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Post by Ethan Hall (D-IA) on Dec 29, 2005 15:55:53 GMT -5
Nay.
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William Reynolds
DNC Chair
A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.
Posts: 100
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Post by William Reynolds on Dec 29, 2005 21:24:10 GMT -5
Nay
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Post by rickmclaughlin on Dec 30, 2005 0:45:53 GMT -5
Aye
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Post by Hank Goodwin on Dec 30, 2005 1:13:04 GMT -5
Distinguished colleagues, there should never be a quick and easy march to armed conflict. I am very pleased to see that the members of this chamber recognize that. Military force can do much good, indeed, it has done much good in our history, from gaining us a nation, to giving that nation a new birth of freedom without slavery, to ending the threats of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. However, much destruction always accompanies this good, so it is a testament to the greatness of our nation that we are so reluctant to use our military power, and we are here debating the issue to assure that we do not commit to the use of force unless there is no alternative.
There is, however, an unfortunate side effect to this reluctance to use force. Many times we have resisted the use of force, hoping for a peaceful solution, only to find that while we failed to act the danger merely grew till it exploded in front of us, and by then a situation which could have been handled easily earlier now necessitated a long, hard struggle. Such was the case with the Civil War, where we hoped that if we ignored slavery it might eventually go away, only to find ourselves fighting brother against brother. Such was the case with World War II, where we hoped that Hitler could be appeased, or, even if not, that the war would never cross a vast ocean to reach our shores, only to face the horror of Pearl Harbor and find ourselves suddenly pitched into the midst of a global war. Such was the case with the war on terror, where we ignored the growth of international terrorist groups until they managed to bring the twin towers down. And such is the case again today.
Several years ago, many experts warned us that if we did not act, Iran would develop nuclear weapons. Yet we did nothing, standing aside and hoping that the UN or the EU could create some sort of compromise. Now we are facing the price of our inaction, as Iran flaunts its newly acquired weapons. Iran, a nation with a radical, theocratic government, a nation with a President who has declared his desire to wipe our ally Israel off the map, a nation that has been a longtime supporter of terrorism, now has nuclear weapons.
It is, as I said, a testament to the nature of our great nation and the character of the men who serve it in this chamber that some still want to avoid force and still hope for a peaceful solution. The chance for a peaceful solution, however, is rapidly disappearing. The deterrence we relied on throughout the Cold War is no longer viable in the age of global terrorism. We cannot hope to contain Iran's nuclear weapons when those weapons can easily find their way to any number of terror groups. Given the destructive nature of these weapons, this is not a threat we can ignore. The simple fact is that the conflict is already upon us. Our only choice is whether we start it on our terms, where we may still have a chance to prevent a complete catastrophe from occurring, or whether we allow them to start it on their terms, which will likely involve a mushroom cloud above an American city rather than an isolated mountain near the Iran-Afghanistan border. That is why I hope you will join me in voting aye.
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Post by Emory Benton on Dec 30, 2005 14:41:56 GMT -5
Edit, OOC: Sorry, missed the last 2 pages of debate. Will read and modify this post.
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Post by Speaker Hastert on Dec 30, 2005 15:04:02 GMT -5
House Members, debate has ended. We are now in the voting stage. Please place your votes without debate.
If you care to make other statements, you may use the open floor in the Morning Comments section.
Thankyou.
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Post by Ken Green on Dec 30, 2005 22:03:30 GMT -5
Aye
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Post by Emory Benton on Dec 30, 2005 22:37:17 GMT -5
AYE
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Post by Anthony Mahl on Dec 31, 2005 14:45:00 GMT -5
AYE
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Post by Speaker Hastert on Dec 31, 2005 16:56:33 GMT -5
Debate has ended *gavel* The Admin will release the results.
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Post by Rick Warder on Dec 31, 2005 17:11:40 GMT -5
224-209, resolution passes the House.
E.
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