Say No to Lying, Spying and Torture
by Cynthia McKinney
Green Party presidential candidate Cynthia McKinney, a
former Georgia congresswoman, delivered the following remarks to the
"Fighting Bob" Fest in Baraboo, Wisconsin, September 6, 2008.
"Both nominees sadly
have voted to fund today's wars and occupations to the tune of $720 million
each and every day."
Bob
LaFollette said, "I do not want the vote of a single citizen under any
misapprehension of where I stand: I would not change my record on the war
for that of any man [or woman], living or dead." And with that,
Republican Bob LaFollette launched a successful campaign for reelection to the
Senate without backtracking one step on his antiwar position. And after
that fight, under the banner of the Progressive
Party, he launched a campaign for President that brought together
socialists, Blacks, women, labor, and farmers. Bob LaFollette was a man
of his times and yet was also a man ahead of his time. From the U.S.
Congress to the Wisconsin governorship to a Presidential campaign, Bob
LaFollette remained true to his values. And the people of this state
courageously supported him.
For twelve years while in the U.S. Congress, I consistently voted no on
Pentagon budgets that sent one half trillion dollars to an institution that
couldn't even balance its books and prevented the entire government from doing
so.
I voted against the record of Pentagon waste, fraud, and abuse that led that
institution to admit that it had "lost" 2.3 trillion dollars and yet
asked for more money because, as Donald Rumsfeld testified, U.S. taxpayers
could afford it.
And yet year after year, at a time when poverty in this country was growing,
the racial divide in this country was growing, income inequality was growing,
both Democrats and Republicans forgot the people who sent them to Washington
and voted for Pentagon budgets that led to Rumsfeld's dramatic testimony.
Where I come from, with the values I was raised with, it's outrageous to spend
so much money on war toys that return so little--only death and destruction, to
the people. In fact, it was Republican President, Dwight Eisenhower, who
reminded us that every dime spent on the military and war was in a very real
sense a theft from people who are in need and from our children.
"The Pentagon admits
that it ‘lost' 2.3 trillion dollars."
Yet both the Democratic and Republican nominees plan to increase the Pentagon's
budget, continue to add countries to Dick Cheney's list of 60 against which the
United States must be prepared to go to war. And sadly, that appears to
include both China and Russia. Both nominees sadly have voted to fund
today's wars and occupations to the tune of $720 million each and every day
over and above the half trillion that the Pentagon gets and then
"loses."
"Fighting Bob" fought to protect the rights of workers in this
country and abroad. Yet, neither the Democrats nor the Republicans want
to revisit NAFTA and the Congressional majority has not even mentioned a
livable wage for America's workers. I'm proud to have introduced
legislation in the Congress to provide for a national livable wage.
"Fighting Bob" clung stubbornly to civil liberties protections
embodied in the Bill of Rights, and defended the right of citizens to dissent
from U.S. war policy. Yet, the people of this country and in the global
community have been saddled with impediments to those protections with the
passage of the Patriot Acts, the Secret Evidence Act, the Military Commissions
Act, prosecution of the so-called War on Drugs as well as the War on Terror.
Yet, neither of the political parties has suggested the propriety of repealing
those laws, ending the War on Drugs, and decreasing the militarization of local
law enforcement that is so prevalent from city to city across our country.
Why did Denver and Minneapolis need $100 million grants to
the police to protect delegates to those Conventions from protesters
demonstrating for peace?
Torture, war crimes, crimes against humanity, lying to and spying on the
American people, and crimes against the peace are all hallmarks of our country
today, and yet impeachment has been taken off the table!
Well, I rightly put impeachment, 9/11 Truth, Republican Party Presidential
election theft in the 2000 Presidential election and Democratic Party
complicity in that theft on the table, and I'm putting election integrity in
2008 on the table.
"I publicly wear the
scars meted out to a black woman who dares to dissent."
I am proud to have introduced the Arms Trade Code of Conduct to regulate U.S.
transfer of conventional weapons. I introduced the National Forest
Protection and Restoration Act to protect our remaining national forests from
clearcutting timber barons. I authored legislation to end all use of
depleted uranium, stop the funding for Plan Colombia, investigate the way
conscientious objectors are treated by the Pentagon, extend Agent Orange
benefits for U.S. soldiers, prohibit tax breaks for corporations that move U.S.
jobs overseas, and I passed legislation that resulted in the U.S. Department of
Agriculture admitting that for decades it systematically discriminated against
minority farmers.
My very first campaign theme was "Warriors Don't Wear Medals, They Wear
Scars." And I publicly wear the scars meted out to a black woman who
dares to dissent in a political system that doesn't allow it.
"Fighting Bob" was celebrated and ridiculed. The press lied on
him and his patriotism was questioned. He even changed political parties,
but he remained true to his values and understood that the only reason we
engage in the political process is to have our values reflected in public
policy. It is right that his values are annually commemorated and I thank
you for including me in today's celebration of both a great man and a great
idea: America.
"Fighting Bob" showed us that when our country has been hijacked, it
is possible for the people to take it back!
We need a movement in this county and an opposition party! Let's take our
country back. Power to the people!
Ms. McKinney can be contacted through her campaign website.
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