[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 36 (Monday, February 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3143-S3145]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMARKS OF COMMISSIONER GEORGE W. HALEY

  Mr. DOLE. Mr. President, I would like to share with my colleagues the 
remarks of Commissioner George W. Haley, who was recently invited to 
speak at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, TX, in observance of Black 
History Month.
  In his remarks, Commissioner Haley reminds us that the American 
experiment is indeed working today, despite all the divisions that 
beset our great Nation. Commissioner Haley's message is one of hope and 
optimism for the future. He understands that America is not perfect, 
but that injustice and imperfection should inspire us to work harder to 
ensure that the American dream can become a reality for all Americans.
  Commissioner Haley comes from a military family. During World War I, 
his father was wounded in the Argonne Forest. His brother Alex spent 20 
years in the U.S. Coast Guard. His brother Julius is a Korean war 
veteran. And Commissioner Haley himself served his country as a member 
of the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
  We are proud of the Haley family, and we thank them for the important 
contributions they have made to our country.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that Commissioner Haley's 
remarks be reprinted in the Record.
  There being no objection, the remarks were ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:
     Remarks by Hon. George W. Haley, Postal Rate Commissioner, in 
                   Observance of Black History Month

       Martin Luther King, Jr., liked to tell a story about a 
     minister who was very emotional and dramatic in his 
     presentations. After one of his fiery Sunday morning sermons, 
     a member of his congregation was commenting to one of his 
     friends that afternoon on what a good sermon the minister had 
     preached. His friend asked: ``What did he say?'' The 
     parishioner replied: ``I don't know, but he sure was good!''
       [[Page S3144]] My friends, it is my intention that my 
     address this evening will be both good and thought provoking.
       I consider it a great privilege to be invited to speak at 
     this banquet this evening. Before I move on, let me pause for 
     just a moment. General Henderson, I thank you and your staff 
     very much for making this occasion and opportunity possible, 
     and I am glad to be with you tonight.
       Two prize members of your military family here, Major James 
     Durant and his wife, Karen, are also members of my family. 
     Major Durant, whom we affectionately call Jimmy, and his wife 
     are both a credit to the military and to our Nation--our 
     family is exceedingly proud of them.
       On May 12, 1946, I was honorably discharged from your 
     predecessor service, the United States Army Air Corps. I had 
     been drafted three years earlier, just two months after my 
     18th birthday, to serve in the Second World War.
       Being in the service was a rich experience for me. I had 
     come from a rather sheltered environment, and I learned many 
     valuable lessons about life as a young adult in the military. 
     During my entire military career, the United States Army Air 
     Corps, and all of the military forces of the United States, 
     were totally segregated. Squadron F was the segregated 
     squadron to which all African Americans, then called colored 
     Americans, were assigned. Calling an African American 
     ``Black'' at that time--well, those were fighting words. But 
     the meaning of some words changes with time. For instance, 
     then, the word mouse had no computer connotations. When we 
     thought about a mouse, the only mouse we ever hoped to catch 
     was in a trap and not a mouse driving a computer. Mr. Justice 
     Holmes describes changes in meanings and interpretations of 
     words most eloquently in a case before the U.S. Supreme Court 
     in 1918, in which he says:
       ``A word is not a crystal, transparent and unchanged. It is 
     the skin of a living thought, and may vary in circumstances 
     according to the time and place in which it is used.''
       Everything was not dismal when I was a young man in the 
     military. We were hardy, healthy, young men. We were proud of 
     our country--aware of its inequalities, but willing and ready 
     to defend it against its enemies and those who would threaten 
     it. Our squadron sang the words, ``Off we go into the wild 
     blue yonder, climbing high into the sky * * *,'' with much 
     patriotism--and with gusto and pride.
       My father served in the Army. He was wounded in the Argonne 
     forest in France during World War I. My brother, Alex, spent 
     20 years in the United States Coast Guard, including the 
     World War II years. Julius, my younger brother, served in the 
     Korean
      conflict. Dad was proud that he and his three sons were all 
     veterans and had served this Nation. He lost no 
     opportunity to tell you about himself and his children. 
     During his later years, Dad was a very active veterans 
     serving for some years as Commander of the American Legion 
     post in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and in many other capacities 
     until his death at age 83.
       I have been privileged to travel in all parts of the world, 
     and there is absolutely no place I'd rather claim as a 
     citizen--including the Republic of South Africa, under the 
     magnificent leadership of Nelson Mandela--than the United 
     States of America. But in spite of the sentiments of Oscar 
     Hammerstein's famous song, ``Summertime, and the Livin' is 
     Easy,'' which, as you know, is from the beloved American 
     classic, George Gershwin's opera, ``Porgy and Bess,'' the 
     lives of African Americans have never been easy.
       As I grow older, I feel more the urge to express my 
     thoughts and to articulate some of the challenges which I 
     believe confront young Americans--and more specifically, 
     young African Americans. I want to share with you, as we 
     consider your African-American heritage celebration this 
     year, my interpretation and reaction to the incredible story 
     of African Americans since we were brought to this country 
     early in the 17th century. But I also want to stress how all 
     of us can be proactive and accept the opportunities, 
     challenges, and responsibilities to make this Nation and the 
     world a better, safer, more humane place for the great 
     experiment our Nation represents to continue.
       It has been said that history is important only as it 
     relates to the present and the future. From the evils of 
     slavery came the Dred Scott case. The Dred Scott case was 
     decided by the United States Supreme Court in 1856. It still 
     amazes me when I read portions of it. The Nation's highest 
     court found that a slave was not a person--that a slave was 
     simply personal property--and could be sold like a pig or cow 
     or mule.
       Just a bit more than a decade after this case the era in 
     our Nation's history which is the theme of your celebration 
     here this year. Specifically, we are reflecting on the lives 
     and philosophies of three Americans: Frederick Douglass, WEB 
     DuBois, and Booker T. Washington. The influence of these 
     three men continues to be felt, not only on the domestic 
     front, but increasingly on the international scene as well.
       There is no statement by Frederick Douglass that is more 
     compelling and meaningful than when he states:
       ``We Negroes are here, and here we are likely to be. To 
     imagine that we shall ever be eradicated is absurd and 
     ridiculous. We can be remodified, changed and assimilated, 
     but never extinguished. We repeat, therefore, that we are 
     here; and that this is our country. We shall neither die out, 
     nor be driven out, but shall go forth with this people, 
     either as a testimony against them, or as an evidence in 
     their favor throughout their generations.''
       Booker T. Washington advocated a doctrine which suggested 
     that Blacks and whites could both prosper, but live in 
     separate communities. This doctrine was calculated to appeal 
     to whites. DuBois was more the carrier of Douglass's 
     tradition towards an integrationist position. We can conclude 
     from the debates between DuBois and Washington that in the 
     making of history no individual has all of the answers--only 
     God has all the answers. Life for all of us--Black and white; 
     Asian, Native American, and Hispanic--is a compromise. We 
     influence each other--as individuals, within the races, 
     within the Nation.
       Benjamin Elijah Mays, an eminent theologian, philosopher, 
     educator--and for many years the President of Morehouse 
     College from which I graduated--used to tell us when I was a 
     student there:
       ``Train your minds while you are young. For the man who 
     out-thinks you, rules you.''
       One of Dr. Mays' many other sources of inspiration were the 
     writings of the Apostle Paul, from the Christian tradition. 
     Specifically, he enjoyed Paul's letter to the church at Rome. 
     In that epistle, Paul wrote:
       ``Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by 
     the renewal of your mind.''
       And what can we say about this age? Our society and our 
     communities in many areas of this Nation have become 
     frightening. We don't need to cite isolated events; they 
     abound all over the Nation--in big cities as well as small 
     towns. Soaring homicide rates for young African-American men 
     in center cities now commonly referred to as ``war zones.'' 
     There are more Blacks in prison than in college. Displays of 
     profanity and sexuality abound, masquerading as free speech 
     and ``the language of the people.'' The society in which we 
     presently live would have given my grandmother apoplexy. I 
     know that most of you are deeply troubled--as am I--by this 
     chaotic state of affairs. We are reminded today, more than 
     ever, that the mind is a terrible thing to waste. Is it not 
     time for us to transform the entire political process by the 
     renewal of our minds?
       Don't be afraid to think and to act! And don't be afraid to 
     change. The art of politics is power, and the ability to use 
     it wisely.
       In Shakespeare's ``King Lear,'' one of the characters 
     describes a politician as having few or no principles--a man 
     who speaks without redeeming purpose while practicing his 
     ``oily art.'' I certainly would not consider all who are 
     politicians to be practitioners of the ``oily art''--the 
     political process can be used for good or for bad, liberation 
     or oppression. I urge you to use it well!
       Many of you have brilliant minds. Use them. The economic 
     and political world in our democracy is based on power and 
     the wise use of political and business acumen--not race.
       You must use your minds, because:
       While you are here in the military, you have great 
     opportunities for further preparedness.
       Some of you will move on from military service into 
     civilian life, still at very young and productive ages.
       You need to prepare for further contributions.
       Our country and the world need you.
       You can continue your educations here. Many American 
     colleges and universities have excellent correspondence 
     programs for advancing your formal training.
       You can hone your skills--become more proficient--not just 
     getting-by or getting-over.
       You must strive for excellence in whatever your 
     responsibilities are.
       You should be satisfied only after you have given your best 
     and done your best.
       We know that African Americans play with a stacked deck in 
     America. Things are not always equal. Opportunities can 
     appear and, just as suddenly, disappear. Such is the nature 
     of the world in which we live. You cannot always control 
     situations, but you can
      control your response. When slapped down, get up. When up, 
     don't forget--help someone else. As you grow in strength, 
     so does the Nation.
       There is much discussion about affirmative action in the 
     Nation today. General Colin Powell recently stated:
       ``Nowhere in corporate America can it be said, as it can be 
     said in the military, that a person is judged by his merit 
     and his character and can supervise and command troops 
     everyday at every level from corporal to general.''
       You, here in the military, are very much aware of the 
     opportunities that affirmative action can bring about, but 
     the discussion is also divisive and unsettling in many 
     quarters. There is grave need to encourage and stimulate as 
     much of the citizen ability as possible for the good of the 
     entire Nation.
       Affirmative action was initially designed to help make a 
     level playing field for a race crippled socially, culturally, 
     and economically from generations of unequal treatment. It 
     was certainly never designed to take away any opportunities 
     from white Americans by giving preference to underserving 
     minorities. Rather it was designed to enable African 
     Americans--and, subsequently, other minorities and women--to 
     compete in education and industry for the betterment of the 
     entire Nation. When I was growing up in the South, public 
     schools for whites received the new text books and new 
     science and laboratory 
     [[Page S3145]] equipment, while the Black schools invariably 
     inherited the used books and old equipment.
       It is not questioned that there have been some abuses along 
     the way of what the basic intentions of affirmative action 
     are. Admittedly, some of its policies and remedies need 
     reexamination. It cannot be challenged, however, that America 
     is a better, stronger country when all of its citizens are 
     able to compete and contribute. And this is the purpose of 
     affirmative action!
       Never let anybody convince you that you are inferior--the 
     Bell Curve and anybody else's curve notwithstanding! Many 
     whites are conditioned to think they are superior to African 
     Americans and some African Americans are conditioned to think 
     they are inferior. This is a most unfortunate myth. If 
     intellect, survival, and progress of this Nation were based 
     solely on skin color, this Nation would not be nearly so 
     strong and vibrant.
       Don't deal with these misconceptions in a hostile manner, 
     even with those who seek to use African Americans as 
     scapegoats. Most African Americans, male and female, cringed 
     with fear as the Nation sought the head of a nonexistent 
     Black male so vividly described by the distraught Susan Smith 
     of Union, South Carolina, when, in fact, she, herself, had 
     driven her two little boys down a ramp to their deaths in a 
     lake. That was the same sort of apprehension when Charles 
     Stuart of Boston, Massachusetts, said his wife was murdered 
     by a Black man and he, himself, had done it.
       Much of the madness which has developed in inner cities is, 
     in fact, caused by a deep frustration of racial overtones in 
     this Nation. We as a Nation simply must recognize it, and 
     continue to seek solutions to solve our problems, not letting 
     this madness consume us. This is a national problem, and 
     white suburbia dare not keep its doors locked as if it didn't 
     exist.
       Even against these odds, African Americans have made untold 
     contributions. Across America and throughout its history--
     whether in arts, literature, sports, science, politics, 
     business, military--we have seen heroes. From Crispus Attucks 
     to Colin Powell, we have witnessed incredible African-
     American contributions. African Americans have--indeed--
     assimilated into the American culture and strongly influenced 
     many of its institutions. There is absolutely no end of 
     contributors: Michael Jackson, Oprah Winfrey, Ed Brooke, 
     Douglas Wilder, Marian Anderson, Benjamin O. Davis, Mary 
     McLeod Bethune, Malcolm X, Jesse Jackson, Maya Angelou, 
     Jackie Robinson, Joe Louis, Andrew Young, Roland Hayes, 
     Sojourner Truth, and many, many others.
       But do you know what? While it is easy to find fault, and 
     while shortcomings abound, what Alexis de Tocqueville long 
     ago called America's experiment in government is working! In 
     so many situations, people from many ethnic backgrounds work 
     together for a common purpose. Just as I have seen divisions 
     based on color in my lifetime, so have I seen rich and 
     rewarding diversity at work. And I think you also have seen 
     what I am talking about. As a Nation, we can do better--we 
     must do better, but maybe--just maybe--we are getting better.
       My final question for you is: Where do you fit into this 
     great American experiment--into this American dream? Have you 
     ever seriously thought about it? You are unique. There is 
     absolutely nobody else in all the world like you. No other 
     person can offer the world what you can!
       I leave you with the challenge as we reflect on this Black 
     history observance this year. What will you do to keep this 
     country strong and safe--this country we all are proud to 
     call home?
       I thank you!
       

                          ____________________