We Can Never Say Enough

WE CAN NEVER SAY ENOUGH -- (House of Representatives - February 25, 2004)

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis) is recognized for 5 minutes.

Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, much has been said, but then you can never say enough when the lives of thousands of people are at stake. You can never say enough when bloodshed is imminent, when chaos is all around.

I have been told that the primary responsibility of leadership is to lead, and I want to commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, for his leadership on this and many other issues with which we have been confronted. Recognize that in times of crisis you have to act; you have to do something. You cannot just sit back and wait and hope.

So, Mr. President, I join with all of my colleagues. I join with those in the international community, those who expect this country, a world leader, to take the initiative and the responsibility to lead, to bring together international thought, international action, establish a real presence in Haiti, establish a presence that will say to the people, come and let us reason together. Otherwise the whole island may be utterly destroyed by the edge of the sword; if not the sword, then the M1s, the grenades, the homemade bombs.

Mr. Speaker, this is a situation where it is difficult to see how our country, the United States of America, the protector, guarantor of rights, if we do not see the humaneness of intervention, and we are not talking about intervention to take over, we are not talking about being oppressive, we are talking about enough presence to settle the climate, to create the environment where people can at least sit at the table, work out an agreement, settle in.

So, Mr. President, I hope that you have heard what my colleagues have been saying. I hope that you and your advisers are listening, and I hope that you understand that the fate of a Nation is actually hanging in the balance, and to imagine that we have the power, we have the ability to save that Nation.

I think it is our duty, it is our responsibility, it is our heritage. It is only what could be expected of a Nation that wants to be the leading Nation of the world. Then we have to take that responsibility. We have to lead, and the best way to demonstrate leadership is to send in enough force to have a presence to bring about a peaceful solution to this imminent bloodbath that is about to occur.

Please, Mr. President, listen to the voices of reason and take action now.

END