WASHINGTON - May 25 - Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH) gave the following speech today on the House floor during debate on legislation to open up Alaska’s Artic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling

“In the book of Genesis, Esau, hungry believing he was about to die, sold his birthright to Jacob for a pot of red stew. 

“The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is the birthright of the G’witchen tribe as well as a national treasure of natural beauty.  Are we, like Esau, about to sell our birthright to the corporations for a mess of oily pottage

“Are we ready to despoil our natural heritage in search of liquid fool’s gold

“It is time for new thinking.  Instead of the oil companies taking over ANWR for drilling, we ought to be talking about taking over the oil companies.  They have gouged the American people.  They control our politics.  They have ignored the growing global environmental crisis. The lust for oil has put us on a path to war.

 “It is time for new thinking.  We should be talking about a windfall profits tax, breaking up the oil monopolies, or even taking over the oil companies, not sacrificing ANWR.

“Esau thought his birthright didn’t mean much.  Will we, like Esau, come to regret that we have never claimed our right to control over our own natural resources, our own environment, our own nation?”

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