Nov 24, 2015

USA: Message from Martin O'Malley re recent attacks by ISIL and how USA must respond

NPS.gov: "The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the French people commemorating the alliance of France and the United States during the American Revolution. Yet, it represented much more to those individuals who proposed the gift."

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin O'Malley <info@martinomalley.com>
Date: Tue, Nov 24, 2015 at 9:54 AM
Subject: ISIL

Friend,
Yesterday in New Hampshire, I gave my most comprehensive remarks to date on the Paris attacks and how we must respond.
The nature of warfare has changed. In just the last few weeks, we saw a Russian airliner go down in Egypt. Dual suicide bombings in Beirut. The terror in Paris. And now nearly two dozen dead in Mali.
Last week the UN Security Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on all member states to do whatever is necessary to defeat ISIL.  We must seize this opportunity to put teeth into an international effort in which the United States must play a leading role.
We must assemble the broadest possible coalition of nations that share our interest in protecting the global commons. The military tools we use must be tailored to meet our security needs, not undermine them.
Ultimately, our success will depend not only on how we exercise our military power, but also on whether we stay true to our values in the face of fear.
Many Republican governors and presidential candidates – and 47 House Democrats – are giving into fear and allowing it to change our values. Some are playing into ISIL's hands by scapegoating our American Muslim neighbors and by turning away Syrian refugees.
Ben Carson said it would be a "huge mistake" to resettle Syrian refugees. Chris Christie said he opposes taking in Syrian orphans, going out of his way to single out ones "under five." And Donald Trump said he supported a national registry of American Muslims, harkening back to some of the darkest times in human history.
Several months ago, I became the first presidential candidate to heed the call of humanitarian organizations and say the United States should welcome 65,000 Syrian refugees next year. I have personally met with Syrian refugees who fled the same type of violence that engulfed Paris. My position was the right thing to do then, and it's the right thing to do now.
Maintaining our security and providing refuge to those fleeing death and destruction is not a zero-sum choice. President François Hollande said France would still welcome 30,000 Syrian refugees just days after the Paris attacks. Have we become so intimidated by these barbaric thugs that we are willing to surrender our values to them?
Strength at home is not just about security. It's about who we are as a people. It's about our history as a country of immigrants and refugees. And it's about the moral leadership we must continue to provide in the world. The symbol of America's greatness is not the barbed wire fence; it is the Statue of Liberty.
Read my full speech.
Thank you,
Martin O'Malley



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