Through Foggy London Town the Sun was Shining Everywhere
THROUGH FOGGY LONDON TOWN THE SUN WAS SHINING EVERYWHERE -- (House of Representatives - July 18, 2005)
Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express sorrow and solidarity for the London subway and the bus bombing of Thursday, July 7.
I also wish to express my incredulity at the continued brazenness of the pockets of terrorists who attack noncombatants, civilians, and commuters going about their everyday lives.
Certainly, the murder of civilians for political statement did not just begin on September 11, 2001. Nearly 20 years ago, my colleagues, October 1985, four Palestinian terrorists shot Leon Klinghoffer, a retired disabled appliance manufacturer of New York. He was peacefully celebrating his wedding anniversary on a cruise ship on the Achille Lauro.
They then threw him overboard in his wheelchair. He was still alive. And his wife, Marilyn, watched in horror as did all civilized people.
Today's terrorists are pursuing a distinct route. They are increasingly attacking civilians in symbolic targets, such as those of economic importance, or venues of bustling life like public transportation or entertainment, like nightclubs. From New York, Arlington, and Pennsylvania, to Morocco, Istanbul, Bali, Madrid, London, and this week in Kusadasi, a popular beach resort in Turkey, where a bomb on a tour bus killed five and wreaked havoc.
Indeed, this approach of disrupting commerce has been advocated by bin Ladin in his recent recorded speeches. In his videotaped speech to the American people last November, on the eve of the United States elections, he boasted of ``The success of the bleeding until bankruptcy plan.''
Well, they are failing because the markets are resilient. Markets rebounded quickly from morning jitters after the London Thursday terrorist bombing. By week's end, stock markets had more than recovered from the initial sell-off, while oil prices fell back below $60. The markets had become inured to the effects of the terrorist attacks.
Fundamentalist terrorists are slipping in combating other so-called evils to their way of thinking. First, they think a woman's place is under wraps, both physically, financially, and figuratively. Well, today women are prominent leaders in two formerly oppressed nations. Dr. Massouda Jalal is Afghanistan's Minister of Women's Affairs. In Iraq that position is held by Narmin Othman.
Another defeat for terrorists? Some of them decry technological innovation as instruments of consumerism and capitalism. And yet even as the debris fell on Londoners, the images of the carnage were captured immediately by bystanders and even victims themselves on cell phone cameras. This is happening in Communist China too, where it is even harder for autocrats to quell protests, as the dissenters can broadcast it around the world. The message to take from this technology exposes, shares and liberates all of us.
Why do they harm us? Maim us? Obviously they dislike our way of life, our freedoms, our opportunities our joys, our liberties and our freedom of religion, and they kill with no particular target. On September 11, the murders of World Trade Center employees and visitors took the lives of numerous nationalities, ethnic groups and religious followers.
As London's mayor, Ken Livingstone, said, ``The London bombings were aimed at ordinary working class Londoners, black and white, Muslin and Christians, Hindu and Jew, young and old, it was indiscriminate slaughter.''
How bittersweet that just the day before, they celebrated the selection of their city to host the Olympic Games, the very showcase of multiethnic excellence and talents.
In the days last week, I recalled a song by the great American composers, the Gershwin Brothers. The song appeared in the 1937 film, A Damsel in Distress. The song is by Americans, the movie and screenplay is a product of notable campy British writer, P.G. Wodehouse.
What a delightful combination of American and English artists. The song is A Foggy Day in London Town. I thought it was appropriate and I will give it this afternoon in recognition of the pain that they feel in London. ``A foggy day in London Town had me low, had me down. I viewed the morning with much alarm, the British Museum, had lost its charm. How long I wondered could this thing last, but the age of miracles had not passed. For suddenly, I saw you there, and through foggy London Town, the sun was shining everywhere.''
I offer to you, our ally, our partner, our friend, as long as you in England and we in the United States continue to show strength and resolve against enemies of our peace and prosperity and our freedom, both on our soil, and in foggy London Town, and lands of all people, the sun is shining and will be shining everywhere.
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