at the Democratic
National Convention.
Good
evening Democrats! I am so honored to join you tonight.
Certainly,
this close to the election much of our attention is focused on the nuts and
bolts of victory—how we'll prevail in the swing districts and battleground
states. But this convention gives us the chance to discuss something much more
important than how or where we fight. It gives us the chance to reflect on the
question of why we fight. And the answer to that fundamental question can be
summed up in one word—opportunity.
Opportunity
is why we fight. Across the country, there are parents who want nothing more
than the opportunity to have a job, and the ability to put food on the family
table. We fight for them.
In
too many states, even some folks who have a job wake up every morning in fear
that they will lose that job simply for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender. We fight for them.
On
our nation's campuses, students are seeking the opportunity to go to college,
earn a degree, and find a career that will unleash their potential. We fight
for them.
Women
are fighting for the opportunity that comes with equal pay for equal work, and
the respect that comes with having control of their medical decisions. We fight
for them.
Inmigrantes de todo el mundo llegan a los Estados Unidos buscando
una oportunidad para darles una mejor vida a sus hijos. Nosotros luchamos por
ellos.
Yes,
we fight for them. And we fight for President Obama. And we know President
Obama fights for us. President Obama has fought to renew opportunities for
Americans every moment of his time in office, to protect the opportunities that
already exist, and create new opportunities for all Americans.
When
the jobs of autoworkers, were threatened in 2009, some said "Let Detroit
fail." But president Obama said failure is not an option. And today,
American autoworkers can sleep securely, knowing their jobs and the
opportunities for a brighter future exist because the president fought for
them.
President
Obama has reformed student loans, cut out the banks and lowered the cost of
education for millions of students. And he's fighting for new investments to
extend that opportunity to millions more.
He
repealed "don't ask, don't tell," giving LGBT Americans the
opportunity to proudly and openly serve our nation in uniform. And he's
standing up for the right of LGBT Americans to say, "I do."
He
has fought for policies to unleash the opportunities that come with 21st
century jobs that will remake our economy and restore prosperity for the middle
class. President Obama is leading us through a challenging era by recognizing
that the strength of America is measured in the opportunities everyone has to
work hard and succeed.
That
is the spirit of our party, and the guiding principle of President Obama. This
election is our opportunity to rededicate ourselves to that commitment. Our
pathway to victory is to fight for everyone to have the opportunity to live for
their American dream. To fight for our proud national tradition of ensuring
that our children will always enjoy more opportunities than their parents had.
To fight to ensure that every person has the opportunities that come with being
treated with dignity, respect, and equality in the eyes of the law. We fight to
restore opportunity across this country, because as Democrats, we understand
the poignancy, the power and the truth of Ralph Waldo Emerson's observation
that "America is another name for opportunity."
Opportunity
is why we fight for our country. Opportunity is what our president fights for.
And in 61 days, opportunity is why President Obama will win a second term. But
we have a lot of work to do between now and then, so let's get to work! Thank
you.
