“The stories about the children affected me the most,” said Ellison. “No parent, or anyone who cares for kids, can remain unmoved by what Brian and I saw here.”
“The amount of physical destruction and the depth of human suffering here is staggering” said Baird, “Entire neighborhoods have been destroyed, schools completely leveled, fundamental water, sewer, and electricity facilities hit and relief agencies heavily damaged. The personal stories of children being killed in their homes or schools, entire families wiped out, and relief workers prevented from evacuating the wounded are heart wrenching – what went on here, and what is continuing to go on, is shocking and troubling beyond words.”
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“If this had happened in our own country, there would be national outrage and an appeal for urgent assistance. We are glad that the Obama administration acted quickly to send much needed funding for this effort but the arbitrary and unreasonable Israeli limitations on food and repair essentials is unacceptable and indefensible. People, innocent children, women and non-combatants, are going without water, food and sanitation, while the things they so desperately need are sitting in trucks at the border, being denied permission to go in” said Baird and Ellison.
snip
“It’s hard for anyone in our country to imagine how it must feel to have a sick child who needs urgent care or is receiving chemotherapy or dialysis, then be forced to take a needlessly lengthy route, walk rather than drive, and wait in lines as long as two hours simply to get to the hospital. As a health care professional myself, I found this profoundly troubling, no, actually it’s beyond that, it is outrageous,” said Baird.
Now just to be clear here, they didn't absolve the militants in the Gaza Strip either.
“The first and most urgent priority must be helping the people in Gaza. At the same time, the rocket attacks against Israeli cities must stop immediately. Just as the people of Gaza should not be subject to what they have experienced the Israeli civilians should not have to live in fear of constant and indiscriminate rocketing.
But make no mistake, despite those statements and because they dared to reveal the suffering of everyday Palestinians they WILL be targeted by pro Israel groups. But I have to take my hat off to both of those men for not just towing the company line and speaking truth to power about the kinds of outrages that are being inflicted on the Palestinian people. As Americans we can't allow this kind of stuff to continue. Yes the militants HAVE to stop the rocket fire, but those borders also HAVE to be opened if there is ever going to be any peace in the Middle East.
(h/t TPM)
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Political courage is almost non-existent in the Senate and the House (as well as every other level of government.)
ReplyDeleteThese two men, Baird and Ellison, are courageous indeed to publicly stand up for the Palestinians and focus some light on the humanitarian crisis. Actually, it's beyond a crisis but I do not know if there is even a word to describe it.
We keep turning it's back on the plight of these people, most of us not paying attention, and the ones who are just repeat the same mantras, "Israel has the right to defend itself, etc..." There are a handful of independent media with a different message, but it's just not enough to even slow down the carnage.
Is a massacre okay? Is it ever okay? Why is that such a hard question to answer?
You know the sickest part to me is that at least up until now most Congressmen could try to hide behind the fact that none of them had been to Gaza recently. But John Kerry took his Malboro man looking ass there too and he had not even one thing to say about the suffering of the Palestinian people. And that tells you all you need to know about why that coward didn't win in 2004. In reality he did when but when Bush pressured him not to fight Ohio, like the true coward that he is, he just threw in the towel and betrayed everybody who supported him. I have lost a great deal of respect for him because of that silence.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wonder what it is that Kerry thinks he has to lose by speaking up for the Palestinians? It's not like he wouldn't be re-elected. He is married to a billionaire so he certainly doesn't need anyone's money.
ReplyDeleteHe was a douche bag in 2004 and the people who walked their butts off for him certainly have reason to feel betrayed.
The one good thing he did in 2004 was to pick Obama for the keynote address and give him his first national audience. But I'm really glad that Obama didn't pick Kerry for anything if this trip to Gaza is an example of how effective he would be.