Steve Pearce: “as we consider the implications of the debate about the photographs that our news media has been putting on the front…”

“as we consider the implications of the debate about the photographs that our news media has been putting on the front pages and on the TV screens, it is important that we begin to calm down and to take a look at what we are doing and to remember why we are in Iraq. Frankly, as we hear the discussions about having the President impeached and the Secretary of Defense resign, it is important for us to remember that 9-11 changed everything. So soon we forget, Mr. Speaker. 9-11 is the day that innocent civilians in this country went to work in the morning expecting they would come home to their families that night. 9-11 was the day that this body convened for its normal business. 9-11 was the day soccer moms became security moms, worried about the safety of their children in the streets. And President Bush said that he would fight terror; that if you harbored a terrorist, you were a terrorist; if you funded a terrorist, you were a terrorist; if you allowed them to pass through your country, you were a terrorist. And, Mr. Speaker, he has been solid and resolute about that commitment. No matter how despicable the acts of our soldiers in Abu Ghraib prison, they remain the actions of just a few. They do not reflect the majority opinion. They do not reflect American values, and they do not reflect what is going on in Iraq. Because there are magnificent tales of sacrifice and commitment going on in Iraq.…”