Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight an ongoing crime against humanity in East Africa and particularly in Tanzania: the butchering of people with albinism in order to sell their body parts for profit. According to rumors spread by witch doctors, the body parts of people with albinism can bring good luck. A single limb of a person with albinism can sell somewhere from $500 to $2,000, a king's ransom in much of the countryside of Tanzania. I recently met with a survivor of this horrific crime who told me her dramatic story in her own words-- Mariamu Stanford, a 28-year-old woman with albinism, from rural Tanzania. One night in October of 2008, Mariamu was attacked in her sleep by a group of machete-wielding men who cut off both of her arms. In the end, she also lost her unborn child. Despite all this, she is a survivor who is relaying her story in the hopes that these brutal crimes against people with albinism will end. To this extent, Madam Speaker, I will be introducing a House resolution recognizing the plight of people in East Africa with albinism, condemning their murder and mutilation, and calling for swift action by our country and that of Tanzania. ____________________”