[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 22]
[House]
[Page 29424]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC

  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, the drilling for oil in the coastal plain 
of the Arctic Refuge, called by the Gwich'in Tribe ``the Sacred Place 
Where All Life Begins'' will disrupt caribou calving grounds, lead to 
the long-term decline not only of the herd, but of the Gwich'in Tribe 
which depends on the herd for survival.
  Christian teaching tells us to do unto others as we would have them 
do unto ourselves. We learn from other spiritual insights that what we 
do unto others we actually do to ourselves. We cannot in the 
consciousness of true American spirit return to a history of 
exploitation of native tribes anymore than we could return to a history 
of slavery or a history where women had no rights.
  We must make our stand now to change our path by changing who we are. 
When we perpetrate acts of violence onto others we are damaging 
ourselves as humans. We cannot do this to the Arctic Refuge because it 
will destroy the land, it will destroy the herd, it will destroy the 
tribe. Another part of the true America will die.
  We must not only search for alternative energy. We must search for an 
alternative way to live. We must escape this cycle of destruction. We 
must reconcile with nature in this season of peace. We must find a new 
path to peace on Earth with our native brothers and sisters and within 
ourselves.

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