STARK STATEMENT ON HOUSE RESOLUTION
CONDEMNING ABUSE OF IRAQI PRISONERS
Thursday, May 6, 2004
Mr. Speaker,
I rise to vote no on this resolution. It is right to condemn the brutal and abhorrent abuse of Iraqi prisoners. But, this resolution is not strong enough. Without language authorizing a full-fledged Congressional investigation into this matter, we are failing our responsibility.
Republicans refused to allow any language to be added to this resolution providing for an investigation into these crimes. They have limited our ability to bring those responsible to account for their actions. This is wrong, especially when our ideals have been undermined and our leadership again tarnished throughout the world.
These acts of humiliation, torture and even murder are outrageous. They are a shameful affront to the Iraqi people and those throughout the Arab and Muslim World. As a nation, we owe the victims of these acts and the Iraqi people a full apology and investigation into how these abhorrent abuses were allowed to occur.
The torture and abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison are part of a larger systemic pattern of abuse with which this Administration has been complicit. We know -- as the Washington Post reported in December, 2002 -- that prisoners captured in Afghanistan by the US were transferred to other nations to be tortured for information. We already are well acquainted with the mistreatment of prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. This latest expose of torture and abuse at the Iraqi prison is just one more example of heinous treatment at the hands of our government.
We trust in the honorable service of our troops. This does not reflect on the Americans bravely serving in Iraq. But, responsibility does lie with those at the very top of leadership and at the feet of this President.
It is time Congress launch an investigation to end these patterns of abuse. If Congress does not act to right this wrong, I do not trust this Administration will. We must condemn these acts of torture and abuse.
Given that this resolution completely fails to provide Congress with the tools to initiate such investigations, I am forced to vote no.
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From the
Limbaugh site:
"The reason I played this for you is not just to outrage you, but rather to illustrate what I've always told you about liberals. They are condescendingly arrogant. They think you're idiots, not smart enough to make life decisions that will protect you or anybody else -- and if you do come across as intelligent, somebody else had to write it for you because you don't have the guts, brains or ability. Fortney is just typical of how a liberal speaks to an upstart peasant who dares to speak to his congressman."
What's fooked up is that nowhere does Rush seem to explain or investigate why Stark didn't vote for the resolution. If you undersatnd Starks position the letter makes no sense, it doesn't demonstrate "guts, brains or ability" at all. While Stark's comments are uncalled for if Stark can be used as an example of a arrogant liberal than the letter writer is a perfect example of an arrogant conservative trumping facts with ignorant patriotism. But Rush will just focus on the faults of the liberal and ignore the core issue of what was going on with the resolution and why there were objections to it. Is he consciously cultivating the stupid vote or just appealing to his listener base?
If someone tells you that you don't understand the issues, don't worry, they were just an arrogant liberal. The more wrong they say you are really the more they are really proving how right you are. . .
