Rep. Kaptur Statement for Captive Nations Week 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C.— Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH) issued the following statement today during Captive Nations Week, an official week designated by Presidential Proclamation marking America’s national recognition of the global struggle against captivity and oppression of people living under communist rule.
“Our nation was built on the Constitutional principle of "We the People." We have fought time and again for this principle, even when it has threatened to tear our nation apart. That fight for liberty is one of the most fundamental that we undertake, yet many of our brothers and sisters around the world still suffer at the hands of oppressive governments.
“Captive Nations Week calls us to celebrate the emergence of free nations from the shadows of tyranny, but it also reminds us that the forces of liberty are still locked in conflict with the forces of communist oppression around the world. Even in our modern era, the threat of violence and death is a constant for those opposition leaders who dare to speak out for liberty. The world’s brightest lights of dissent against oppression are still being snuffed out by powerful interests. It is imperative that we do all we can to support liberty and reform around the world, now and long into the future.”
On July 17th, 1959, the U.S. Congress unanimously adopted a joint resolution (73 Stat. 212) authorizing the President to issue a proclamation designating the third week in July each year as “Captive Nations Week.”
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