Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of this resolution addressing the tragic earthquake which took over 2,000 lives and left over 10,000 injured when it struck on April 14, 2010. I would, however, like to mention an omission in the official American response to this tragedy--one that is only partially rectified in the wording of this resolution. The epicenter of the earthquake struck on the Tibetan plateau and the vast majority of victims were from Tibet. Yet the message of condolence issued in the name of the Secretary of State on April 15, while ``offering thoughts and prayers for the people of China on this difficult day,'' made no mention of the thousands of Tibetans who lost their lives, their homes, and their places of worship. Madam Speaker, political correctness has no place when addressing human tragedy, no matter where it occurs in the world. While we mourn the death of both Tibetans and the Chinese migrant workers who were in the area, we should not ignore the fact that this was one more blow to the Tibetan heartland. The damage to Tibetan monasteries caused by this earthquake is only the latest event in the sad chapter of the devastation of this culture over the past half century. The war waged against Tibetan culture began with the Chinese People's Liberation Army invasion of the Tibetan plateau in 1959.…”