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Fear, Loathing, and Abstinence
"It is refreshing to know that I have an Advocate who sits in Washington, DC with our well being in mind."
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By Anyi Howell
On February 11th, 2005 California’s ninth district representative Barbara Lee gave a state of the district speech. She discussed the war in Iraq, AIDS prevention, and the federal budget which the President outlined in his state of the union address last January.
Congresswoman Lee is best known for her lone vote against giving President Bush, basically, a blank check to got to war after 9-11. She did not disappoint those against the current administration, by placing Bush’s budget under great scrutiny. She stated that Bush doesn’t have the courage to acknowledge the cost of this war by including it in this budget. Instead, he sent a supplemental request of about 82 billion dollars to fund the next phase of the Iraqi war.
BARBARA (on tape)
I believe if he’s going to ask congress and the American people for another 80 billion, first of all they need to talk about where the 200 billion has gone, where the 9 billion that Bremer lost has gone, why our young people had to take on Donald Rumsfield about not having the protective gear that they needed, why Halliburton has been fined and been found to be guilty of all kinds of mismanaging of funds. Also, I think he needs to spell out a clear plan on how he plans to clean up this mess and get our troops home, that's what he needs to do.
ANYI
On January 26th, 2005 a helicopter crashed in Iraq, killing some 30 marines on board. It was labeled by the press as the bloodiest day of the war. For me, the story came as a complete nightmare. A friend I grew up with enlisted as a marine last year with aspirations of becoming a pilot. When news of the story broke, I instantly wondered about my patna and whether he was safe or not. A couple of days later I learned he was not among the dead but I still was uneasy. Uneasy because while he wasn't harmed in this incident, he lives and works in constant danger. Uneasy because I know if something were to jump off, it is highly likely that he’s ill-equipped to survive in combat seeing as how sufficient armor doesn't fall in the 200-plus billion dollar Iraqi war budget. I feel even more uneasy when I think of who my long time friend is facing in battle, presumably in the name of our freedom: a Fallujan freedom-fighter, otherwise known as an insurgent. If I am this worried for homey, I cannot imagine the terror my patna's parents and brother feel.
It really makes me wish Halliburton manufactured body armor– you know they would definitely be able to get a military contract.
BARBARA (on tape)
The president needs to recognize that our troops have become the focal point for the insurgency and he should work very hard to remove these targets from their backs. That's why I've joined my fellow Progressive Caucus co-chair Congresswoman Lin Woolsey in introducing a resolution calling on the president to bring our troops home and end this occupation once and for all.
ANYI
Lee also calls out the president for alienating the young American population with other misguided policies.
BARBARA (on tape)
We know its politically expedient now to notice that AIDS has disproportionately effected the African American community as I said earlier, Alameda Caounty has declared a state of emergency and we have a wonderful task force, working to address a comprehensive approach to this pandemic here in our own area. This week we passed a resolution which the AIDS community really wanted, first time ever, in Congress celebrating the goals and the ideals of National Black HIV/AIDS Day, and the Republicans went along with it, but you know what, they removed all mentions of condoms from the resolution.
ANYI
The ABC’s of HIV/AIDS prevention– Abstain, Be faithful, and use Condoms– is a philosophy that is endorsed by the medical community. Apparently for Bush, ideology takes precedence over the health of young Americans when it comes to condom usage. This tells me the administration isn’t interested in actually curbing HIV/AIDS infections... otherwise there’d be no half steppin’.
BARBARA (on tape)
So of course if any of you were watching CSPAN, all of my speakers talked about that, we have to have a comprehensive approach like "What does C mean in the ABC's?" so we're taking them on that because this is a policy that is killing our young people and they deserve better, they really do.
ANYI
That makes me wish Halliburton was a health care provider, or at least a condom manufacturer. But seriously, holding schools to tougher standards while simultaneously snatching funds from beneath them, sending troops to war without proper equipment, not properly informing youth how to prevent HIV/AIDS infections in their lives, in addition to the push to privatize social security, leads me to conclude that this administration doesn’t care too much for my future or the future of the future. Of course this is a point made over and over by other informed citizens to the point it’s like re-frying barbequed chicken. Those in tune with these truths, like Barbara Lee, are classified as far left. However they should be far from left alone.
BARBARA (on tape)
So we always have to ask the question, Where do we go from here? What do we do? Now, first we've got to continue the fight against this immoral budget and this Bush Administration, and all their immoral policies. That's the moral thing we have to do. We've got to fight back to reclaim this country and that means hitting the streets. I think we need more marches and more mass protests.
ANYI
It is refreshing to know that I have an advocate who sits in Washington, D.C. with our well being in mind.
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