It is a sad sign of the times that America's press corps has such a deep and irrational antipathy for President Bush that they fail day after day to report significant news connected to the White House. Whether it's the good news coming out of Iraq, the remarkable impact for good that the President has had on Africa, the "reality checks" provided by the White House that correct glaring errors in the charges against the administration by congressional Democrats, and so on, the MSM just turns its back. It is irresponsible and unjust in the extreme.One such news event that the MSM failed miserably in reporting was the recent celebration at the White House of Women's History Month and International Women's Day. In the President's inspirational remarks at that event, he paid well deserved tributes to brave, dedicated and principled heroines, "women from Afghanistan to Zanzibar, who struggle to achieve a better life and greater opportunities for themselves and their daughters and granddaughters."
But the ceremony and the President's remarks therein provided more than a general panegyric to women, as honorable as that itself would be. No, as is his usual custom, President Bush used this ceremony as an ocassion to herald to the world the priority issue of human rights. Therefore, among the specific women praised by Mr. Bush were those who have been bullied and persecuted by the tyrants of Cuba, Belarus, Burma and Liberia.
It was a grand speech. A moving speech. A speech that could have had an even greater impact on the cause of human rights across the planet...if only American reporters and editors would have given it the respectful coverage it deserved.
Here are just a few paragraphs of the speech. They are those concerning the late Belarusian heroine, Iryna Kazulina, and Cuba's indomitable Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello:
...America honors women like Iryna Kazulina. Iryna's husband, Alexander Kazulin, is serving a five year prison sentence for protesting Belarus' fraudulent 2006 elections. Iryna worked relentlessly for her husband's freedom. In doing so, she became a leading voice for all political prisoners held captive by the Lukashenka regime.Iryna was also one very prominent in the breast-cancer awareness campaign in Belarus. A few weeks ago, the disease claimed her life. The Lukashenka regime refused to release her husband to be with his wife in her final days. That's the definition of brutality. And the United States calls upon that government to release Alexander Kazulin immediately, just like they ought to release every other political prisoner in Belarus. It's important for people to understand that this good woman, Iryna, set the stage for what we hope Belarus to become, a free and just and open society.
America honors women like Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello of Cuba. An economist and former math professor, Marta Beatr z is now a leader of a movement for a free Cuba. She spent years in Castro's dungeons for her activism -- because she spoke out about the universality of freedom, she has spent time in jail. She was recently released from her prison term because of her poor health. Yet neither her health nor the threat of danger has deterred this good woman, this pioneer for liberty.Just last week, Marta was one of the 10 opposition leaders beaten by Cuban police and security forces for distributing copies of the Universal Declaration for Human Rights. This courageous woman knows that freedom is not going to come to Cuba by trading one oppressive Castro regime for another. And today I have a message for the people of Cuba: Viene el d a de su libertad. Your day of freedom is coming. And until that day, the United States will stand with all the dissidents working together to bring freedom to Cuba, including a brave woman named Marta Beatriz Roque Cabello...
Here's the full text of the President's speech.
