Dec 19, 2012
Anything less is demeaning to the process and to ourselves as good, decent human beings.
Gary Ackerman
The Public Record
★ Featured Quote
December 19, 2012
The public is sick and tired of it, as they should be.
— Gary Ackerman
Most widely reported
by number of sources- I rise today to bring to the attention of the House an event which I think is unwise and unprecedented2 sources1997congress.gov
- today we embarrass the memory of our Founding Fathers as we torture the intent of the genius of their system of balancing the awesome powers of government2 sources1997congress.gov
- I rise today, together with my colleagues, to commemorate the Armenian Genocide of 1915-23. On this day, in 1915, over 200 Armenian leaders were systematically massacred by the Turkish Government. Yet these horrific murders were only a precursor to the brutality and aggressiveness that would follow. In just 8 years, over 1.5 million Armenian men, women, and children were murdered and an entire population was faced with annihilation. I stand today, not only to acknowledge and remember the horrors of this tragic event but to denounce the government of Turkey for their denial of these historically documented truths. The official position of the Turkish Government is that, during World War I, a series of internal conflicts contributed to the unfortunate deaths of many Armenians. This claim shamefully ignores the premeditated murder of these people. As Members of Congress and as human beings, it is our responsibility to defend the memories of those who needlessly suffered. We must preserve the dignity of lives destroyed by the cruelty of a government. Their plight deserves remembrance and the world deserves the truth. The Turkish Government's refusal to acknowledge the Armenian genocide is disgraceful and I find it to be an injustice, which should not be tolerated under any circumstances. It is essential to recognize the devastation that was incurred by ignoring the Armenian genocide and allowing such horrors to reoccur through the Holocaust.2 sources1997govinfo.gov
- I love our flag and that for which it stands. It stands for a Nation founded by people fleeing from an oppressive regime. It stands for freedoms, not the least of which is the freedom of opinion and the unimpeded expression thereof, including the freedom to protest. Bear in mind, this was a Nation founded by protesters. When our Founding Fathers sought to guarantee these freedoms, they created not a flag but a Constitution, debating the meaning of each and every word, every amendment, every one of which gives people rights. They did not debate a flag. The flag would become a symbol of these rights. There are those who would have fewer rights. Why? What is the threat to the Republic that drives us to erode the Bill of Rights? Well, someone burned the flag. Whatever happened to fighting to the death for somebody's right to disagree? We now choose instead to react by taking away a form of the right to protest. Most people abhor flag burners, but even a despicable, low-life malcontent has a right to disagree and disagree in an obnoxious fashion if he wishes. That is the true test of free expression, and we here are about to fail that test. These are rare but vile acts of desecration that have been cited by those who would propose changing our founding document, but these acts do not harm anybody. If a jerk burns a flag, America is not threatened. If a jerk burns a flag, democracy is not under siege. If a jerk burns a flag, freedom is not at risk. We are offended.…2 sources2003govinfo.gov
congress.gov
Dec 19, 2012
We need two viable political parties in this country to make our democracy work.
Sep 19, 2012
Today the Middle East is a very different region than the one I first encountered as a new Member of Congress in 1983.
Sep 19, 2012
I still find it intriguing that people who are such really brilliant thinkers will sometimes reach conclusions that one might legitimately disagree with.
Sep 19, 2012
The military relationship between Israel and the United States... has never been better.
Sep 19, 2012
I have always found that Members of Congress don't get enough credit for being as thoughtful as most of us have been.
Sep 19, 2012
To try to blame that on the administration is like me trying to blame President Bush for Pluto being thrown out of the list of planets.
Sep 10, 2012
The stench of hypocrisy that hangs over this city today emanates from this room.
Jul 9, 2012
There was a moment in the recent past when corruption may have actually prevented a breakthrough moment in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
Jul 9, 2012
There is corruption everywhere. I think on a scale of all the nations, 1 to 184, I think Sweden or Finland is number one with the least corruption and North Korea is 184.
Jul 9, 2012
The corruption and the money from corruption, both under the regime of Yasser Arafat and under the current government of Mahmoud Abbas, seems to center on them and their families acquiring all of this money.
Jul 9, 2012
I would divide the camp up into those who want to help the peace process, and then there is a small splinter group of people who are so blinded in their support, trip over themselves, that say we should do everything we have to do to help…
Jul 9, 2012
I believe that the money that we give the Palestinian Authority directly is to pay bills, which means that that money that we give them is really a passthrough to Israel to pay their bills for their electricity so that Israel keeps their…
Jun 19, 2012
We have an interest in strongly supporting a democratic government that respects the rights of its citizens and rule of law.
Jun 19, 2012
I hope to see power handed over to a civilian government that is committed to a pluralistic Egypt that remains an ally of the United States and committed to peace with Israel.
Jun 19, 2012
Sometimes you root for the bad guy. I remember once as a much younger congressman trying to explain my vote before a newspaper editorial board.
Jun 19, 2012
If making predictions is a sucker's game, then making predictions about Egypt must be a sort for mad men.
Jun 19, 2012
These are the people who initially pledged that they weren't going to contest for the presidency and they compromised by going back on what they said they weren't going to do.
Politicians like Gary Ackerman
