[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 84 (Monday, June 10, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H6096-H6097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1815
                       BURNING OF BLACK CHURCHES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jones). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from Texas [Ms. Jackson-Lee] is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this poignant picture in the 
Washington Times says it all. It is a parishioner praying in a church 
in North Carolina that has been under siege and burned down last 
Thursday.
  As we reflect on the Constitution of the United States, we realize 
that the first amendment is one of the more fundamental rights of this 
Nation. In that amendment, in addition to the right to free speech, is 
the right to freedom of religion, the opportunity for all of us as 
Americans to be able to worship in peace and as we please.
  In fact, as this Nation was founded, we were founded on the very 
tenets and underpinnings of religious freedom. It seems, however, a few 
in this Nation would want to lay siege upon the Constitution of the 
United States of America. I find it both outrageous and inexcusable 
and, therefore, am calling upon all of those of goodwill to rise up in 
opposition to what may be random, what

[[Page H6097]]

may be conspiratorial but what may be ugly and deadly.
  I join my colleague,the gentlewoman from North Carolina, in 
supporting her resolution calling upon this Congress to denounce these 
vicious activities. I rise this evening in the shadow of two very 
serious burnings in Texas, my home State. I rise as a member of the 
House Committee on the Judiciary, having participated in hearings just 
a week or so ago calling upon the President and the Attorney General to 
first of all organize a coordinated effort to attack this siege and I 
am glad to say that as of this weekend, after a meeting with ministers 
of churches who have been burned, such a coordinated effort was first 
established along with an 800 toll-free number and, yes, of course, an 
increased effort to determine the cause and the perpetrators of these 
heinous acts.
  Tomorrow the House Committee on the Judiciary will mark up 
legislation dealing with the penalizing and the effort to obstruct 
those who would lay siege upon the Constitution of the United States of 
America.
  I would simple say the tragedy in Texas has determined that there 
were at least three perpetrators. But the one thing we do know is that 
the houses of prayer, no matter where they are, should be sacred 
institutions of which all of us respect their existence and the right 
of those individuals to worship.
  It is important also that we acknowledge the racial underpinnings of 
these acts and certainly not run away from the tensions that have been 
created in the last 2 years amongst our people in this country. It 
would simply ask, as the ministers have asked, that we pray and that we 
have the opportunity to join together as humankind to stand up against 
these tragedies and atrocious acts.
  I call upon my colleagues in the U.S. Congress to support this 
resolution of outrage, and I call upon the President and the Attorney 
General to seriously emphasize that the perpetrators, wherever they 
are, will be caught and brought to justice. If need be, I would ask 
that we entertain the idea of the National Guard being sent into these 
respective places, so that we can find some sense of solace and comfort 
to those who feel they are under siege.
  I do ask those who are part of the investigatory process to be sure 
that they do not make those who are the members of the churches the 
victims and that the investigation be done in a manner that respects 
the tragedy that has occurred. We certainly want to get to the bottom 
of it. We do not want to throw stones. We do not want to have 
misinformation. But we certainly want to get the right information, the 
best information, the information that will allow us to fairly solve 
these crimes.
  And most of all, Mr. Speaker, we ask that we will have the ability to 
save lives and not have something similar to the atrocity and the very 
sinful and terrible act of the 1963 church bombings that took the lives 
of four little girls.
  I stand here because I want to save lives. Let us join together in 
this investigation, taking it extremely seriously. Let all parties join 
together and provide the necessary information on the toll free act. 
Let us swiftly pass legislation that may in fact prosecute those 
individuals more quickly and certainly let us rise together as a house 
to denounce these atrocities collectively in a resolution sponsored by 
my colleague from North Carolina to denounce these church arson 
burnings.
  Let us join together as Americans so that we can safely and freely 
pray together in our houses of worship.

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