Rep. Rahm Emanuel was on C-Span earlier. He said he and Rep. Jim Turner (D-TX) wrote a letter to the Speaker (Hastert) on August 30 asking for a temporary memorial to be erected in the Capitol Rotunda to honor the soldiers who have given their lives in the Iraq War. He wants the memorial to include photos and bios of each of the fallen soldiers and some way for people to leave a written tribute.
Here is an excerpt from the letter:
<snip>
We believe it would be a fitting tribute to the memory of these brave troops to display placards honoring each of the fallen in the Capitol Rotunda. This temporary memorial would provide pictures and biographical information for each serviceman and woman and will include space for people visiting the Capitol to write notes and tributes to be shared with the families so they know that their loved ones will always be in our thoughts and prayers.
It is fitting that we use the Capitol Rotunda to honor our heroes. The Capitol Rotunda has been used for public viewing of the most highly honored decedents throughout our history. Most recently it was used to honor President Ronald Reagan, and has been the site of similar honors for many elected officials and military heroes, including the Unknown Soldier brought back from Europe after World War I. It has also been the site of tributes to dedicated citizens who have fallen in the line of duty, including two Capitol Police officers who were fatally shot in 1998.
As of this writing, we have lost 133 servicemen and women in Afghanistan and 971 in Iraq. This is an opportunity for the entire U.S. Congress to show its strong support for the families and respect for the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
Link:
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/il05_emanuel/tribute_troops_war.htmlThis is a wonderful idea.
The popping noises coming from Washington are the neo-cons' heads exploding at the thought.
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