Remembering 9/11 and Moving Forward
America must move from the errant, retributive justice of 9/11 to a healing, restorative process of truth and reconciliation.
Before the Congress adjourns, I will bring forth a new proposal for the establishment of a National Commission on Truth and Reconciliation, which will have the power to compel testimony and gather official documents to reveal to the American people not only the underlying deception which has divided us, but in that process of truth seeking set our nation on a path of reconciliation.
We suffer in our remembrance of 9/11, because of the terrible loss of innocent lives on that grim day. We also suffer because 9/11 was seized as an opportunity to run a political agenda, which has set America on a course of the destruction of another nation and the destruction of our own Constitution. And we have become less secure as a result of the warped practice of pursing peace through the exercise of pre-emptive military strength.
It is not simply 9/11 that needs to be remembered. We also need to remember the politicization of 9/11 and the polarizing narrative which followed, locking us into endless conflict, a war on terror which has wrought further terror worldwide and which has severely damaged our standing worldwide as an honorable, compassionate nation. As we were all victims of 9/11, so we have become victims of the interpretation of 9/11.
Our government's external response to 9/11 was to attack a nation which did not attack us. Indeed on the first anniversary of 9/11, the Bush administration issued a well-publicized stern warning to Iraq which was part of a campaign to induce people to believe Iraq had something to do with 9/11.
The deliberate, systematic connection of Iraq with 9/11 has led America into a philosophical and moral cul-de-sac as over one million Iraqis and over 4155 US soldiers have died in a war which will cost over $3 trillion. Additionally, soldiers from 23 other countries have died in the Iraq war.
We attempt to unite Iraq by further dividing it. We talk about restoring Iraq while taking steps to place control of its vast oil wealth in the hands of US oil giants. And we intend to impose upon the Iraqi people the cost of rebuilding a country which our government ruined, keeping a once prosperous nation lashed to debt and poverty for a long, long time. Iraq has paid for 9/11. We all continue to pay for 9/11.
The heartbreaking loss of the lives and injuries to America troops further binds us to the Administration's illogic of the Iraq war: We remember our troops' sacrifice by demanding more sacrifice; we support our troops by continuing the war.
The dominant color of our new national security since 911 is neither red, white nor blue. Everyday is orange. Everyday reminders of fear of 9/11 become banal.. Yet we no longer hear the airport announcements nor see the orange colored warnings because they have commonplace standards in our new national security state, as is the Patriot Act, wiretapping, and a host of invasions of privacy and diminution of civil liberties. The Constitution has been roundly attacked by the very people who took an oath to defend it.
There is a powerful desire across America for change, not necessarily from control by one political party to another, but a change from living with lies to living with truth.
Over two dozen nations, facing peril within and without, deeply divided by politics and war have travelled down a path of restoring civil society through a formal process of reconciliation. At some point within each of those countries it was understood that the way forward is shown through the light of truth. This process is not without pain because it requires a willingness to study evidence to which eyes had been averted and ears had been closed. But in the process of truth and reconciliation, nations found new strength, new resolve, new commitment.
The South African Truth and Reconciliation enabled that nation to come to grips with its past through a public confessional, bringing forward those who committed crimes and having the power to grant amnesty for full disclosure of crimes against the people. Of course, our path may necessarily be different: High US government officials stand accused in Impeachment petitions of violating national and international law. Our continued existence as a democracy may depend upon how thoroughly we seek the truth. I will call upon the America people to join me in supporting this effort.
The truth can move us forward, as a unified whole, so that we can one day become a re-United States. 9/11 is the day the world changed. It is the day America embraced a metaphor of war. If we are open to truth and reconciliation, we may one day be able, once again, to embrace peace.
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Remember, the United States of America is at War since 9/11 and that has not changed. If McCain becomes president, I may move myself and my family out of the USA at least until the end of his term if by chance he gets that far. The American people should be concerned that the 100 years war might actually be less than a year with McCain at the helm as an escalation will certainly bring world war III to American soil.
There is nothing more important than chosing the right leader for our country in these perilous times. We cannot afford to be compromised by the old politics that got us into this mess in the first place. We need a cool head in addition to heighten diplomacy and staunch firmness.
I am amazed that our potential leaders do not have to face psychological and psychiatric testing for fitness? Even dime store employees are subject to testing. McCain's inability to stay on task, sidewinding the issues with fantastic lies as well as fabricated stories about his opponent may be a sign of schizophrenia -- but I'm no professional. Dreams of grandeur by McCain's grossly unqualified running mate Palin also calls into question the narcissistic personality -- akin to Nero who fiddled while Rome burned, then blamed the Christians for his deadly feat., again, I'm no professional.
So good to hear from you Dennis. We need to hear from you more often. Alot of us still believe in your policies & sincerity & wish you were our President. Keep up the good work of trying to keep them honest!! God Bless America and you.
Adieu.
Thank you Dennis Kucinich for not wanting American oil giants to work Iraqi oil fields. I would much prefer that I, personally, be given contracts to work them. That I am totally unqualified has nothign to do with it becuase I would be perfectly honest. That I couldn;t make the oil flow has nothing to do with it.
Actually, I am being facetious and we all know that.
Instead of American Oil Giants, we should give it the French Oil giant (Elf-Total), the Iatalian Oil Giant (AGIP), the Dutch Oil giant (Royal-Dutch shell) or maybe we should let the Saudis do it (of course, the Saudis need American labor). We can always have American hating Hugo Chavez do it.
But houldn't we not allow the iraqis to pump oil becuase of Global Climate Change? After all, if it isn't good enough to drill here, why is it good enough to drill there? It is the same air all over the world?
Dennis was referring to the pillaging of Iraqi oilfields, not simply working in them. Whoever works their oil fields should be decided by the Iraqis themselves, not conquerors.
Thank you Dennis Kucinich for your work on impeaching Bush-Cheney. Thanks also for your energetic wake-up call to Americans during the DNC.
Dear Mr. Kucinich,
If truth be told, you were my first choice for president. Unfortunately that didn't happen.
When I read this: " but a change from living with lies to living with truth" on the 7th anniversary of my attempt to begin doing that I can only sigh.
I'm still waiting to see it on the newz, but I'm not holding my breath.
Thanks for what you do.
Thank you Rep. Dennis Kuchinich, you are an inspiration to people in many countries.
For me, a Canadian, your are a true American.
It may be a coincidence that "believers" of one cloth attacked our country while "believers" of another cloth were in power.
What followed is no coincidence.
The history of the world is the history of war.
The history of war is the history of irreconcilable beliefs in the pursuit of power.
What happened on the morning of September 11 was not the beginning of WW3.
We were attacked by stateless individuals believing they were on a mission from God.
The power they pursued was if we are to believe the narrator, a ticket to paradise.
Their act was not impulsive but years in the making.
A heinous crime orchestrated by the marriage of religious extremism and historical claustrophobia.
How much closer are we as a nation to understanding the culture that gave birth to this atrocity?
Muslim extremists have targeted countries around the world. We are not alone in this fight.
I'm all for truth and reconciliation but I am more interested in a unilateral strategy that binds all nations to a blueprint of peaceful coexistence and cultural tolerance.
"I'm all for truth and reconciliation but I am more interested in a unilateral strategy that binds all nations to a blueprint of peaceful coexistence and cultural tolerance.
That's a laudable goal. But we must view the situation universally--even the parts that we generally avoid--before that can happen.
Until we accept that our actions inspired hatred so deep that such attacks were necessary in their minds, we will have a one-sided POV, and no intelligent solution can come from that. We can continue with this fallacy that it's all about extremist religion, but it is a fallacy, and doesn't deserve to be the primary point of consideration. The attacks of 9/11/2001 were far more driven by political issues than religious fanaticism, and until we are willing to see that, and also see our own actions in the Middle East as the root cause, we will continue to pursue aggressive wars against nations that possess resources we covet--which creates a need for justifications, which eventually leads us to resort to fictions [as in Iraq].
In regards to European ME terrorist attacks, in each case their is a long term historical connection to misdeeds of the past.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not advocating dismissal of the threat nor do I defend their actions, but you cannot solve a problem until you truly understand its nature, and from your post above, I think you fail to see some very significant pieces of the puzzle.
Dennis Kucinich's efforts to impeach Bush and Cheney have been blocked, not by knuckle-dragging Republicans, but by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who thinks that Democrats are just too busy for Kucinich's personal vendetta. Unless she is removed as speaker, which the majority of Dems in the House will not do, Bush and Cheney's crimes will not be investigated, the truth about 911 will remain drowned by crocodile tears, and the USA will end up with troops in Pakistan looking for shadows.
Cindy Sheehan has mounted an effective campaign against Pelosi in their congressional district which is gaining traction thanks to citizens who have had enough of the criminal secrecy and silence that pervades Washington D.C.
neo-con Nancy.
It really should be obvious that Pelosi is protecting herself and other Dems from prosecution. She was briefed on the illegal wiretapping actions of the administration years ago and did nothing whatsoever to stop it. She didn't even mention it to the people. So she helped Bush and crew shred the Constitution. No doubt Rove was behind the idea of making key Democrats, especially those who would be able to get an impeachment "on the table" involved in the illegal activities. Just look at Ms. Pelosi when the cameras are pointed at her in her new scarves! She's so caught up in her fame she would never do anything to risk it. So she isn't going to allow an impeachment, not because she thinks there are better things to do, but because she knows she'd have to admit that a great deal of the impeachable activities of this administration were made possible by the Democrats currently in power and by her in particular. The whole freaking government is criminally liable for crimes against humanity.
I agree, Nedlong ! Pelosi bears tremendous responsibility for allowing the Bush/Cheney crimes to continue. I live in WI, but have made a donation to Cindy Sheehan's web site.
PELOSI MUST GO !!!
The day Pelosi said Impeachment was off the table, I said get rid of her.
Keep up the good work Rep. Kucinich. The majority of Americans are waiting and wondering when Bush and the rest will be impeached. When Obama gets voted in as president in November, Bush will resign by the end of the week. Thanks again Rep. Kucinich.
Again, thank you Rep. Kuchinich for all you've done for our country. We hope you succeed in your plans and know it's a necessary step toward dealing with the damage that's occurred over the past 8 years,
Mr Kucinich, You are on the right path, but your are a long way from seeing the real truth and therefore out on a limb asking for reconciliation. Let's start with the beginnings of colonial ization of this land (rampant stealing and disrespect for what was here first) Then that minority colonial group demanding freedom from the tyranny of Whitehall (which had up to that point protected them) You then created a hypocritical declaration ..."all men are equal" ... unless you were not white. Then on and on stealing more land. Even after a so called restitution to the slaves, you still have not (nor will you ever) give them anything other than a passport to prison. Unless and until you will abolish secret government organizations (CIA) and the corporatization of business you are doomed to failure. Only then will there be a chance to create truth and reconciliation. Nevertheless, you would get my vote Dennis being the best of a not too good bunch.
Dear Congressman Kucunich,
You are a true patriot with more integrity in your pinky finger than the rest of Congress put together! I follow your work closely and am a supporter even though I do not live in Ohio. I voted for you in our state presidential straw poll (BTW, you won 90% of the vote in my district!!!). Thank you for all your efforts to restore the rule of law in this nation and to this current criminal administration in particular. Good luck to you in everything you do.
The Bell
Thank you Dennis,
This is truly a practical and necessary step toward healing and growth as a nation and also as a planet. Hopefully, politics as we know it will not prevent the plans you speak of from becoming a reality. Also I wanted to say I appreciate your intelligent, thoughtful and sacrificial dedication to our country throughtout the years. Your truthful stance has been enlightening and inspiring.
Thank you so Much Represenative Kucinich for bringing some enlightenment into this country ! I think your idea's about a truthful open government are what the people in this country need and have not had in a long while.
I stand with you on the impeachment of both Bush and Cheney although I don't think I will see that happen but I do hope you will continue to push for accountability even after they leave office ! I also would love to see Both Bush and Cheney stripped of any pension that the American tax payers would have to pay for and no special treatment afforded to presidents and vice presidents after they leave office.
Dennis K., you are awesome still, but sadly you have brought light to a nation full of the blind to borrow and change a former Treasury Secretary's phrase. But do not stop, for the truth shall set us free, and bring us justice. May that day soon come, when the blind shall see. Thank you, thank you. CSK
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