Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, not since the bubonic plague swept across the world in the last millennium killing more than 250 million people has our world confronted such a horrible, unspeakable curse as we are now witnessing with the growing HIV/AIDS pandemic. In the very short time that we will spend today considering this legislation, thousands of people around the world will die of HIV/AIDS. The number of dead or dying is grotesquely high: 25 million already dead worldwide and growing at the rate of 8,500 every day, with the horror of entire villages populated only by orphans because the adults are dead or dying from AIDS. I do not mean to demean the work of this House, but so much of what we do is really unimportant and trivial; but not today. Today we have an opportunity, the opportunity to do something significant and of lasting importance. Today we have an obligation, the obligation to do something reflecting our commitment to human solidarity. We have a privilege today, the privilege of doing something truly compassionate. It is no exaggeration to compare the AIDS pandemic in Africa to the bubonic plague in medieval Europe.”