[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 87 (Thursday, June 13, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6246-S6248]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SENATE RESOLUTION 263--RELATING TO CHURCH BURNING
By Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN (for herself, Mr. Levin, Mr. Daschle, Mr.
Kempthorne, Mrs. Boxer, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Wellstone, Mr.
Lieberman, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Pell, Mr. Lautenberg, and Mr. Inhofe)
submitted the following resolution; which was held at the desk:
S. Res. 263
Whereas there have been at least 32 fires of suspicious
origin at churches serving African-American communities in
the last 18 months;
Whereas these churches are a vital part of the life of
these communities;
Whereas intentionally burning churches is a very heinous
crime in these communities, and all across America, because
church burning was used during the civil rights struggle in
an attempt to intimidate African-Americans from exercising
their Constitutional rights;
Whereas there have been at least 60 fires and incidents of
desecration in houses of worship in 15 different States since
1990;
Whereas intentionally burning churches, when done to
intimidate any American from the free exercise of his or her
rights as an American, is inconsistent with the First
Amendment to the United States Constitution, which guarantees
every American the right to the free exercise of his or her
religion;
Whereas intentionally burning churches, when done to
intimidate any American from the free exercise of his or her
rights as an American is also inconsistent with the First
Amendment guarantee that ensures that Americans can freely
and peaceably assemble together; and
Whereas intentionally burning churches, when done to
intimidate any American from the free exercise of his or her
rights is a serious national problem that must be
expeditiously and vigorously addressed: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That--
(1) the Senate condemns arson against churches as being
totally inconsistent with American values;
(2) the Senate believes that the investigation and
prosecution of those who are responsible for fires at
churches, and especially any incidents of arson whose purpose
is to divide communities or to intimidate any Americans,
should be a high national priority; and
(3) the Senate commends the President for devoting all
Federal resources necessary to bring those responsible for
committing any act of arson against churches to justice, and
urges that all investigations of fires at churches which are
of suspicious origin are conducted in a sensitive manner that
reflects the special character of churches and the rule they
play in American communities.
Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Yesterday, Mr. President, I came to the floor and
spoke about what I called the domestic terrorism that we are suffering
in this country with the burning of churches and other hate crimes in
our Nation. I spoke at some length about it and mentioned a time that I
will submit a resolution pertaining to the church burnings. I am
submitting that legislation now, Mr. President. I would like it held at
the desk until the time of adoption.
Mr. President, I know there will be other legislative activity
associated with this issue in the days to come. But as the Chair is no
doubt aware, since yesterday, when I first took to the floor, there has
been yet another church burning in this country.
As I said yesterday, the people who are perpetrators of this rash of
hate crimes and church burnings are no more than cowardly domestic
terrorists. These are people who work under cover of darkness and
anonymity to intimidate some and encourage others, and it is out of
cowardice.
However, in spite of the objective of these actions, which it has
been suggested are intended to start a race war, there is every
indication that these arsonists are confused about the country in which
their crimes are taking place.
Most Americans--I reiterate, most Americans--are appalled and
outraged. The fact of the matter is, there is in this darkness some
light coming through. The light relates, Mr. President, to the efforts
of Americans, from the President of the United States down to ordinary
people, to stand up, to speak out, to be heard and to demonstrate that
this kind of crime, this kind of heinous crime and this kind of
domestic terrorism is not to be tolerated in this America.
I have been encouraged, Mr. President, by some of the reports from my
home State. In Glenn Carbon, IL, there had been a cross burning. In one
of the newspapers in Illinois, the headline there was ``Neighbors
Comfort Black Family Who Found Cross in Yard.'' The story goes on to
say that the people, white and black alike, who live in the community
came to the aid of the individuals who suffered the cross burning to
indicate their support, to indicate their reassurance that the racial
hatred that was symbolized by the cross burning did not reflect the
feelings of the neighborhood or of that community. I think that is a
very positive and powerful thing.
Another article, Mr. President, from the Alton Telegraph, ``Neighbors
show good will to victims of cross burning,'' makes the same point.
This article goes on to say that neighbors delivered flowers and food,
cards, plants and other gifts to the family on Monday, people reaching
outside of themselves to stand up against hatred, to stand up against
racism, to stand up against the evil that this church burning
represents.
I think therein lies the key. We can take action here in this U.S.
Congress, the Senate and the House, and the
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President can take action. We can all come together as a collective
community through our Government to take leadership in showing that in
this America this kind of criminality will not be tolerated, but we can
only do that, and it only takes real meaning when we are joined in our
official capacity by individual, unofficial action, when the churches,
themselves, come together to participate in ceremonies and services and
marches and demonstrations in favor of unity and in favor of love.
When we really focus in on the fact that this rash of hate crimes is
just that, a rash of evil afoot in the land, and that good people of
all races will make it a point to be heard, not to sit back in silence
and to allow this evil to take seed among us, but, rather, that we will
all stand up as individual citizens to say, ``This America, in this
time, is putting the ugly legacy of racism and racial hatred behind. We
will not go back to the days when these kinds of things can happen with
impunity.''
We will engage every asset, every resource at our disposal to see to
it that these criminals are brought to justice, that the truth is
uncovered, that no stone will be left unturned in our efforts to
prosecute the perpetrators of these crimes, because they are criminals.
We will make it very clear as a national community, all of us, that we
will not tolerate this kind of conduct, and that the people who have
tried to foist this horror on our community, on our country, will be
prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Mr. President, I also say after the speech that I gave yesterday,
which is already in the Record, I was just really taken personally by
the expressions of support, expressions of concurrence and the
expressions from my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, people
coming up to say, ``We think it is just terrible what is going on. We
want to do something about it. We want to be heard. We want to make
certain that everybody understands that this kind of activity has no
place in America.'' I am encouraged and heartened by that, because I
think, if anything, that change of heart, that change of collective
consciousness, that change in the climate of opinion is precisely the
victory that reflects the moral victory that the civil rights movement
achieved.
We have a mindset in this country that does not tolerate this kind of
horror, that not only does not tolerate it, but is ashamed by it. Out
of our repudiation, out of our rejection of these expressions of evil,
I believe we will find a new birth as an American community. We will
find a new level, frankly, of coming together and of working together,
and of unity in this country, and will, I think, set the stage so the
young people that are here today will begin to ask the question, in
their time: ``I remember the days when race was a debate in the United
States, but we got past that. We got smarter, we matured, we moved
beyond that.'' That is my hope for these young people.
If anything, I think with the expressions of support, the expressions
of love, the expressions of unity, the good will that is being shown
all over this country in reaction and in response to the hatred we have
seen, the cross burnings and the church burnings, the moral victory
will be ours as a Nation, and we will move forward as a Nation
together, a stronger country because of it.
Mr. President, I understand the resolution will be adopted or can be
adopted later this evening. I wanted to bring to my colleagues'
attention the fact that this resolution is pending. I understand there
will be other legislative initiatives in this regard. I am delighted to
join with those, as well, because I think it is very important as a
body we speak with one voice, that these people who are doing this are
not Americans. Their activities fly in the face of the America that we
believe in, fly in the face of the values that this America represents
to the world, and that we will not allow their evil to shame all of us,
and we will not allow them to get away with it. From that, Mr.
President, I believe we will be a greater Nation, and we will have
found, out of this horror, some light, and from that light we will be
able to build a stronger Nation.
I commend my colleagues who have already joined me. Again, thanks to
everyone who has stepped up and said something. One other word: There
is a tradition that the only thing that allows evil to prevail is for
good people to say nothing. Now is the time for good people to be
heard. Now is the time for good people to stand up and say, ``The
America that we know and the America we believe in is an America that
cherishes the value of brotherhood and love and unity.''
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, let me associate my remarks with my
colleague from Illinois, Senator Carol Moseley-Braun. I am delighted
that I had the opportunity to be on the floor to hear the very, very
important words that the Senator from Illinois has shared with all of
us today about this extremely important issue.
I am delighted that the citizens of Illinois had the intelligence to
send her here so that she could be a leader and a voice that all of us
could follow. I am delighted to support the Senator with the
resolution, and I am delighted to stand shoulder to shoulder as we
pursue this very, very important issue in this country and put to rest
the racism that we see.
Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr. President, I want to speak following the very
eloquent words of our friend and colleague from Illinois, Senator
Moseley-Braun, about the wave of church burnings in the South. There is
a way in which it would be assumed that all of us here in this Chamber,
reflecting, representing, as we do the American people throughout the
50 States, would naturally be outraged by these church burnings. But
this is one of those cases where it is important not to leave the
assumption not testified to, not to leave the feelings unexpressed, not
to leave the Chamber as a body silent. Therefore, I commend the Senator
from Illinois for introducing the resolution which she will.
I have asked her and she has agreed to add me as a cosponsor. At this
point, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be added as a
cosponsor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LIEBERMAN. I thank the Chair.
Mr. President, last night, as we know, a fire broke out in the First
Missionary Baptist Church in Enid, OK, which brings now to more than 30
the number of African-American churches that have been burned by
arsonists over the past 18 months, and, of course, the pace seems to be
quickening in the last couple of weeks.
This outrage recalls memories of similar attacks on religious people
and religious institutions throughout the centuries. Sadly, they
continue in the other places in our world today. Christians, Jews,
Moslems, and others have all suffered for their faith in many horrible
ways. The details of the acts of persecution vary widely, but the seeds
of hatred that underlie the terror are sadly and tragically quite the
same.
The sheer blasphemy--I use the word intentionally--the blasphemy of
these church burnings must chill our souls. We do not know if the acts
of arson are the result of some horrible conspiracy. But in some
measure, it would be a little bit easier to grasp the enormity of this
evil if it were the result of the work of a single group of criminals
because we can crush such a small band of terrorists, which is what
they are. But, if these arsonists are not connected in some organized
way, we have to ask ourselves again, as we have before in our history,
``How do we fight back against the larger stain of racism that exists
in so many individual hearts consumed by the shared desire to destroy
the spirit of those they hate?'' The answer, I want to suggest to my
colleagues today, to this conspiracy of crime and hate is to enter into
our own conspiracy of law and love.
By law I mean we must--and I am confident we are using--use every
legal weapon in our arsenal, in society's arsenal, to investigate every
fire and follow every lead until the perpetrators of these injustices
are brought to justice. We must consider these to be acts of terrorism
and use the most sophisticated techniques at our disposal to hunt down
those who have perpetrated them.
By love what do I mean? I mean reaching into ourselves and as a
country enveloping the victims of the church burnings with our own
prayers and support and acts of kindness to make up, as best we can,
not just for
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their tragic loss of their houses of worship but to respond to the
sense of fear and alienation that go with those burnings.
Mr. President, the ties that bind us as Americans--particularly our
shared faith in God--are greater than this evil. By coming together
now, we can guarantee that these acts of evil will gain no ground.
In a sense, all of us who worship God and try to love our neighbors
as God's children are the targets of these hate crimes, these
arsonists. Yes; we may have different backgrounds and come from
different denominations, but we are bound by a common faith--the same
faith that helped inspire the founding of this Nation, as is clear from
the first words of the Declaration of Independence; that the rights
with which we are endowed do not come from some committee of lawyers or
constitutional theorists; that we are endowed by these rights by our
Creator. That is the source of our liberty, the driving idea of our
democracy. Religion has always been a source of strength and purpose
and, indeed, of unity in America. Religious people have carried some of
the most noble acts of citizenship and leadership across the history of
our country.
So when these arsonists strike at houses of worship in America, they
strike at the heart of America, the source of America's strength. Those
who are full of such hate must fear that which poses the greatest
threat to them. The spirit of faith that inhabits those who worship in
the churches that have been burned must strike great fear in the hearts
of those who have burned them. But the spirit of faith that has been
expressed in those churches is not only strong; it is, as the arsonists
will learn, a spirit that is unbreakable.
So, though the church is burned, the light of faith that has burned
within that church will grow stronger and spread in the minds and souls
of those who have worshiped there and, I believe, in the minds and
souls of the great majority of the American people.
So I look forward to the resolution coming forth and to whatever
other ways in which this Senate can express its outrage at the acts of
arson and its sense of fellowship and brotherhood in the most profound
sense for those who have worshipped at these churches.
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