Hello,
This is my first diary on this website. I find myself today in the VT Statehouse on internship duty for a state Rep. I was in the middle of a couple of duties in the internship while I was listening to the Rep. Consejo’s speech on the floor on VPR. After the brouhaha raised last week by teabagger Rep. Burditt ranting that there is nothing compassionate about socialism, Rep. Consejo gave a heartfelt speech which I only half caught, and while some Reps were starting to come back into the Committee Room and listened to it. There were a couple of remarks approving his stand, giving his history of how he became a citizen, etc. Of course, this approval came from the Democratic members of the committee, who don’t seem to think very highly of teabagger friendly Rep. Burditt. It would be nice if someone could post the content of the speech on the website or maybe ask Rep. Consejo to provide something. I wasn’t expecting such a moment during a day when there was little business going on the House floor. But it’s nice to know that there are elected representatives out there courageous enough to stand up to speech-mongering and unsubstantiated accusations. Now it’s back to business.
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Page 706:
Mr. Speaker:
Mr. Speaker, over the weekend break, I tried to put aside the bad feelings
that I had left over from our long and sometimes contentious debates of last
week. For the most part, I could, except for one instance. The remarks made
on this floor, the floor of the House of Representatives, by the member from
West Rutland, was more than my soul could bare. So much so that I had to
respond. My name, my accent, my origins, my upbringing – all those facts
compounded, make me wonder when I am going to be targeted. To tell me,
here, that I am a communist, a socialist, and to compare my actions to radical
islamists, only precludes the days that I am going to be asked to go back to my
own country.
This, mr. Speaker, is my certificate of naturalization – on november 14 of
1986, I became a proud citizen of this country. In 1979, when I filled out my
documents to enter the U.S.A. as a permanent resident, I was asked to swear
that I was never a member of the communist party in my country of origin.
This was one of the many requirements I had to fulfill in order to be accepted
here.
Over the years, I had to brush off many remarks and comments about my
name and my accent, my country and my origins, but never one has it been on
this floor. This rule has been broken, and I stand today as a pre-emptive
measure, telling you that I won’t take this kind of attack lying down.
What makes this body strong and efficient is our diversity, both of ethnic
views and background. What makes us strong if the fact that we can differ on
many subjects and stay civil and respectful doing so. What makes us strong is
the respect we have for each other and the acceptance of different opinions.
Mr. Speaker, let me point at our sheild that stands above us…way above all
of us. It reads “freedom.” Freedom to be who we are without fear. Freedom
to think, act, and live independently, without fear. Freedom to be different,
and to lead without fear.
It reads “unity.” That binds us all, as without it, our small state would not
be such a strong leader. That unity that has led us to so many landmark,
forward-thinking decisions. Let it be known that without both freedom and
unity, we cannot be vermont. Let it be known that those who have lived and
died for those two words, are holding us guardians of their integrity.
I cannot – and will not – let anyone drive a wedge in that tradition. I, for
one, am proud of this body. I, for one, am scared of what is coming next if we
do not respond to these kinds of insidious remarks. The time to do political
posturing of this sort is outside of this chamber. And I hope that the members
of this body, present and future, will share this feeling.
So, Mr. Speaker, to conclude and for the record, I am half spanish, a quarter
Italian and a quarter French. I am a U.S. citizen and I can prove it. But above
all, I am a proud vermonter, and I am staying here.
Comment in Michel’s FB feed:
“Do you realize that the term that this person used in his blog to describe Rep. Burditt is slang for a certain sexual act? It would not be very fitting for a person in your position to be posting this smut, let alone be remotely proud of it!”
Maybe the Teabaggers shouldn’t have started using the term in the first place, then…
Rep. Consejo for your courage
…to have this ‘wear you down with words’ tactic. And the words don’t make any sense (Burditt’s rant). By the time the assholes start campaigning next year (and I mean, ALL the assholes), it’s going to be like Finnegan’s Wake, though not on any intellectual level. These fuckers are turning stream of consciousness into some kind psycho-speak.
Is Sarah Palin going to turn Obama’s “Yes We Can” into a Molly Bloomish “Yes Yes I will Yes Oh Yes Oh God Yes Yes!” (?!?) And the Tea Party? All these mis-spellings some kind of secret code? Perhaps they’re trying to communicate with bin Laden?
Anyway, credit due to Consejo for talking plain language in his translation of Burditt.