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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Ah, one of the few Dems with spine, heart and soul to speak the truth.
Than you sir.
Can we clone you to have more Dems like you?
What you say is accurate. The R's are putting a massive war chest at the disposal of his opponent. A donation to Kucinich's congressional campaign might be in order. kucinich.u
Here is the article that if followed by Obama ensures him winning.
http://www
As a marketer i can tell you that great marketing is flexible to the moment, repositions your competitor as inferior and is concise.
"Enough is Enough" as a positioning does all those things, forces discussion of real issues, is McCain proof and if implemented properly makes sure of Obama winning.
Please send this article to anyone you know and if you know anyone in the Obama campaign please make sure they see this.
it is the key to Obama winning.
Thank you, Cong. Kucinich, for stating so clearly what is at stake today.
The Bush family in concert with the Royal Saudis will never, ever own up to the truth of 9/11.
We Americans will never, ever get our rights and freedoms back from the continued lies of 9/11.
We remain cowards, just like the Saudi partners, Bush/Cheney hid on 9/ll.
We no longer have the Congress. It belongs to Corporate America under the rule of Mr. Cheney.
The truth will never see the light of day, especially from a black hole like OIL.
Cheney wasn't hiding.
He was busy running live fly war games, some eerily similar to what actually happened.
Dennis, you are as always one of the few constant, clear voices for sanity in a world driven crazy by the power-mad, the greedy, and the ignorant. Their way has failed miserably, and you point the way to a better future for all, if only we are brave enough, as you are, to stand up for it. Thank you Dennis!
read Cormac McCarthy's 'the road' see you there.
Mr. Kucinich -
You are a true American hero. I draw inspiration from not only your words, but your actions; I hope many others will too.
There is no more damning statement made about the American People than their deafness to the message of Dennis Kucinich.
So true. Our collective failure to rise up and throw out this criminal government will not be viewed kindly by history. We will be judged very, very harshly - all of us who heard and did nothing -
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
Everyone remembers Sept 11th.
How many people remember Sept 12th?
Remember the world was looking up to us?
We had a blank check.
At a minimum, we could have made rooting our terrorists a world-wide priority.
More idealistically, we could have made energy independence a global initiative. Can you image that? If Europe and Asia had joined us in breaking the addiction to a commodity that was controlled by a part of the world that had no interest in playing well with others?
The whole world was at our disposal, and we brushed them off. That's leadership?
Remember Sept 12th.
Thanks for reminding us. Because on September 12th I was proud to be an American and, even more , proud to be a citizen of, yes, the world - sharing values with the rest of the 'civilized' world.
That, truly, was a wonderful moment, and this from a person who saw the towers fall right in front of them. So. I was there. And I was proud to be an American.
Now, I am ashamed of what our country has perpetrated in the wake of 9-11. Is this who we are at the core? Terrified sheep who are ready to trade our civil liberties for what - a false sense of security? Because, let's all realize, the republicans have done nothing to make us secure since 9-11.
As a New York City resident who reviled the 'Nation's Mayor" for his entire tenure I say, bring it on - - - I am looking forward to writing in my ballot - Kucinich for President!! Why not? Obama's got ny - - so a citizen can dream, right?
Thank you! I wish there were more voices like yours in our government.
Who's truth are we talking about? President Bush after 911 was faced with a task of protecting this nation from an enemy that is unkike anything anyone has ever faced in history. Does Dennis remember that almost the entire world believed that Iraq had WMD's. And I do not recall Bush claiming Iraq was involved in 911. He claimed they had terrorist ties and could not risk the possibility of the sharing of the WMD's with those groups who had just demonstrated their ability to kill us here at home. If you were President Bush what would you have done?
I believe those who have publicly condemned the President for the war gave the European Nations cover to continue with there cowardly history of letting America do all the fighting.
I am disheartened by the demonization from those who would never fight to protect this country.
President Bush has a plan to deal with terrorism. He his going to where they are and killing them.
nonsense nonsense and more nonsense
You are truly deluded. And there is no reasoning with one such as you. To even attempt it -- to even type out these couple of lines, is a complete waste of time...
I implore you to research the facts and not take the "company" line. Our intelligience did not fail pre 911. A majority of the hijackers were being tracked by FBI and CIA. Upon realization by field officers that attacks were immenent, the information was passed to superiors. In one instance one field officer reported that attacks were immenent 77 times. Field supervisors never took the appropriate (by the book) action. Interestingly enough post 911 they were given new jobs with higher pay. The field officers themselves openly attest to this. When it comes to specific information they are under government gag order.
When researched, everywhere you look you see the indirect influence of branches of the CIA in Al Queada and Pakistani ISI. What we are witnessing politically in contemporary times is the battle for middle east and central eurasian energy supplies. The notion that a small organization of terrorists can influence world events is laughable. The intelligience community is well aware of this.
As far as Iraq, the world new it was all about oil. They have the privelage of not being insulated by our corporate propaganda. The rest of the world figured they would just stay out of our way.
A great documentary to educate you on the truth about foreign policy- "the war on democracy" by acclaimed british journalist John Pilger. Google it. Spend an hour and ahalf to open your mind.
Stop listening to the LIES, LIES, LIES. Let's stop taking our politicians word on events and ask them to show us the facts. Interestigly enough the facts are always hidden behind classified documents and corporate media collusion.
" The price of freedom is eternal vigilance:- Thomas Jefferson. In other words, if you want to remain free trust no one's version of the truth and WORK to find the truth for yourself.
Without TRUTH there is no JUSTICE.
Without JUSTICE there is NO FREEDOM.
TRUTH is the irreplaceable air in our Republic's Democracy.
Listen to yourself, "corporate media collusion". Do you have some special access to these secret documents you refer to? Or are you just so much smarter than everybody else that you can see what others cannot? I have no disagreement with having a healthy skeptisism of government. But to automatically assign deceit and corruption to those who are not aligned with your idiology is foolish and dangerous. I do not believe that the Democrats have as their purpose to undermine our efforts in the war on terrorism. But I believe their actions have resulted in that very thing. Dennis Kucinich is some one I actually respect for his conviction, even though I believe him to be wrong a stunningly large percentage of the time. He someone I respect because he actually believes what it is he proposes without regard for how it reflects on him. And he can explain why he believes what he does. He is as close to a socialist as you can get without receiving a membership card in the mail and I believe whole heartedly in capitalism. And I don't hate him (or you) for his (or your) views or assign some malicious intent.
You might try assuming that people are good instead of evil or corrupt until you have proof. I believe you will be much happier for it.
you ask : If you were President Bush what would you have done?
1. investigated the intelligence reports that I received in August, sent in an assassin and got rid of the bastards before they could get here and cause trouble.
2. if the assassins didn't work, I certainly wouldn't have kept on reading that children's book when I was told about the attack, I woulda jumped up and said goodbye to the children and proceeded to assign some people to round up the bin ladens AND QUESTION THEM--NOT SEND EM HOME
3. I wouldn't send our military to do a job they are not able to do. There's NO SUCH THING as winning a 'war on terror' (or for that matter 'war on drugs', 'war on poverty' etc etc ad nauseum)
sending our military to Iraq for all the wrong reasons is just plain WRONG! You want homeland security??? BRING OUR TROOPS HOME!
1) You would have just assumed the intel to be incorrect? How long would you have spent on your investigation? You of course realize that there are always more than one opinion on intel. You make assumptions after the fact. Hind sight is handy for bomb throwers such as yourself.
2) Don't forget, we would have to send lawyers along to make sure we don't violate their rights. (Thanks to your side)
3) You say this now that a victorious end to the Iraq war finally in sight. You say this now when we have destroyed a very large part of the terrorist's organization. What is the matter with you? Do you want to lose the war? Is it more important for you to be correct on this issue that to win the war? I have to admit, I really don't know what else to say to someone like you. Except, Europe needs more citizens like you.
I can't believe that a lot of people pass him off.. He's an amazing speaker.. He sure rallied the delegates at the convention
and all he said was the truth - - - and all he said was the truth - - -
alas this nation is no longer able to 'hear' the truth when spoken -
"recognize" the truth
I should have said 'recognize' because that is the problem - we are unable or unwilling to recognize the truth when we hear it.
Perfect. I visited the former East Germany last month. I was profoundly touched by the spirit of peace and reconciliation, and sense of atonement for the horrors wrought upon the world by the Nazi government. Their non-violent revolution in 1989, triggered by a weekly Peace Vigil which grew to over 20,000 people, resulted in the reunification of the two Germanys. Some may tell you that Reagan caused the reunification, but once there I could clearly see that the German people understand war in a way those of us who have not experienced it never could.
Only when America has fully faced up to what happened on that day in September seven years ago, namely that elements of your own government attacked you in order to scare you into giving up your civil liberties and agreeing to an illegal, pre-emptive invasion and subsequent occupation and exploitation of a sovereign nation which posed no threat to you whatsoever; and when you have excised the tumour from your body politic which was the driving force behind these obscene acts; then, and only then, will you gain the undying admiration of all humanity.
Then 'the power of your example' will be seen, and you will truly be able to call yourselves Great. May you have the immense moral courage, both to confront what happened and to grow in stature by thoroughly dealing with it.
May God Bless America indeed, and bless all humanity through her. Amen.
"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
Thank you, Rep. Kucinich! You are a true America Patriot! I'll be donating to your campaign when I get my next unemployment check!!!
Ohio - and ALOT of the US of A - HEARTS you, Dennis!!!!! Keep "fighting the good fight"!!!!
If your unemployed, thank the ridculously high taxes on business and out of control workers compensation in the state of Ohio. Our state is one of the worst states in the US to do business because of cost imposed by the government. Thank God, the Govenor had the nerve to stand up to the unions and the Democratic Party on the mandatory sick leave proposal. You might consider that when your going to the unemployment office and the POLLING Booth.
You ar perfect proof that for some types of mindset, thee is just no hope, nor point in discussing ANYTHING with you.
YOU simply do not GET IT.
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