Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today as the Syrian displacement crisis has consumed seven nations in the Middle East, among them Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, obviously, and Syria itself, and has spawned the largest refugee crisis Europe has faced since World War II. The scope of the damage is incredible. This protracted conflict has decimated Syria's infrastructure and has already taken the lives of over 250,000 civilians, has displaced over 4 million people, and has subjected tens upon thousands of children in that nation to Assad's horrific barrel bombs. Most everyone who remains in Syria endures power and water cuts, the threat of shelling, galloping inflation, and rampant speculation about: What will happen next? Who will help us, the innocents? With roads often subject to ambush, freedom to travel has been heavily curtailed. Checkpoints and concrete blast barriers have become accepted adornments of daily life. Institutions such as schools, hospitals, and offices remain open in government-held areas, though many schools have become shelters for the legions of war injured and homeless. Truly, it is grim. Often, classes are held in double shifts to make room for the extra students. This is everyday life in Syria. Five years into the conflict that has ravaged this once-modern nation, more than half of the Syrian population is displaced, with over 4 million refugees in neighboring countries and tens of thousands moving toward Europe. We see this on television every evening.…”