Text of Murtha's Speech:"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised..."

[kpete]

Murtha
Posted by jesselee
Thursday, November 17, 2005 at 10:35 AM

Unofficial transcriptions...

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised..."

"The American and coalition troops have done all they can in Iraq..."

"It is evident that continued military presence in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States, Iraq, or the MIddle East..."

"The main reason given for war has been discredited..."

"Let me personalize this for you. I go to the hospitals every week... two women... they wanted to say they were happy to be alive... I had a kid in my district, was blinded and lost his foot... getting bills from a collection agency..."

"These soldiers are marvelous people..."

"It was a US intelligence failure, and it was a failure in how the intelligence was used..."

http://www.dccc.org/stakeholder/archives/003911.html

Official transcript available NOW at:
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/pa12_murtha/pr051117iraq.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. There should be more information about the wounded

Why isn't the story about the blind vet being hounded by bill collectors on page one of every paper? Why aren't "support the troops" rw hosts like Rush asking people to help the fellow out?

[Kierkegaard]

3. Because the Republicons are not interested in the well being of

anyone other than themselves. They are only siphoning off the sympathy that those scenarios generate for political and/or personal gain, and the MSM are just a tool in the Con toolbox.

[Solly Mack]

4. Honest answer? Cause wounded soldiers remind people of the war

Before people get a case of the butt - I AM the wife of a soldier. I don't speak this honest statement lightly.

But the government screwed the Viet Nam vets because they could - and because the public at large didn't understand just how badly the vets were being treated(benefits denied, medical care denied), so they didn't pay attention until much later - the government will do the same to Iraq Vets if the public doesn't stay on the government's case to not abandon the troops.

After Viet Nam people wanted to forget the bad (and don't forget Watergate) - but the bad includes wounded and maimed soldiers that still need medical care, that still need help getting their life back (as much as possible) - but the government abandoned the troops. And it wasn't "big" news in the papers how badly they were getting screwed, and the individual stories of maimed soldiers didn't make national press - so people didn't know...they didn't fully comprehend until much later.

We can't let that happen again.

Maimed and wounded troops are easy to hide - if we allow the government to hide them.

[patrice]

6. There are so many Veterans, ergo We should have Medicare for

All U.S. Citizens. Health Care is a Human and Civil Right.

[Solly Mack]

7. I agree. Health care is a human and civil right

And we'd do better as a country to heal people and keep them healthy... and give them back their dignity.

Now that would be a truly noble cause.

[patrice]

8. I think we can do it. People want this. They want to be happier, so

many of them will do what they must to change their behavior and make themselves more healthy. Early childhood is the best time to Educate them, something else that IS a Human and Civil Right We need to standup for: EDUCATION.

These are values appropriate to Pro-Life, real Pro-Life, that is, which you can recognize by an essential characteristic; it is Anti-War. Pro-War/Pro-Life is, at minimum, Doubtful, because it is Confused. War IS Death and Destruction. War is SOCIAL ABORTION!!

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

9. there are so many reality shows on tv now

Why not have one spotlighting the wounded veterans and telling their stories? The vets could get compensated for their story, and there could be an appeal to help at the end of the show.

At one time in this country, a wounded veteran was honored, and the community would help look after them if need be. What happened to that?

[Solly Mack]

10. Even WW2 vets suffered alone when they suffered from mental problems

due to war. They suffered and their families suffered - but there wasn't a lot of support for such things from the government. Back then most people tended to ignore the crazy neighbor because it was none of their business and they didn't want to get involved..

My uncle came home from ww2 all screwed up. It was years before they could get him help....and his family had money.

We honor the whole, we celebrate the whole- and we honor the dead ...but the wounded and maimed? They've never gotten that kind of attention.

A many times even those that looked whole, were maimed on the inside - but they were expected to come home - adapt back and forget the bad.

Because if America perceives them as a hero, as they did in ww2, then why aren't they doing their part to behave like one? So you don't show the wounded and maimed ones - and you don't talk about the crazy ones. Cause they don't fit the Hero image America wanted to project.

We do soldiers a disservice when we demand they forget the bad...just as we do our citizens a disservice when we demand they forget the bad as well.

War's ugly. No war has been so justified that it somehow escaped the ugly. That ugly comes home. Always.

I'm not asking that anyone honor a soldier. I am asking that we, as citizens, hold the government accountable...the government sent them off to war - the government can now make sure the wounded and the maimed get their benefits, get the medical care they need, and help them to readjust and integrate back into society.

[patrice]

2. ". . . as advertised . . . " by MSM for *Sneak & Speck (Bush&Cheney)

and We ARE making al Qaeda stronger + Iraqis can't stop fighting until we leave, so our kids are killing others (including families) for doing what we would do if we were Invaded.)

[Bluebear]

5. "The American people are way ahead of Congress on this"

That's my favorite.