[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
   ST. PATRICK'S DAY HOPE: AN END TO BRITISH OPPRESSION IN NORTHERN 
                                IRELAND

  (Mr. KING asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KING. Mr. Speaker, there is more to St. Patrick's Day than green 
beer, green hats, Irish jokes. The fact is, as my colleague, the 
gentleman from Massachusetts [Mr. Neal] said, this is the longest-
running struggle in the Western World. Fortunately, in 1993, under the 
leadership of Jerry Adams and John Hume, the Irish people forged a 
coalition to speak with unity against the British oppression in 
Northern Ireland.
  Fortunately, on December 15, the Irish Prime Minister, Mr. Reynolds, 
and the British Prime Minister, Mr. Major, came forth with the Downing 
Street declaration. This is an important step forward, but it is not 
the final step.
  More has to be done, and it requires the help and assistance of good 
people in the United States and good peoples throughout the world.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, for too long the world has been quiet. In 
fact, there is a Northern Ireland folk song which asks:

     Where are you now when we need you?
       What burns where the flame used to be?
     Are you gone like the snows of last winter?
       Lonely our rivers run free.

  Mr. Speaker, for too long it has only been the rivers in Ireland that 
have been free, it has not been the people. I would just ask that all 
the good people of our country come together in 1994 to stand with Mr. 
Adams and Mr. Hume and all those in Ireland who demand an end to 
British injustice, an end to British oppression so that finally after 
825 years of oppression and misrule, injustice, the people of Ireland 
finally will be free and every last British soldier will finally leave 
Irish soil.

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