-Dalaam-
12-02-2008, 06:50
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0208/8455.html
Lantos survived the Holocaust by twice escaping from a Nazi labor camp in his teens, and he was an acknowledged crusader against human rights abuses during his nearly 28 years on Capitol Hill. He achieved his goal of chairing the Foreign Affairs panel but possessed the gavel for only a year.
He co-founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus 24 years ago, was a tireless supporter of AIDS relief for Africa and raked a number of high-profile corporations over the coals for doing business in countries with questionable civil rights records.
Most recently, he was among five lawmakers arrested in 2006 during a demonstration at the Sudanese Embassy to protest ethnic killings in Darfur. And he berated executives from Yahoo last year for providing information to Chinese authorities that eventually led to the imprisonment of a journalist.
...
“Tom was a man of character and a champion of human rights,” President Bush said in a statement Monday. “Tom was a living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent at the hands of evil men.”
I have to admit not having heard of him until after his death, but it's never too late to honor a great man. I hope in some way his spirit remains with the Congress, as a reminder of it's ideals and purpose.
Lantos survived the Holocaust by twice escaping from a Nazi labor camp in his teens, and he was an acknowledged crusader against human rights abuses during his nearly 28 years on Capitol Hill. He achieved his goal of chairing the Foreign Affairs panel but possessed the gavel for only a year.
He co-founded the Congressional Human Rights Caucus 24 years ago, was a tireless supporter of AIDS relief for Africa and raked a number of high-profile corporations over the coals for doing business in countries with questionable civil rights records.
Most recently, he was among five lawmakers arrested in 2006 during a demonstration at the Sudanese Embassy to protest ethnic killings in Darfur. And he berated executives from Yahoo last year for providing information to Chinese authorities that eventually led to the imprisonment of a journalist.
...
“Tom was a man of character and a champion of human rights,” President Bush said in a statement Monday. “Tom was a living reminder that we must never turn a blind eye to the suffering of the innocent at the hands of evil men.”
I have to admit not having heard of him until after his death, but it's never too late to honor a great man. I hope in some way his spirit remains with the Congress, as a reminder of it's ideals and purpose.