Troops in Afghanistan - The House Votes

"Now is the time for those of us who believe in peace and not war to find a way to get in the way."

These are the words of civil rights leader John Lewis from Wednesday’s debate to remove US troops from Afghanistan by the end of the year. The bill, introduced by Dennis Kucinich, ended up losing 356 to 65. [roll call here]

Representative Lewis (D-GA) spoke against a war-fighting policy that can only mean more death and destruction with the arrival of an additional 30,000 U.S. troops. Unless the escalation is stopped, by the end of this year, 100,000 U.S. troops will be in Afghanistan.

I rise today to join my colleagues and speak out against the war in Afghanistan. How much death must we bear, how much pain must we suffer, how much blood must we spill to say enough is enough? Can we lay down the burden of war and lift up the power of peace? Now is time for the elected representatives of the people to give peace a chance. Now is the time for those of us who believe in peace and not war to find a way to get in the way.

… war is bloody, war is messy. It tends not just to hide the truth, but to sacrifice the truth, to bury the truth. It destroys the hopes, the dreams, and the aspirations of a people.

As one great general and President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower once said, "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed."

I urge you to heed the words of the spiritual: "I'm going to lay my burden down. Down by the riverside. I ain't gonna study war no more." We should follow the wisdom of that song.

This war has gone on long enough. Enough is enough. It is time to bring this war to an end. I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this resolution. Link