[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 35 (Thursday, March 18, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H1281]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES TO SPAIN
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentleman from Washington (Mr. Baird) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Mr. BAIRD. Mr. Speaker, a week ago we all mourned the loss, along
with our brothers and sisters and friends in Spain, of so many innocent
civilians.
Having had the opportunity to live in Spain for 2 years, I would like
to take a few moments, if I may, to express my personal condolences in
the hopes that our Congress, in its entirety, will do so before long.
Como estadounidense y miembro del Congreso de los Estados
Unidos de America, quiero expresar mis mas profundas
condolencias al pueblo de Espana por la tragica perdida de
tantos inocentes en manos del terrorismo. Personalmente, tuve
la oportunidad de vivir en Espana durante dos anos, y desde
entonces llevo una parte de ese pais y de su gente en mi
corazon. Hoy mi alma llora las muertes provocadas por la
crueldad del terror. Hoy, todos somos espanoles.
Nuestras naciones han sido a lo largo de la historia,
aliados y amigos, unidos por los mismos valores y por una
herencia comun. Compartimos libertad, compasion, tolerancia y
democracia. Tambien es voluntad comun mantenernos juntos y
firmes contra aquellos que amenazan esos valores y matan
inocentes en nombre del fanatismo politico y religioso.
Cuando nuestro pais sufrio los atentados del once de
septiembre, el pueblo espanol y el resto del mundo ofrecio a
esta nacion y a su gente, apoyo, comprension y solidaridad.
Ese ofrecimiento sin condiciones supuso mas de lo que nunca
podremos agradecer.
Ahora, somos nosotros y el resto del mundo los que debemos
alargar nuestras manos hacia Espana y su gente. Permidnos que
os abracemos como vosotros lo hicisteis. Permitidnos guardar
el luto de vuestras victimas. Queremos agradeceros vuestra
lealtad y mantener el compromiso de llevar a la justicia a
los responsables de esta atrocidad.
Los terroristas nunca venceran. Su brutalidad y sus
objetivos son contrarios a la civilizacion, a la decencia y a
las aspiraciones de los seres humanos.
Nunca venceran, pero hasta que podamos con ellos de una vez
por todas, tendran que pagar un precio muy alto. No hay mayor
evidencia de sus errores que este acto atroz de crueldad
contra gente inocente que iba a su trabajo o a su centro de
estudios. Por ello, debemos mantenernos unidos frente al
terror, unidos con nuestros amigos y aliados, unidos con
Espana.
Cuando vivi alli y aprendi su bonita lengua con mis grandes
amigos, me impresiono el hecho de que la frase ``I'm sorry''
signifique realmente ``lo siento''. Permitanme decir a mis
amigos espanoles que ``sentimos'' su perdida. Sabemos lo que
es ese dolor, esa tristeza y la indignacion e impotencia por
unas muertes tan injustas. Hemos sentido en carne propia el
drama del terror y lo volvemos a sentir con vosotros.
No hay palabras que puedan consolar tanto dolor, pero
debeis saber que en este momento no estais solos. Juntos,
triunfaremos. Llevaremos a los responsables ante la justicia
y mas importante: les ensenaremos con el ejemplo de nuestros
dos grandes paises, que existe un camino mejor. Un camino que
demuestre nuestra fuerza comun y nuestro amor por la
libertad.
Fuerza, amigos espanoles . . . fuerza, coraje, y animo.
Estamos con vosotros, hoy y siempre.
(English translation of the above statement is as follows:)
As an American citizen and member of the Congress of the
United States of America, I want to express my profound
condolences to all of the people of Spain for the tragic loss
of so many innocents at the hands of terrorists. Having lived
in Spain for 2 years, part of my heart and soul will always
remain in Spain and part of Spain will always be within me.
Today, my heart and soul are saddened by the losses and
outraged by the inhumanity of the attackers. Today, we are
all Spanish and we have all lost good people and friends.
Our nations have long been allies and friends, united by
shared values and a common heritage. Liberty, compassion,
tolerance, and democratic institutions are dear to all of us.
So too is our willingness to stand together against those who
would threaten those values and who kill innocents in the
name of political and religious zealotry. Because of our
shared values, we are now also united in suffering and loss.
When our Nation suffered on September 11th, the people of
Spain and the rest of the world reached out to offer our own
Nation and our people comfort, support and solidarity. That
outpouring of kindness and support meant more than we could
possibly express at the time.
Now, it is we and the rest of the world who reach out our
hands to Spain and to all of the people of Spain. Let us
embrace you now as you embraced us. Let us comfort you now as
you comforted us. Let us grieve with you for your losses. And
let us also pledge our loyalty to you and our commitment to
bring those responsible for this atrocity to justice.
In the end, the terrorist will never win because their
methods of brutality and their goals are contrary to
civilization, contrary to decency, and contrary to the
highest aspirations and realizations of human beings. They
will never win, but until they are defeated once and for all,
they will exact a heavy, heavy toll. Now, tragically, as so
often before, they have taken that toll from innocents on
their way to work and school. There could be no greater
evidence of the fallacy of their aims and beliefs than this
heinous act of cruelty. That is why we stand united against
them, united with our friends an allies, united with the
people of Spain.
When I lived in Spain and was taught this beautiful
language by my dear friends, I was struck by the fact that
the translation of the English phrase ``I am sorry'' is lo
siento, literally, I feel it. Lo siento, I feel it. Let me
say to my friends in Spain that we feel your losses. We know
something of the feeling, we know the pain, we know the
sadness, we know the rage at such pointless, unjust
slaughter. We have felt these things ourselves and now we
feel it once again with you and for you.
No words can take that pain away, but please know in this
dark time that you are not alone. Together, we will prevail.
We will bring those responsible to justice and, more
importantly still, we will show through the examples of our
two great lands and peoples that there is a better path, a
better way. Let us never lose sight of that higher vision and
let the ways we respond to these tragedies show our true
strength and or love for freedom and for one another.
Courage my friends. Courage, strength, and compassion. We
are with you and always will be.
____________________