By Alemayehu G. Mariam
“It is a great day for America! It’s a great day for Ethiopia!”
– Congressman Donald Payne
A Great Day for Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia!
Passage of H.R. 2003 on October 2, 2007 in the U.S. House of Representatives marked a great day for Ethiopia as did the lunar landing of Apollo 11 for humanity on July 20, 1969. When astronaut Neil Armstrong first stepped on the lunar surface, he said: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” That was the spirit of Payne’s message when he stepped out of the Foreign Affairs Committee hearing room on September 26, 2007and said, “It is a great day for America. It is a great day for Ethiopia”. But we all know what he meant: “H.R. 2003 is one small step for the U.S. Congress, one giant leap for Ethiopians on their long walk to freedom, democracy and human rights.”
Two dates in Anno Domini 2007 shall forever live in glory in the history of Ethiopia: September 26 and October 2. On these dates, the American Congress sent a message of hope, redemption and salvation to the Ethiopian people, “Hold on! Hold fast! Hold tight! Your Freedom Train is coming!”
The U.S Congress also addressed another stern message to the ironfisted, cruel and pitiless dictators in Ethiopia: “America will not give you guns, tanks and bombs to wipe out the people of the Ogaden. America will not be your partner in crime as you slaughter unarmed demonstrators in the streets. America will not stand with you by your prison gates as you keep hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens behind bars. The American tax payer will not bankroll your wicked decimation of the democratic liberties and human rights of your citizens. Americans will not allow their tax dollars to oppress the Ethiopian people, massacre, maim and mistreat them. No, America will not befriend tyrants who pervert and corrupt justice for private gain and disfigure it in the pursuit of partisan politics. America will not conspire with election thieves and rob the Ethiopian people of their democratic voices.”
On October 2, 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives made its final declaration, unanimously and without objection: “Enough is enough!” In the pithy words of Congressman Chris Smith, “No more American tax dollars to support a vicious dictator and his henchmen!” And Congressman Dana Rorabacher could barely contain his fury when he said: “No military aid to the thugs and gangsters that are running Ethiopia today and profiteering from the confiscated property of American citizens of Ethiopian descent!” But the imperturbable Donald Payne just laid out the plain case to a candid world: “Our aim in H.R. 2003 is to foster accountability and transparency in Ethiopia, and strengthen its institutions of democracy.”
Donald Payne’s Long Road to Deliver a Gift of Freedom to Ethiopians
On October 2, 2007, at precisely 12:58 p.m., Donald Payne stood in the well of the House of Representatives as the Speaker Pro Tem thundered: “H.R. 2003 is passed by the House without objection.” Many of us had waited to hear those words for a mighty long time. And those words resonated in our ears like sweet musical lyrics, and reverberated across the globe wherever Ethiopians live scattered by the winds of tyranny. And all freedom-loving Ethiopians the world over let out a crescendo of joyful noises for God to hear!
But on that fateful day, Don Payne stood in the well of the House like a captain standing on the bridge of a ship that had just emerged on the horizon after a long night on the savage sea. There he stood calm, collected, deliberate and with an air of quiet dignity and self-assuredness. That brief moment masked the years of hard work and toil he had exerted to get this bill to the floor. But how many of us really know the trials and tribulations of the lone captain of the H.R. 2003 in getting the bill to the House floor?
Encircled by 3,500 ferocious predator sharks from the lobbying firm of D.L.A. Piper, our captain did not flinch. When Armey’s Army marched on the Hill to lay siege to his office, he held his ground. And when D.L.A. Piper, engorged by millions of lobbying dollars, bombarded members of Congress with the slings and arrows of falsehoods, half truths and distortions in an effort to defeat H.R. 2003, Payne stood there and said, “I shall not be moved!” When he saw Ethiopian brokers of tyranny skulking in the halls of Congress to spread their lies and mislead lawmakers, he must have shaken his head in dismay: “How can men sell their souls and their people for thirty pieces of silver?” In the end, he was told, “You will never make it against the mighty D.L.A. Piper. You are up against George Mitchell, Richard Gephart, Richard Klien, Richard Armey and 3,500 of the cleverest and most cunning lawyers in the world. There is no way you can win against a regime that has mined the legislative sea with millions of dollars. Back off Payne! Give it up!”
But Captain Payne would have none of it. He called out: “All hands on deck. Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”… continued on next page
10 thoughts on “One small step for the U.S. Congress, one giant leap for Ethiopian human rights”
Prof Al Mariam – We are so proud of Mr Donald Payne, the Capitain of the Freedom Train – Ethiopia and all freedom loving people owe him big.
As an Ethiopian I am very proud of you (Prof Al Mariam) for your relentless energy and wisdom in this very frustrating time. You help draft this legislation and answered all the questions at every turn and guided the legislators through the complex political landscape!!!
You are my hero – unflinching, unassuming, a man of highest integrity and most of all intellectually loaded. I hope Ethiopia and Ethiopians will celebrate your contribution one day in a free and Democratic Ethiopia – You are a man of substance in times of bravado and hypocrisy shown by others.
Prof Al Mariam – I salute you and wish to express my sincere thanks!!!
Gashie Alemayehu
Earlier today I was sharing this quotation of Victor Hugo with my paltalk brothers and sister and now when I read it on your article, I said to myself ‘indeed the time has come and it is now’!!
“One can resist the invasion of an army, but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas whose time has come.”
It is our time NOW and we are the future of Ethiopia!!!
God Bless you for your wonderful message.
I concur with everyone. You have achieved something no one has been able to do, help pass bill against the Woyanes despite their religious clowns led by Ephrem, and their $50K most powerful lobbyists.
Many in Washington including the recently appointed the so-called phony acters and Hailu Shawl foreign relation clowns have tried to do it until you came to the scene and took charge.
Keep it up and please don’t worry. Let them get the credit and we know who is doing the actual work, Al Mariam and his supporters.
Dawit Hailu
Prof. Alemayehu I have no words to express my appreciation
the one word only one word I can say is You are Ande Le-Enato Ye Ethiopia Amelake Eskezezerhe Yebarkeh. Yo have offered somithing that cannot be quantifyied in any shape or form. Thank You !!! Thank You!!!!!
Prof. Alemayehu i don’t know how i express my respect to you ,today we need the real ethiopian like you, don’t lesson or give attention for those loser just do it and you show them the way of thinking ,strugling and caring for your people not like them made “hamete” for 35 years and it will be more unless if they need progress i hope you and kinjet delegates are ready to teach them, any way you are my hero ,you are hero for ethiopian and any one who have a good vision for ethiopian democarcy and human right strugle
god bless you! god bless Ethiopia
Prof. Alemayehu, I read your piece with absolute interest and the hope that very humane , knowledgable & very dedicated people like you and people like congressman Payne and his fellow congress members out there are doing something for humanity and the service of truth. We were at the verge of getting frustrated by the stand and double standard The US taken towards the human right abuse and governance by coercion and terrorizing it’s own citizen as compared to that of American open disapproval of vote rigging and human right abuse in UKRAIN & GEORGIA. Fortunately because of you and those American freedom fighters in congress we are able to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I also appreciate the statment you made about vigillance and the challenge this bill faces in the senate as being repeatedly being portrayed by the regim & it’s supporters in Ethiopia and the US. please, please and again please donot get frustrated from temporary hitches and failures, because the fate of millions of people and the country enlarge depends on fighters of your caliber. Never loose hope as the ALMIGHTY won’t let those fighting for the truth down. May God give you the strength and the wisdom in your fight.
Hello Prof Al Mariam, You have united us when they try to divide us, you have made a call for action, you have done it professionaly and with integrity. you should proud of your great work. your are one in a million. we all love you
and keep it up .
You are a respectful and different person. It is such type of educated individuals that our country needs at this time. you are doing a great job. Let God be with you.
Prof Al Mariam – it was just absolutely fantastic to read your message to all of us. Thank you from the bottom my heart for the work you have been doing to advance human right in our home land Ethiopia.
Ethiopians and history will remember your contribution for generation to come.
Victor Hugo
“One can resist the invasion of an army, but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas whose time has come.”
very true indeed!