For those of you who may not know, Harry Taylor has done something very, very important. Harry Taylor should be on the cover of Time. Harry Taylor is an American, and he acted as all of us should.
If you don’t know who Harry Taylor is, he’s the man who stood up and gave a piece of his mind (and that of millions of Americans) to the president. Here is a transcript, courtesy of ThinkProgress (where you can also see a video, by the way):
Harry Taylor: You never stop talking about freedom, and I appreciate that. But while I listen to you talk about freedom, I see you assert your right to tap my telephone, to arrest me and hold me without charges, to try to preclude me from breathing clean air and drinking clean water and eating safe food. If I were a woman, you’d like to restrict my opportunity to make a choice and decision about whether I can abort a pregnancy on my own behalf. You are …
President Bush: I’m not your favorite guy. Go ahead. (Laughter and applause.) Go on, what’s your question?
Harry Taylor: Okay, I don’t have a question. What I wanted to say to you is that I — in my lifetime, I have never felt more ashamed of, nor more frightened by my leadership in Washington, including the presidency, by the Senate, and …
AUDIENCE MEMBERS: Booo!
President Bush: No, wait a sec — let him speak.
Harry Taylor: And I would hope — I feel like despite your rhetoric, that compassion and common sense have been left far behind during your administration, and I would hope from time to time that you have the humility and the grace to be ashamed of yourself inside yourself. And I also want to say I really appreciate the courtesy of allowing me to speak what I’m saying to you right now. That is part of what this country is about.
‘Nuff said.
PS Thanks Coopies!