[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 5]
[House]
[Pages 5832-5833]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     IN SUPPORT OF OUR ARMED FORCES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Green) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. GREEN of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, when Members rise in this House 
for Special Orders, each of them speaks to a particular audience. Some 
are talking to fellow legislators, some are talking to the folks back 
home, some are talking to interest groups, and some, quite frankly, are 
just talking to themselves.
  Tonight, Mr. Speaker, I would like to do something very different, 
because tonight I rise to speak to our men and women in uniform, some 
of whom are a long way from home right now.
  To these brave folks I say this: I know you hear some of the protests 
in Europe and even on our own streets and campuses. I know you hear the 
sometimes bitter anti-American and antimilitary rhetoric of these 
protests, and I know you see the faces of some of

[[Page 5833]]

the celebrities who not only oppose our Nation's policies but, all too 
often, question the morality of your actions as soldiers and sailors 
and airmen and Marines. Please know this: the overwhelming majority of 
your countrymen support you 100 percent.
  The voices of the protesters and their cheerleading celebrities 
represent only a vocal minority, one that gets public attention way out 
of proportion to the numbers they represent.
  Mr. Speaker, Richard Nixon spoke many years ago of a silent majority. 
Well, on this issue, standing with all of you, the majority will be 
silent no longer.
  There is no better evidence than the fact that a movement that I am 
proud to say has arisen and taken root in Wisconsin is taking off. This 
movement, launched by a couple of talk show hosts and friends of mine, 
Charlie Sykes and Jeff Wagner of WTMJ Radio in Milwaukee, is an effort 
to support you, the brave men and women of our armed services, during 
these challenging and difficult times.
  It started with just Charlie and Jeff in their open letter in 
response to the notorious Not in Our Name antiwar campaign. But what 
started with these two men and a fairly simple statement of principles 
has grown and grown and grown. It is now a thriving movement in my area 
known today as In Our Name.
  The In Our Name effort is dedicated to supporting our troops and our 
Nation. In Our Name is attracting enormous backing from the people of 
Wisconsin and, more and more, the people of America. This past weekend, 
downtown Milwaukee was the site of a great rally in support of our 
troops and of the In Our Name campaign. It attracted hundreds and 
hundreds of folks from all walks of life, folks who gathered despite 
falling snow and freezing temperatures. And as of this evening, about 
42,000 people have signed on to the In Our Name letter, including 
myself and my wife.
  It is a statement that I want to read here tonight. It is a statement 
that I feel belongs in the recorded history of this extraordinary time 
in our Nation, and it is a statement that you on the front lines need 
to hear.
  ``Let there be no doubt in your minds as you embark on this mission 
that you carry the hopes, the prayers, and the gratitude of your 
country with you. Every generation learns anew that freedom carries a 
steep price. You are paying that price with your courage and your 
commitment, no less than those who fought to liberate Europe, to defend 
freedom in Korea and Vietnam, and to combat aggression in Kuwait a 
decade ago.
  ``As our fathers and grandfathers fought against and defeated Nazism, 
fascism, and communism, our generation must confront terrorism. You 
have answered that call.
  ``We know that you neither wanted this war nor fired the first shot. 
The war against America began on September 11, 2001, with the murder of 
3,000 Americans. You fight in their name. You fight in the name of our 
children and our children's children who will not have to face a world 
dominated by terror, and you fight in the name of each and every one of 
us who signed this petition below.
  ``We know that all war is brutal and ugly and dangerous, but we also 
know that the price of inaction is even worse. We have learned the 
lessons of history, that the fruit of appeasement is war on an even 
more brutal scale.
  ``You fight so that the world will not have to face the nightmare of 
a tyrant like Saddam Hussein armed with chemical, biological, and 
nuclear weapons which he can use to threaten, intimidate, and murder. 
You fight today so that others will not have to fight even more savage 
battles in the future.

                              {time}  1930

  ``We know that you have seen the anti-war protests around the world 
and in your own country. But know this: Your country is behind you. You 
are our sons, our daughters, our brothers and sisters, our wives and 
husbands. You are the best this country has to offer. In the difficult 
hours ahead, as President Bush said, the success of our cause will 
depend on you. Your training has prepared you. Your honor will guide 
you. You believe in America and America believes in you. You fight in 
our name. May God bless you, our troops, and may God bless America.''

                          ____________________