Mike Thompson: “I agree that this debate should not be limited to the actions of those responsible for these inhumane acts. It is also…”

“I agree that this debate should not be limited to the actions of those responsible for these inhumane acts. It is also about the tens of thousands of U.S. military personnel who are performing their jobs honorably and bravely in the face of danger every single day. It is important for us to focus on these men and women today, Mr. Speaker, because the system that broke down and the system that is responsible for these inhumanities has just placed an even larger target on each of their foreheads. For the 138,000 brave men and women, and for the countless other Americans in Iraq today, their lives have become even more perilous with every new disclosure of atrocity. This Congress was kept in the dark for months, but now the lights have been turned on. For every minute we take to find our voice, to take a bold action, to demonstrate to the world that American democracy and humanity are more than words that we teach to schoolchildren, is another minute that our soldiers face more danger and even greater odds than they would have faced otherwise, and they exacerbate their chances of getting back home to see their families again.”