Frank Lautenberg: “I am in a state of shock over the casual dismissal of the opinions of the American people, in huge majorities, who say…”

“I am in a state of shock over the casual dismissal of the opinions of the American people, in huge majorities, who say: We have had enough of this war, and we want to make a change. They want us to start to position ourselves in a manner that would allow us to bring our people home. Not far from this Senate floor, in the middle of the National Mall, is a place of stone and water, of strength and reflection. It is a place that is important to me and, I think, important to the country as a whole. It is where we honor those who served and those who died in World War II. I proudly wore the uniform of my country during that war. I do not consider myself a hero, but I did my duty to the best of my ability. I and 16 million others went to war because our mission was clear: defeat the enemy who attacked us. And while the battles were fought across the ocean, the entire country united. They all sacrificed. That was the message: sacrifice, sacrifice at home, use less gas, turn off the lights, reduce energy consumption, black out the beachfront places or coastal areas so the enemy could not see the lights of the cities. Even with rising injuries and casualties in World War II, America kept its resolve because we believed in our leaders. How times have changed.”