Political Quotes

“I rise today to honor Lasantha Wickramatunga, a brave journalist who was gunned down while driving to work in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. Threats, attacks and murders of journalists are becoming all too common in Sri Lanka. Mr. Wickramatunga knew the dangers too well but courageously continued reporting. Recognizing his work might cost him his life, Mr. Wickramatunga wrote a letter to be published in the event of his assassination. Today I will read excerpts of his letter which was published by his paper, The Sunday Leader, on January 11, 3 days after he was killed. He wrote, ``No other profession calls on its practitioners to lay down their lives for their art save the armed forces and, in Sri Lanka, journalism. In the course of the past few years, the independent media have increasingly come under attack. Electronic and print media institutions have been burnt, bombed, sealed and coerced. Countless journalists have been harassed, threatened and killed. It has been my honor to belong to all those categories and now especially the last. ``Why then do we do it? I often wonder that. After all, I too am a husband, and the father of three wonderful children. I too have responsibilities and obligations that transcend my profession, be it the law or journalism.”