Forty years ago, I was there in New York City in Riverside Church when Martin Luther King, Jr., gave one of the most powerful speeches he ever made against the war in Vietnam. If he could speak today, he would say this nation needs a revolution of values that exposes the truth that war does not work. If he could speak today, he would say that war is obsolete as a tool of our foreign policy.He would say there is nothing keeping us from changing our national priority so that the pursuit of peace can take precedence over the pursuit of war.
He would say we must remove the causes of chaos, injustice, poverty, and insecurity
that are breeding grounds for terrorism. This is the way towards peace.As a nation, can we hear the words of Gandhi, so simple, so true, that it is either nonviolence or nonexistence? Can we hear the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., saying that we must learn to live together as brothers and sisters or perish as fools?
Tonight I must make it plain and clear that as a human being, as a citizen of the world, as a citizen of America, as a member of Congress, as an individual committed to a world at peace with itself, I will not and I cannot in good conscience vote for another dollar or another dime to support this war.”
We are far past the time when it was simply a good idea to end the war and bring the troops home. The President has signalled that he will veto any bill which includes a timeline for bringing the troops home. Fair enough. But it is my hope that the Congress will refuse to pass any funding bill which does not include a way to get the troops home and end this war (preferably immediately).
This is a fight that the President should not win. The Congress should make it clear to him - this is the best he is going to get. He can either accept a timetable for withdrawal, or he will get no money to continue to war at all.
I agree with Representative Lewis’ stance: not another dime. But at the very least, I can only hope that the Democrats in Congress can muster the political will to prevent any other options from being presented to the President.
