Feel free to copy and paste this story all around the web.
Subject: The Al Gore Story
>
>
> > Good afternoon all. I'm Al Gore, and I'd like
to tell you a little about
> > myself. I know a lot about hardship, because
I came into this world as a
> > poor black child in a tiny town in the
backwoods of Tennessee. I was
born
> in
> > a log cabin that I built with my own hands. I
taught myself to read by
> > candlelight and helped support my 16 brothers
and sisters by working
> summers
> > as a deck hand on a Mississippi River
steamboat. Frequently we would
stop
> > the ship and I would cut and split five cords
of wood for fuel overnight
> for
> > the steam engines.
> >
> > My mother taught me the value of education,
so every day, I would walk 5
> > miles to a one-room schoolhouse. I was a
mischievous, fun loving scamp,
> > though I never dreamed that one day, my
youthful escapades would serve
as
> > the inspiration for Huckleberry Finn. Back
then, we Jewish black folks
in
> > the south were second-class citizens.
> >
> > One day, a traveling minister came through
town, and I asked him if
anyone
> > was ever going to do something to guarantee
civil rights for all
> Americans.
> > Well, I guess I made an impression. You see,
the minister's name was
> Martin
> > Luther King, Jr. My father was a United
States Senator. He once perched
> me
> > on his knee and said, Son, if you work hard
and listen to your mama,
> someday
> > you can live in a hotel in Washington, D.C.,
and go to an exclusive prep
> > school.
> >
> > As a young Hindu boy, these were very
valuable lessons. But life of
> > privilege was not for me. Being Chinese,
after getting my high school
> > diploma, I took a job in a hot, dirty textile
mill. I was so appalled at
> the
> > treatment of the workers there that I
organized a union.
> >
> > Later, that experience inspired a movie -
which is why, to this day, my
> > close friends at the AFL-CIO call me Norma
Rae. When word got out what
an
> 18
> > year old factory worker had done, Harvard
University called and offered
me
> a
> > scholarship. I captained the hockey team to
four consecutive national
> > championships, but I also played football and
was good enough to win the
> > Heisman Trophy. During my college years, I
lived in a housing project
and
> > moonlighted writing songs and playing lead
guitar for a little rock
band.
> > You may have heard of us - The Rolling
Stones. I'm the one with the
lips.
> > But there was a war going on, and I felt I
had to serve my country. So I
> > enlisted in the U. S. Army and went to
Vietnam. I was deeply opposed to
> the
> > war, but I did my duty as a soldier and came
back home with the Medal of
> > Honor and the Croix de Guerre.
> >
> > My battlefield expertise is current requisite
reading material for
> Officers
> > Candidates to this very day. My being a
wounded female officer serving
in
> > disguise as a journalist was a full time
project, but my military
> knowledge
> > helped save tens of thousands of lives. Many
cities in Southeast Asia
are
> > named after me to this very day. Statues of
me are still commonplace in
> many
> > official Government buildings in Viet Nam.
When I got back, I took a
long
> > journey across this great land of ours. I've
crossed the deserts bare,
> man,
> > I've breathed the mountain air, man, I've
traveled, I've done my share,
> man,
> > I've been everywhere. I've hunted all the
dangerous species of big game
in
> > five continents using only a handmade spear
or my handmade lasersighted
> > compound bow. And the people I met at
truckstops and campgrounds and
> > homeless shelters on that journey all said
the same thing:
> >
> > We need you in Washington. I knew they were
right, but first I had to
> take
> > care of some other business---building the
World Trade Center, finding a
> low
> > cost, more reliable nuclear weapon trigger
design, founding the Audubon
> > Society, doing the clinical research that
proved smoking caused cancer,
> and
> > coming up with the recipe for Mrs. Field's
chocolate chip cookies. I
was,
> in
> > fact, the third (still silent) partner of Ben
& Jerry with over half of
> the
> > flavors personally developed by Tipper and me
in our own kitchen. My
> > extensive knowledge of Arctic Sea life keeps
me busy in the research
> > laboratory, but those endangered species need
love too. Translating the
> dead
> > sea scrolls is one of my favorite hobbies,
and my current volume is in
> print
> > in over 73 languages and is being studied in
Seminaries worldwide. Being
> > Indian, both Native American and the Mid East
kind, this is valuable
> > experience for me. Have towel and Tee Pee,
will travel.
> >
> > Finally, I deferred to the demands of the
people of Tennessee and
allowed
> > them to elect me to the House of
Representatives and the Senate. And
then
> > one winter day nearly nine years ago, for no
particular reason, I
answered
> > the call of the people once again and took
the oath of office as Vice
> > President of the United States. I also
invented the Internet. Since
then,
> > I've been part of the most successful
administration in American
history.
> My
> > friend, Bill Gates has asked me many times
why I gave him the ideas of
> > software development and asked for no money.
Gosh, it just wouldn't be
> > right.
> >
> > Many times President Bill Clinton has been
pondering some grave decision
> and
> > has asked me what to do. And when I would
give him my thoughts, he would
> > invariable say, Of course. That's brilliant.
Why didn't I think of that?
> > During the darkest days of the impeachment
battles, the President told
me
> he
> > only wished he had listened when I told him
to stay away form that
> > dark-haired intern with the big hooters. So
after I decided to run for
> > president, I sat down with him and asked if
he had any suggestions about
> how
> > to conduct my campaign.
> >
> > And Bill Clinton gave me a few simple words
of advice-words I'll never
> > forget. He looked me in the eye and he said,
Al, just tell the truth,
it's
> > always worked well for me. Thanks, I'm Al
Gore and I want to be your
next
> > President.
> >
> > You can trust and believe me.
>
Subject: The Al Gore Story
>
>
> > Good afternoon all. I'm Al Gore, and I'd like
to tell you a little about
> > myself. I know a lot about hardship, because
I came into this world as a
> > poor black child in a tiny town in the
backwoods of Tennessee. I was
born
> in
> > a log cabin that I built with my own hands. I
taught myself to read by
> > candlelight and helped support my 16 brothers
and sisters by working
> summers
> > as a deck hand on a Mississippi River
steamboat. Frequently we would
stop
> > the ship and I would cut and split five cords
of wood for fuel overnight
> for
> > the steam engines.
> >
> > My mother taught me the value of education,
so every day, I would walk 5
> > miles to a one-room schoolhouse. I was a
mischievous, fun loving scamp,
> > though I never dreamed that one day, my
youthful escapades would serve
as
> > the inspiration for Huckleberry Finn. Back
then, we Jewish black folks
in
> > the south were second-class citizens.
> >
> > One day, a traveling minister came through
town, and I asked him if
anyone
> > was ever going to do something to guarantee
civil rights for all
> Americans.
> > Well, I guess I made an impression. You see,
the minister's name was
> Martin
> > Luther King, Jr. My father was a United
States Senator. He once perched
> me
> > on his knee and said, Son, if you work hard
and listen to your mama,
> someday
> > you can live in a hotel in Washington, D.C.,
and go to an exclusive prep
> > school.
> >
> > As a young Hindu boy, these were very
valuable lessons. But life of
> > privilege was not for me. Being Chinese,
after getting my high school
> > diploma, I took a job in a hot, dirty textile
mill. I was so appalled at
> the
> > treatment of the workers there that I
organized a union.
> >
> > Later, that experience inspired a movie -
which is why, to this day, my
> > close friends at the AFL-CIO call me Norma
Rae. When word got out what
an
> 18
> > year old factory worker had done, Harvard
University called and offered
me
> a
> > scholarship. I captained the hockey team to
four consecutive national
> > championships, but I also played football and
was good enough to win the
> > Heisman Trophy. During my college years, I
lived in a housing project
and
> > moonlighted writing songs and playing lead
guitar for a little rock
band.
> > You may have heard of us - The Rolling
Stones. I'm the one with the
lips.
> > But there was a war going on, and I felt I
had to serve my country. So I
> > enlisted in the U. S. Army and went to
Vietnam. I was deeply opposed to
> the
> > war, but I did my duty as a soldier and came
back home with the Medal of
> > Honor and the Croix de Guerre.
> >
> > My battlefield expertise is current requisite
reading material for
> Officers
> > Candidates to this very day. My being a
wounded female officer serving
in
> > disguise as a journalist was a full time
project, but my military
> knowledge
> > helped save tens of thousands of lives. Many
cities in Southeast Asia
are
> > named after me to this very day. Statues of
me are still commonplace in
> many
> > official Government buildings in Viet Nam.
When I got back, I took a
long
> > journey across this great land of ours. I've
crossed the deserts bare,
> man,
> > I've breathed the mountain air, man, I've
traveled, I've done my share,
> man,
> > I've been everywhere. I've hunted all the
dangerous species of big game
in
> > five continents using only a handmade spear
or my handmade lasersighted
> > compound bow. And the people I met at
truckstops and campgrounds and
> > homeless shelters on that journey all said
the same thing:
> >
> > We need you in Washington. I knew they were
right, but first I had to
> take
> > care of some other business---building the
World Trade Center, finding a
> low
> > cost, more reliable nuclear weapon trigger
design, founding the Audubon
> > Society, doing the clinical research that
proved smoking caused cancer,
> and
> > coming up with the recipe for Mrs. Field's
chocolate chip cookies. I
was,
> in
> > fact, the third (still silent) partner of Ben
& Jerry with over half of
> the
> > flavors personally developed by Tipper and me
in our own kitchen. My
> > extensive knowledge of Arctic Sea life keeps
me busy in the research
> > laboratory, but those endangered species need
love too. Translating the
> dead
> > sea scrolls is one of my favorite hobbies,
and my current volume is in
> > in over 73 languages and is being studied in
Seminaries worldwide. Being
> > Indian, both Native American and the Mid East
kind, this is valuable
> > experience for me. Have towel and Tee Pee,
will travel.
> >
> > Finally, I deferred to the demands of the
people of Tennessee and
allowed
> > them to elect me to the House of
Representatives and the Senate. And
then
> > one winter day nearly nine years ago, for no
particular reason, I
answered
> > the call of the people once again and took
the oath of office as Vice
> > President of the United States. I also
invented the Internet. Since
then,
> > I've been part of the most successful
administration in American
history.
> My
> > friend, Bill Gates has asked me many times
why I gave him the ideas of
> > software development and asked for no money.
Gosh, it just wouldn't be
> > right.
> >
> > Many times President Bill Clinton has been
pondering some grave decision
> and
> > has asked me what to do. And when I would
give him my thoughts, he would
> > invariable say, Of course. That's brilliant.
Why didn't I think of that?
> > During the darkest days of the impeachment
battles, the President told
me
> he
> > only wished he had listened when I told him
to stay away form that
> > dark-haired intern with the big hooters. So
after I decided to run for
> > president, I sat down with him and asked if
he had any suggestions about
> how
> > to conduct my campaign.
> >
> > And Bill Clinton gave me a few simple words
of advice-words I'll never
> > forget. He looked me in the eye and he said,
Al, just tell the truth,
it's
> > always worked well for me. Thanks, I'm Al
Gore and I want to be your
next
> > President.
> >
> > You can trust and believe me.
>