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He
spoke of "the
arrogance of US policy…"
Introduction
by Douglas Marcouiller, SJ
The Martín-Baró Fund honored U.S.
Representative Jim McGovern at its annual fall event in December,
2001. Representative. McGovern was introduced by Douglas Marcouiller,
SJ, Associate Professor of International Economics and Economic Development
at Boston College. The following are excerpts from Doug's remarks (full
text available in our Spring, 2002, newsletter).
This afternoon
I visited the state prison in Norfolk for Sunday Mass. I told people
there that tonight I would be introducing Representative Jim McGovern,
and one of the prisoners piped up, "He's a good one. I hope he'll serve
as long as I will."
 El
Salvador is full of stories about the Moakley Commission, many of them
built around the larger-than-life figure of Joe Moakley himself. You
know them as well as I. But the most famous line of all, as the stories
go, is the one Joe used when the Salvadoran High Command tried to tell
him that the people of the UCA had been murdered by the FMLN. His response,
they say, was, "That's crap. You should know not to bullshit a bullshitter."
Moakley
kept going, against the Salvadoran armed forces and against the Department
of State, until the truth was known. He kept going until those who had
ordered the murders were named, although never tried. He kept going
until military aid was cut off. He kept going because "it just wasn't
right."
Of
course, when we say that Joe kept going, we really mean that Jim McGovern
kept going. If Joe was able to recognize deceit, it's because Jim was
energetically seeking the truth.
Many
of us who are here tonight were together in El Salvador on the tenth
anniversary of the murders at the UCA. Representative McGovern was there,
too. His words caused quite a stir. He spoke of "the arrogance of US
foreign policy that rationalized, explained away, and even condoned
a level of violence that would have been intolerable if perpetrated
against our own citizens." He acknowledged that in more recent times
"US Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators and Members of Congress have
come to El Salvador to tell you what changes you must make in your nation,
all too rarely talking about the institutional changes we need to make
in the United States."
His
words were moving and memorable. "I was honored to know these priests
for many years. I was honored to call them my friends. I learned from
their insights, research, and analysis. I laughed and sang songs with
them. And I have been inspired by the lives they led."
As
we continue to be inspired by yours, Jim. My friends, Representative
James P. McGovern...
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English
to Spanish translations
courtesy
of Melisa Flores
©
2007, Ignacio Martín-Baró Fund for Mental Health & Human Rights
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