[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 80 (Thursday, June 18, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1159-E1160]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          CONDEMNING THE BRUTAL KILLING OF MR. JAMES BYRD, JR.

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                     HON. DONNA M. CHRISTIAN-GREEN

                         of the virgin islands

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 11, 1998

  Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the tragedy 
which occurred last week in Jasper, Texas, the violent death of Mr. 
James Byrd, Jr., and I thank Representative Waters for her leadership 
in calling this evening's special order.
  Mr. Speaker, we are at the end of the 20th century and three decades 
past the vicious acts of the sixties, and yet here we are in 1998 faced 
with the brutal reality that racism is not dead.
  This crime on at least two counts--race and disability--is clearly a 
hate crime, as defined by Federal law. It was a heinous act that should 
alert the entire country that we as a nation do have a problem with 
differences, even today.
  It is clear that racism still exists, and that it exists even in 
communities like ours where on the surface, different races, 
ethnicities and nationalities appear to be in harmony. As a member of 
the CBC, and a leader in the Virgin Islands, as well as the Nation, it 
is important that I re-commit my efforts to ridding our communities of 
all divisiveness, prejudice and intolerance. I call on all the leaders 
of this Nation, political or otherwise, to do the same.

[[Page E1160]]



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