One Lonely Congresswoman Speaks Out on Gaza

[babylonsister]

http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/12/29/one_lonely_congresswoman_speak/

One Lonely Congresswoman Speaks Out on Gaza

By M.J. Rosenberg - December 29, 2008, 5:49PM


Lois Capps of Santa Barbara, not surprisingly the only nurse in Congress.

"Obviously, Israel has the absolute right to defend itself from Hamas terrorists and other threats to its security. The ongoing rocket attacks on Israel are unacceptable and must be stopped. However, I fear the current military operation in Gaza represents a vastly disproportionate response that will further destabilize the region.

"Simple humanity demands that we grieve for the dead Palestinian child as much as we mourn the dead Israeli child. The numbers of dead and injured in Gaza, and the televised images of the humanitarian crisis now unfolding are truly shocking. And while this renewed state of war is clearly a tragedy for the Palestinian people, it will also bring a renewed state of fear in Israel because the threat of another wave of suicide bombing in Israeli cities is all too real.

"As a Member of Congress strongly dedicated to Israel's security, I believe an immediate ceasefire is necessary. And since this eruption of violence in Gaza is so clearly detrimental to U.S. national interests, I call upon both President Bush and President-elect Obama to use their influence to push both sides to stop shooting and renew the ceasefire."

Note the shocking refusal to distinguish between Palestinian children and Israeli children. Amazing.

Give Capps credit. She is saying in public what most Democrats are saying in private, but fear to say out loud. Let me know if any other profiles in courage raise their heads. Meanwhile, (Here is the official Democratic response to Gaza):
http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/1208/Hoyer_Israel_acting_in_selfdefense.html

[cali]

1. great comments by Capps

I really hope more of our reps and senators will start speaking out.

[chimpymustgo]

2. This is what Obama needs to say. Keep it simple. But appeal to basic humanity and desire to find

new ways to solve old problems.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Kudos to Capps

both children a precious, and both deserve life. And NEITHER is responsible for what their government is doing, and yet both are being held accountable.

[Ichingcarpenter]

4. Lois is my Rep

She spoke against 8 too. Her office is also responsive to my e-mails and phone calls.
She's a great Rep who sometimes I even get to talk to.

[GodlessBiker]

8. She sounds like a winner, which makes you a winner!

[rvablue]

22. Didn't her husband hold the office before her?

Took a class with that man once and I adored him.

What a fantastic amazing couple!

[Ichingcarpenter]

25. Yes he died and she took over the office then got reelected

many times. My friend use to work in her office in 2000 and introduced me
back in the 2004 election. I'm lucky to have her as my rep.

[MadMaddie]

5. Meanwhile * is on vacation and he won't bother his

remaining 21 days with world or national events.

[Ken Burch]

33. Shouldn't we be relieved about that, though?

It's finally a GOOD thing that Lil' Dubbikins is kicking back, from where I see it.

[Robbien]

6. She has courage

Her campaign contributions will take a hit for her courage, but I am so glad she is representing all of us who disagree with the massive bombing attack on Palestine.

[madrchsod]

7. there`s only a few who have the courage....

to speak out against those who have unleashed the power of the idf against the people of gaza. it`s collective punishment

[newtothegame]

9. How do you determine a "proportionate response" to rockets being fired at you?

Killing is killing is killing. It's all sickening. There is no proportionate response; what did Hamas expect?

[Bjorn Against]

10. A proportionate response means going after the aggressors but not the innocent civilians.

Most of the people who have been killed in the Israeli strikes have been innocent civilians, that is what makes it a disproportionate response.

[newtothegame]

14. But isn't Hamas amongst the civilians? I mean they're not in caves out in the countryside.

Not justifying, but just saying, again, what did Hamas expect would happen after Israel warned them about the upscaled rocket attacks?

[Bjorn Against]

20. Some of them are yes...

Hamas is the ruling political party in Palestine right now, and it should be clear that not all members of Hamas are engaged in these attacks. The ones who do shoot rockets Israel has every right to do what they need to do within the realm of international law to take care of them, but an attack on civilians is an attack on civilians whether that attack is committed by Hamas or by Israel. If you look at the numbers Israel has killed far more Palestinian civilians than Palestinians have killed Israelis, but the killing on both sides is wrong and it needs to stop. The only way to stop the killing is to stop pretending like one side is completely right and the other side is completely wrong. There are both Israelis and Palestinians who want peace, and there are both Israelis and Palestinians who want to see blood spilled from the other side. We need to listen to the people on both sides who want peace, and we need to stop enabling those who want more violence.

[rvablue]

23. What about the innocent women and children who hold no political power in Hamas?

Is is OK for people to die mercilessly because the actions of their leaders, of which they have no control?

Would you feel it justified if tomorrow there was (hypothetically) an Iraqi Air Force and they bombed your house, even though you disagreed with the Bush policies and actions?

Would that be fair and just?

There are just as many Palestinians as there are Israelis who want peace. Peace to raise a family. Peace to go to school. Peace to be able to participate in the determination of their own lives.

It's pretty much a universal desire shared by humanity, which ends up getting derailed my only the powerful few.

[FiveGoodMen]

27. Well, I think that when 19 Arab men pulled off 9-11

We should have retaliated by killing everyone in the Middle East.

What did they expect?

[defendandprotect]

38. And . . .

should Japan be planning one day to nuke every American?
What should we expect?
What about Guatamala, Chile, Hawaii and every other nation that
we've arranged coups for and exploited?

Also, the "alleged" hijackers were primarily Saudis -- yet we attacked
Afghanistan and Iraq--!!

[defendandprotect]

37. Keep in mind, the rockets were a "response" to . . .

Israel's breaking the truce by killing Palestinians.

[still_one]

11. and why shouldn't this be in the I/P forum for discussion? /nt

[babylonsister]

12. Does it bother you? This isn't an opinion, it's a fact. nt

[still_one]

15. yeah it does bother me. There is a I/P section to discuss such things /nt

[babylonsister]

16. What's to discuss? This is a statement by one Congresswoman. nt

[still_one]

18. It isn't the Congressperson's statement, it is discussing the possible solutions to a very complex

problem, and that is what the I/P area is for

[Recursion]

29. I/P is for specific news articles

Not for general discussion of the Israel/Palestine situation.

[Warpy]

13. Israel vows to demolish Hamas brick by brick and Hamas vows

to exterminate every Jew in the region.

Does anyone else see the real problem here?

[still_one]

17. Of course those views by some wouldn't be considered "genocide", while that word is very freely

thrown at Israel whenever there is active trouble

Which is another reason that this thread belongs in the I/P forum

[defendandprotect]

40. Israel is prohibiting the UN from delivering supplies to Gaza . ..

Israel is a nuclear nation ---

Gaza is largely without food, electricity, medicines.

[defendandprotect]

39. Yes . . .

the Bush Administration --

We need to hae a halt in the bombing of Gaza -
a STOP to the killing of innocents. BILATERAL CEASEFIRE.


From day one of the Bush administration, they've winked at Israel's

fanatical religious right wing who have been as warmongering as Bush.

[RiverStone]

19. While I fully empathize with Lois Capps, I do wonder...

Where is the line between a disproportionate response and a proportionate response?

It's all insanity and crazy of course - so maybe there is no good answer to the question.

And I would imagine the answer to said question would be very different if you live (or your children/family) live in the potential path of a Hamas rocket or an Israeli bombing run.

The only real solution - is for ALL violence to end.

[rvablue]

24. Does walling off an area and refusing the bare necessities of life such

as food, medecine and fuel constitute and act of violence?

[Recursion]

30. What's the proportionate response to a deadly embargo?

A lot of people would say it goes far beyond launching a few rockets.

[LeftishBrit]

21. Good for her.

[Hekate]

26. Lois Capps is my Congresswoman, and I'm so proud of her. nt

[FLAprogressive]

28. AIPAC will get on her for this one. nt

[Ken Burch]

32. They're probably already recruiting a West Coast Denise Majette or Hank Whatsisname.

n/t.

[Zaidinit]

34. They probably call it the McKinney strategy

Unfortunately for them I don't think Copps or Kucinich are beatable, they're crazy popular amongst their constituents.

[defendandprotect]

41. That's a subject which needs more airing . . .

[Hekate]

43. Lois has a solid Democratic base here, and as a founding member of ...

... the Santa Barbara Women's Political Committee I think she has some politically active Jewish women pretty solidly at her side.

Hekate

[LWolf]

31. I appreciate her efforts, although she is not the only:

http://kucinich.house.gov/

And, of course, there is the brave former Congresswoman, repeatedly eviscerated here at DU:

http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Cynthia_McKinneys_boat_rammed_by_Israeli_1230.html

[defendandprotect]

36. A truth teller who is very much missed in Congress ....

[defendandprotect]

35. "She is saying in public what most Democrats are saying in private, but fear to say out loud. "

Well, even that's encouraging if they at least tell truth in private!

Israel is a nuclear power -- being supplied money and weapons by US/Bush.

And, as the UN described it, Israel is "waging full scale war" on Palestinians --

who are, btw, most often without food, electricity, medical care ---

and Israel is banning UN from delivering aid.

[WillYourVoteBCounted]

42. a lady congresswoman with balls

thank you thank you! No more killing!!!!!!

Its horrible and sickening already.

[G_j]

44. K

[spanone]

45. k&r

Error: you can only recommend threads which were started in the past 24 hours

[spanone]

46. our leaders have been woefully silent on this...and i don't mean obama