[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20607]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             WHY NOT PEACE?

  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, many of us had an opportunity 
to be in our districts over the last couple of days and to engage our 
constituents on what might have been the most momentous debate and 
decision that this Congress would make, at least in the early part of 
the 21st century, and that was debate we engaged in last week on the 
question of going to war with Iraq. All of us acknowledged that we came 
to this floor and expressed our viewpoints as we thought was best for 
the American people.
  Over the weekend, of course, an enormous tragedy occurred in 
Indonesia. Americans are missing. Some lost their lives. But one of my 
constituents asked the question that I think is so very important that 
we raise again today: What about peace and the ability to be able to 
have that as a clarion call? Why is that so shameful that we as 
Americans, the most privileged and the most powerful, cannot raise the 
question of what about peace? What about discussions of peace and 
reconciliation?
  Helen Thomas, one of the press persons at the White House, pressed 
that question to Ari Fleischer. Of course, there was not an answer. 
Yes, there is terrorism of which we have the world supporting our 
efforts against terrorism. But why can this Nation not, as it has done 
in the past, in the tradition of Jimmy Carter who won the Nobel Peace 
Prize, likewise begin a discussion of world peace, speaking to our 
allies and enemies as well, as my constituent asked the question, why 
not peace? Why is there shame in bringing that to the forefront of the 
American public so that even as we fight the issue of terrorism, we can 
stand aside from this question of war, allowing the U.N. inspectors to 
go in?
  Why not peace? Why not a discussion?

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