I cheated. Just a little bit. After I listened to this speech, I listened to Reagan's speech after the Challenger - I wanted to know what differed, why the speeches were ranked in such different places.
A couple of things stood out, and I tried to remember the national tragedies that have fallen during my life time and what the response has been.
I remember the Challenger.
I remember much more clearly Oklahoma City.
Sept. 11.
The bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.
The tone of Clinton's speech is like it's not a shared tragedy - that we grieve with you, but we recognize it as an Oklahoma tragedy, not a national one. I tried to remember if that was the sentiment at the time, but how much can a fifth grader know?
There were moving moments in the speech, and you can tell that it means much to the people there by the looks on their faces behind him and the response of the crowd. What particularly stands out is when he quotes Gov. Keating in "Come to Oklahoma."
On the whole, the speech seemed given to the platitude, and platitudes because they lack specificity are generally not moving.
Where the speech is strongest is where we are implored to "talk against it." And where he speaks of planting the tree in the memory of the children, but even here there's a drawn line between Olkahoman and American.
A eulogy might be the most difficult type of speech to write or give, and though the speech has weaknesses it does serveit's purpose.
8.05.2008
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3 comments:
I remember at the time that I was impressed with this speech. It seemed to serve its purpose and was given with more feeling and less rambling than any of his other speeches. Watching now, his delivery wasn't particularly great, but the words were nice and he was a good intro to Billy Graham.
I noticed yesterday that today’s selection was this Oklahoma City Memorial Service and I thought I remembered the speech. I remember watching it with you and Dad that day. I remember the music was spectacular. Listening to that sound track still makes me tear up. I remember the sadness of that event and I remembered President Clinton’s speech as bigger than it was.
I think he did a good job of not making the day about him. That is probably not easy to do when you are President. You know that I am not a huge Clinton fan but I think he did get this speech right. He became the face of all who joined in the sorrow. He comforted the grief-stricken, he expressed gratitude to the first responders and he looked to the future for healing and for justice. He also kept the speech short. Ten minutes for him is terse.
Not a great oration, but okay for number ninety-two.
His passage about planting the tree, and why the Dogwood, was the best part. The OKC Memorial is truly great - they did a very nice job with it.
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