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On February 8, 2007, I attended the Senate Hearing concerning immigration issues in CNMI. I was struck as Kyleen, a young Filipina woman, testified about her terrifying experience as a victim of human trafficking for Saipan's sex trade. Her heart-wrenching testimony reminded me of another testimony from the 1998 Senate Hearing I also attended. At that hearing, a young 14-year-old Filipina girl, "Katrina", testified with the same horrific story. I had to wonder would Kyleen have been testifying if Congress had acted when Katrina had testified? Would Katrina have testified if Congress had acted in 1995 when I had testified detailing the same story on behalf of dozens of other trafficked young women? We can blame Jack Abramoff and the CNMI government, but we must also blame the members of Congress like Tom Delay who were their defenders and conspirators.
Because of this ethically challenged congressman's actions more dancers and trafficked club workers followed in Katrina's shoes. Hundreds more. I interviewed some of them on my 1997 and 1998 visits to the CNMI. I heard the same sickening story over and over from different lips.
So tonight if you tune in to watch Tom Delay's moves on the dance floor, I hope you will remember Katrina, Kyleen and the hundreds of other reluctant dancers who suffered in Saipan because of Delay's moves on the House floor. Think of the sweet girl who danced in her tears.
It seems ironic that ABC, the network that used their 20/20 program to expose the Delay-Abramoff-CNMI connection a decade ago is now featuring this evil-doer in their ads to promote another one of their television shows. As for me, I won't be watching Dancing with the Stars. ABC is promoting a conspirator who plotted to block justice and contributed to the perpetuation of labor and human rights abuses in the CNMI. The only time I will tune in to watch Tom Delay dance is if he is doing the jail house rock.
The wheels of Justice turn slowly, but they turn. In Washington DC today the trial of Abramoff, DeLay, Doolittle crony Kevin Ring continues and in the offices of the DOJ in DC and Baltimore so does the ongoing investigation into the scandal.
Now for months, the very best reporting on the Abramoff scandal is being done by a blogger out of Tom DeLay's old district in Texas. I can not recommend highly enough the work of the Anti-Corruption Republican. This is the blog-based reporting at its best. Hell, it is far better coverage on the Ring trial and the various aspects of the scandal than you'll find anywhere else. The Ring Trial will be going on for the next few weeks. I encourage you to bookmark the Anti-Corruption Republican and visit it often. The posts and the comments are very informative.
The walls are closing in on DeLay. And soon he will be dancing to the tune of a frog march in an orange jumpsuit.
That day can not come fast enough for me.
Cheers
Because of this ethically challenged congressman's actions more dancers and trafficked club workers followed in Katrina's shoes. Hundreds more. I interviewed some of them on my 1997 and 1998 visits to the CNMI. I heard the same sickening story over and over from different lips.
So tonight if you tune in to watch Tom Delay's moves on the dance floor, I hope you will remember Katrina, Kyleen and the hundreds of other reluctant dancers who suffered in Saipan because of Delay's moves on the House floor. Think of the sweet girl who danced in her tears.
It seems ironic that ABC, the network that used their 20/20 program to expose the Delay-Abramoff-CNMI connection a decade ago is now featuring this evil-doer in their ads to promote another one of their television shows. As for me, I won't be watching Dancing with the Stars. ABC is promoting a conspirator who plotted to block justice and contributed to the perpetuation of labor and human rights abuses in the CNMI. The only time I will tune in to watch Tom Delay dance is if he is doing the jail house rock.
The wheels of Justice turn slowly, but they turn. In Washington DC today the trial of Abramoff, DeLay, Doolittle crony Kevin Ring continues and in the offices of the DOJ in DC and Baltimore so does the ongoing investigation into the scandal.
Now for months, the very best reporting on the Abramoff scandal is being done by a blogger out of Tom DeLay's old district in Texas. I can not recommend highly enough the work of the Anti-Corruption Republican. This is the blog-based reporting at its best. Hell, it is far better coverage on the Ring trial and the various aspects of the scandal than you'll find anywhere else. The Ring Trial will be going on for the next few weeks. I encourage you to bookmark the Anti-Corruption Republican and visit it often. The posts and the comments are very informative.
The walls are closing in on DeLay. And soon he will be dancing to the tune of a frog march in an orange jumpsuit.
That day can not come fast enough for me.
Cheers
