[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 118 (Wednesday, September 20, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H6819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           WHERE DO WE STAND?

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to speak 
out of order.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from Texas 
is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise to remind my colleagues 
that Dr. King was right when he proclaimed that the measure of a person 
is not where a person stands in times of comfort and convenience, but, 
rather, where a person stands in times of challenge and controversy.
  I have a question for my colleagues, Mr. Speaker. The question is: 
Where do we stand on one of the great challenges and controversies of 
our time? Where do we stand, Mr. Speaker, on the question of genocide 
in Darfur? A question that transcends race because there really is but 
one race, and that is the human race; a question that transcends gender 
because what is happening in Darfur is happening to persons of both 
genders. Where do we stand on one of the great questions, one of the 
great controversies of our day?
  It has been said that hundreds of thousands have been killed. Nobody 
really knows how many; millions displaced, but nobody really knows how 
many. Where do we stand on this great challenge and controversy of our 
time?
  I have been to Darfur. I was there in the month of August. I have 
seen the throngs of humanity living in huts made of straw, living on 
the ground and off of the land, persons living under conditions that we 
would not want animals and lower life forms to live under. I have seen 
these conditions. No running water, no electricity, no sanitation 
facilities. Where do we stand on one of the great challenges and 
controversies of our time?
  I met with the general of the AU forces. He made it very clear that 
they were being outgunned, that they were being overpowered under 
certain circumstances, that they needed help, and he would welcome the 
presence of the U.N. forces. Where do we stand on one of the great 
challenges and controversies of our time?
  We met with NGOs. They told us of how 11-year-old babies had been 
raped, and how the government would not allow an offense report to be 
filed. File an incident report, say that it happened, but don't give 
enough details so that a proper prosecution could take place. Where do 
we stand on one of the great challenges and controversies of our time?
  I met with former rebel leaders who are now part of the government. 
They want the U.N. forces. They understand that genocide is still 
taking place in Darfur. They understand that unless we have outside 
intervention, it will continue. Where do we stand on this great 
challenge and controversy of our time?
  A superpower has to have super vision. Where there is no vision, the 
people perish. And when a superpower doesn't have super vision, you 
have super deaths, super atrocities. Where do we stand on one of the 
great challenges of our time?
  Mr. Speaker, Mr. Payne, members of the CBC, Leader Pelosi, we stand 
with the people of Darfur, the indigenous population. We stand for 
justice, for the least, the last and the lost. We stand for making sure 
that no decent, self-respecting company does business with Darfur. Any 
company that does business with Darfur commits a sin. This is one of 
the great tragedies of our time. We stand for standing against those 
businesses that are allowing this tragedy to continue, because if you 
do business with this country, you are doing business with those who 
are perpetrating genocide.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I want you to know that there are good people in 
this House, and we are calling on people of goodwill to take a stand 
against one of the great challenges and controversies of our time.

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