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Speech

	Monday, March 27, 2006
	ADDRESS BY CONGRESSMAN WM. LACY CLAY FOR PEACE EDUCATION WEEK AT ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT MERAMEC 3-27-06
	GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT WARM WELCOME. I WANT TO OFFER SPECIAL GREETINGS TO THE ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY COLLEGE AT MERAMEC - COLLEGE PROGRESSIVES FOR PEACE. IT’S AN HONOR TO TAKE PART IN PEACE EDUCATION WEEK. TODAY, I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE WAR IN IRAQ, AND THEN I WANT TO RESERVE MOST OF MY TIME FOR A CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF YOU. THIS IS A TOUGH TIME FOR A PROGRESSIVE TO SERVE IN WASHINGTON. THE ATMOSPHERE OF DIVISION AND MISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN AT ANY TIME IN MY MEMORY. AND MOST OF THAT STEMS FROM THE MISGUIDED LEADERSHIP AND DANGEROUS INCOMPETENCE OF THIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE REPUBLICAN MAJORITY IN CONGRESS. THE PAINFUL TRUTH ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ IS CLEAR AND INESCAPABLE. PRESIDENT BUSH TOOK THIS COUNTRY TO WAR BY CHOICE; -NOT BECAUSE WE HAD TO FIGHT, BUT BECAUSE HE WANTED A FIGHT. THREE YEARS AGO, I WARNED THE PRESIDENT THAT THE INVASION AND OCCUPATION OF IRAQ WOULD BE A TRAGIC MISTAKE. I DIDN’T BELIEVE THE SPIN ABOUT WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION. I DIDN’T BELIEVE THE NONSENSE ABOUT SADDAM’S ALLEGED LINKS TO AL QUEDA AND THE SEPTEMBER 11TH ATTACKS. I DIDN’T BELIEVE THAT IRAQI OIL REVENUE WOULD PAY FOR THE WAR. AND I VOTED NO ON THE FORCE AUTHORIZATION RESOLUTION. TO DATE, U.S. TAXPAYERS HAVE SPENT THREE HUNDRED BILLION DOLLARS IN IRAQ AND THE METER IS STILL RUNNING. BUT THERE IS ALSO A MUCH GREATER COST…ONE THAT WE CAN NEVER RECOVER. AS OF TODAY…ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE: TWO THOUSAND, THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-TWO U.S. SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN KILLED IN IRAQ. OVER SIXTEEN THOUSAND HAVE BEEN WOUNDED. AND THE INTERNATIONAL RED CROSS ESTIMATES THAT AT LEAST THIRTY-SEVEN THOUSAND INNOCENT IRAQI CIVILIANS HAVE BEEN KILLED. AND JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND, WE BURIED ANOTHER ONE OF OUR OWN FROM ST. LOUIS: U.S. ARMY SERGEANT, AMANDA PINSON. SERGEANT PINSON WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY. SHE WAS A GRADUATE OF HANCOCK HIGH SCHOOL. SHE WAS JUST TWENTY-ONE YEARS OLD. AND LAST WEEK, SHE WAS KILLED IN A MORTAR ATTACK NEAR TIKRIT. ALL OF OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH HER FAMILY AS THEY TRY TO HEAL FROM THIS TERRIBLE LOSS. AND HOWEVER YOU MIGHT FEEL ABOUT THE WAR, I CAN ASSURE YOU OF THIS: OUR TROOPS ARE MAGNIFICENT.  I SALUTE THEIR COURAGE. I COMMEND THEIR BRAVERY. AND I HONOR THEIR SACRIFICE. OF COURSE ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS WAR IS THAT THE SACRIFICE IS NOT BEING SHARED EQUALLY. SO TODAY, I HAVE A QUESTION FOR PRESIDENT BUSH: MR. PRESIDENT, YOU HAVE TWO WONDERFUL DAUGHTERS, BARBARA AND JENNA. THEY’RE 23-YEARS OLD, VERY BRIGHT, VERY CAPABLE AND READY TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY. SO IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT THE WAR THAT YOU STARTED IN IRAQ IS A FIGHT TO DEFEAT TERRORISM AND TO DEFEND OUR FREEDOMS… WHY HAVEN’T YOUR GIRLS ENLISTED? WHY HAVEN’T THEY MARCHED RIGHT DOWN TO THE RECRUITING STATION AND SIGNED UP? AFTER ALL, IN WORLD WAR II, THAT’S WHAT PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT’S SONS DID. AND MY FRIENDS, THAT IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TRULY COURAGEOUS WARTIME PRESIDENT AND AN INCOMPETENT CHICKEN HAWK WHO PREFERS TO RISK THE LIVES OF OTHER AMERICAN’S CHILDREN…  IN A WAR THAT WE DIDN’T HAVE TO FIGHT. I WANT TO READ YOU PART OF A LETTER FROM ONE OF MY CONSTITUIENTS WHO IS CURRENTLY DEPLOYED IN IRAQ. THIS SOLDIER IS A CLOSE FRIEND OF A MEMBER OF MY SENIOR STAFF. SHE IS WITH THE U.S. ARMY IN THE BAGHDAD AREA. AND SHE WRITES: “IT’S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE I’VE WRITTEN AND I GUESS THAT’S BECAUSE IRAQ IS AT THE POINT OF CIVIL WAR AND WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT.” “FOLKS, THIS IS A MESS.  THE U.S. AND SOME OF THE IRAQI LEADERS ARE TRYING TO STOP THE VIOLENCE AND CALM THE CHAOS.” “BUT THAT’S HARD TO DO WHEN THERE IS SO MUCH LONG-TERM HATRED HERE AMONG THE IRAQIS.” “THIS IS A DIFFICULT TERRAIN FOR AMERICANS TO MANUEVER…EASTERN AND WESTERN PHILOSOPHIES JUST DON’T MIX… AND THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND.” “WE’VE LOST 4 U.S. SOLDIERS IN THE PAST 48 HOURS, 3 BY ROADSIDE BOMBS, AND 1 WAS KILLED BY DIRECT FIRE.” “UNFORTUNATELY, I WATCHED THE SOLDIER GET SHOT ON VIDEO.  I DIDN’T WANT TO SEE IT, BUT I DID” “IT HURTS MY HEART.” “IT IS A HEAVY BURDEN TO BEAR.” “IT IS ABSOLUTELY FRUITLESS TO TRY TO MAKE DEMOCRACY HAPPEN AMIDST ALL THIS CHAOS” “NOTHING WE, OR ANYONE ELSE DOES CAN CHANGE IT.” “I AM TIRED AND GROWING WEARY” “AND SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE PEOPLE HAVE FORGOTTEN US OVER HERE.” “I MISS HOME.” “PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR US, THINK ABOUT US, AND HOPEFULLY, WE WILL BE HOME SOON.” MY FRIENDS, THERE ARE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF OUR BRAVE SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO FEEL JUST LIKE THAT. THEY HAVE CARRIED OUT THEIR ORDERS AND HAVE DONE THEIR DUTY. BUT I SINCERELY BELIEVE, THAT WE HAVE DONE ALL THAT WE CAN DO IN IRAQ, AND IT’S TIME TO BRING THEM HOME. I SHARE THIS LETTER WITH YOU TODAY, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE IN POWER WHO STARTED THIS WAR, BASED ON A FALSE PREMISE, NEED TO HEAR FROM YOUNG AMERICANS LIKE YOU. MORE THAN THREE DECADES AGO, COLLEGE STUDENTS WERE THE FIRST VOICES TO DEMAND AN END TO THE LIES.  BECAUSE THEY TRULY LOVED THEIR COUNTRY, THEY ASKED THEIR GOVERNMENT TO FINALLY TELL THE TRUTH. AND BECAUSE THEY LOVED THEIR COUNTRY, THEY DEMANDED AN END TO THE SENSELESS VIOLENCE. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL USE YOUR VOICES TO SEND THAT MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON AGAIN. BEFORE WE GO TO YOUR QUESTIONS, I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS… THE THEME OF THIS WEEK IS PEACE EDUCATION. SO I WANT TO CLOSE WITH A QUOTE FROM A BELOVED TEACHER WHO GAVE AMERICA MANY POWERFUL LESSONS: -DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. IN 1967, HE OFFERED A TEACHING ON THE PURSUIT OF PEACE. DR. KING SAID THIS: “I AM CONVINCED THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST UNJUST WARS THAT HAS EVER BEEN FOUGHT”.  “OUR INVOLVEMENT HAS ALIENATED US FROM THE FAMILY OF NATIONS AND HAS TORN UP THE GENEVA CONVENTIONS.” “THE GREATEST CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE IS FINDING AN ALTERNATIVE TO WAR AND BLOODSHED.”  “ANYONE WHO FEELS THAT WAR CAN SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF MANKIND IS SLEEPING THROUGH A GREAT REVOLUTION.” “AS PRESIDENT KENNEDY SAID ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION: MANKIND MUST PUT AN END TO WAR, OR WAR WILL PUT AN END TO MANKIND.” “THE WORLD MUST HEAR THIS.” “OUR LEADERS MUST HEAR THIS.” “I PRAY TO GOD THAT AMERICA WILL HEAR THIS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.” LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT PROFOUND TEACHING TRANSCENDS THREE DECADES. AND YET, IS STILL UNLEARNED IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY. MY HOPE, IS THAT WITH THE ENERGY AND COMMITMENT OF YOUNG AMERICANS LIKE YOU, WE WILL FINALLY LEARN IT. THANK YOU. MAY GOD BLESS YOU. AND MAY GOD CONTINUE TO BLESS THE UNITED STATES. AND NOW, I’D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU. #