Today, I Weep for My Country...

Today, I Weep for My Country…

By Sen. Robert Byrd
March 20, 2003

From the Senate floor Wednesday, Sen. Byrd (D-W.Va.)
asks, "Why can this President not seem to see that
America's true power lies not in its will to
intimidate, but in its ability to inspire?"


I believe in this beautiful country. I have studied
its roots and gloried in the wisdom of its magnificent
Constitution. I have marveled at the wisdom of its
founders and framers. Generation after generation of
Americans has understood the lofty ideals that
underlie our great Republic. I have been inspired by
the story of their sacrifice and their strength.


But, today I weep for my country. I have watched the
events of recent months with a heavy, heavy heart. No
more is the image of America that of the strong yet
benevolent peacekeeper. The image of America has
changed. Around the globe, our friends mistrust us,
our word is disputed, our intentions are questioned.


Instead of reasoning with those with whom we disagree,
we demand obedience or threaten recrimination. Instead
of isolating Saddam Hussein, we seem to have isolated
ourselves. We proclaim a new doctrine of preemption
which is understood by few and feared by many. We say
that the United States has the right to turn its
firepower on any corner of the globe which might be
suspect in the war on terrorism. We assert that right
without the sanction of any international body. As a
result, the world has become a much more dangerous
place.


We flaunt our superpower status with arrogance. We
treat UN Security Council members like ingrates who
offend our princely dignity by lifting their heads
from the carpet. Valuable alliances are split.


After war has ended, the United States will have to
rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will
have to rebuild America's image around the globe.


The case this Administration tries to make to justify
its fixation with war is tainted by charges of
falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We
cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war
for one simple reason. This is a war of choice.


There is no credible information to connect Saddam
Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a
world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda, with cells in
over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our
influence by turning our own planes into missiles, one
of which would likely have slammed into the dome of
this beautiful Capitol except for the brave sacrifice
of the passengers on board.


The brutality seen on September 11th and in other
terrorist attacks we have witnessed around the globe
are the violent and desperate efforts by extremists to
stop the daily encroachment of western values upon
their cultures. That is what we fight. It is a force
not confined to borders. It is a shadowy entity with
many faces, many names, and many addresses.


But this Administration has directed all of the anger,
fear, and grief that emerged from the ashes of the
twin towers and the twisted metal of the Pentagon
towards a tangible villain, one we can see and hate
and attack. And villain he is. But, he is the wrong
villain. And this is the wrong war. If we attack
Saddam Hussein, we will probably drive him from power.
But, the zeal of our friends to assist our global war
on terrorism may have already taken flight.


The general unease surrounding this war is not just
due to "orange alert." There is a pervasive sense of
rush and risk and too many questions unanswered. How
long will we be in Iraq? What will be the cost? What
is the ultimate mission? How great is the danger at
home?


A pall has fallen over the Senate Chamber. We avoid
our solemn duty to debate the one topic on the minds
of all Americans, even while scores of thousands of
our sons and daughters faithfully do their duty in
Iraq.


What is happening to this country? When did we become
a nation that ignores and berates our friends? When
did we decide to risk undermining international order
by adopting a radical and doctrinaire approach to
using our awesome military might? How can we abandon
diplomatic efforts when the turmoil in the world cries
out for diplomacy?


Why can this President not seem to see that America's
true power lies not in its will to intimidate, but in
its ability to inspire?


War appears inevitable. But, I continue to hope that
the cloud will lift. Perhaps Saddam will yet turn tail
and run. Perhaps reason will somehow still prevail.
Along with millions of Americans I will pray for the
safety of our troops, for the innocent civilians in
Iraq, and for the security of our homeland. May God
continue to bless the United States of America in the
troubled days ahead, and may we somehow recapture the
vision that for the present eludes us.



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ARCADIA: long poem serialized in the muse apprentice guild: http://www.muse-apprentice-guild.com/
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