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By Donna Lamb |
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REV. AL SHARPTON KEEPS THE PRESSURE ON!
 residential
candidate Al Sharpton began his weekly address at the National Action
Network's Saturday Morning Action Rally, broadcast live over WWRL and
WLIB radio, by encouraging everyone who can to be active in the anti-war
movement.
 "With
President Bush playing his game with Iraq, we are engaged in the most
dangerous pursuit that I've seen in my lifetime," he stated.
"For the life of me I can't understand how they can play politics with
something as deadly as this war. The reaction to it around the world is
a threat to the American people way beyond anything else. If there's a
war, it won't be between Hussein and Bush, it will be between people and
people. Let's not forget, when they hit the World Trade Center, nearly
3,000 people who had nothing to do with foreign policy died."
Sharpton said that people who sit and watch the war preparations
unfold in the news like it's some kind of spectator sport need to
realize that this can come into all of our homes and lives if we're not
careful. We have to deal with this as seriously as we can.
He was also exceedingly critical of the egotism of the United States
government, which says to other countries that the only way they're
relevant is if they do what our government wants. "This is that whole
historic tradition of acting like we are superior and can make a
decision and you must respond - like the whole world has to do Bushes
bidding," he said. "Now if that isn't arrogant, I don't know what is!"
He pointed out, too, that the reason Bush gives for this war keeps
changing. "First, he made the argument for war that we must eliminate
Hussein because he has weapons of mass destruction. When that didn't
work he said, 'Well, they aren't cooperating with the weapons
inspections.' But the weapons inspectors said, 'Give us more time,' so
that didn't work. Now he says the only way to solve the problem in the
Middle East is to go after Hussein. But how do you get peace in the
Middle East by destroying Iraq? It makes no sense. So that," Sharpton
observed, "is 3 rationales in 6 months, none of which makes any sense."
He also told his listeners to keep watching Bush because he's saying
now that we'll take Iraq and make it a model democratic state. "So it
isn't about weapons, it isn't about danger to this country; this is
about our taking over and controlling Iraq," Sharpton explained. And,
referring to the botched election that foisted upon us a selected
resident in the White House instead of a duly elected president, he
asked, "How are you going to build a model democratic state in Iraq when
you can't build one in Florida? What makes you think you can do
something in Baghdad that you can't do in Miami?
"Talking about democracy," he continued, "who in Iraq voted that they
wanted the United States to come and set up their country? Where did
they hear this? And finally, when you don't have money for Medicaid,
prescription drugs, housing, public education, how do you have money to
run another country?"
Sharpton made it clear that he believes this country's financial
resources should be utilized in benevolent ways right here at home, not
in trying to strong-arm impoverished nations into helping us attack
Iraq.
"I say we should invest $3 billion in the infrastructure of this
country," he stated resoundingly. "I say we should invest in national
health care, in providing our young people with something to do to earn
money during the summers. The government says we don't have the money
for these types of things, but when Turkey said they need $26 billion
for a toll road we say, 'Here's the money.' The government says we don't
have any money for the south side of Chicago, for the inner city of Los
Angeles or for Harlem but we've got $26 billion for toll roads in
countries bordering Iraq.
"This is the Compassionate Conservative," Rev. Al Sharpton
concluded. "This is George Dubya who knows how to smile and be
compassionate while he takes care of the interests of the rich, but has
no money for those who need it most."
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