[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 85 (Friday, June 18, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1180-E1181]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




RECOGNIZING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHANEY, GOODMAN, AND SCHWERNER 
                                KILLINGS

                                 ______
                                 

                   HON. CHARLES W. ``CHIP'' PICKERING

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 18, 2004

  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, forty years ago this Sunday, members of 
the Ku Klux Klan committed a terrible crime against three young men in 
Neshoba County. It was a crime against them, a crime against equality, 
and a crime against freedom. As we remember the killings of James 
Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner during the 1964 Freedom 
Summer in Mississippi, I'd like to take the opportunity to share with 
you the statements of that community today in 2004. These statements 
represent a call by community leaders; a tri-racial commission of 
blacks, whites, and Choctaws; and city and county elected officials to 
seek justice and forgiveness for these crimes of the past. Like the 
rest of the country, Mississippi still has much work to do concerning 
racial reconciliation, but I believe we have come further and are more 
committed to racial harmony than many other states. But I will let this 
Neshoba County community speak for itself:
  First is the Philadelphia Coalition's Resolution for Justice. This 
tri-racial coalition led by Leroy Clemons and James E. Prince III is 
leading the call for justice in this community, and organizing the 
events affiliated with the 40th Anniversary Memorial this weekend.

 The Philadelphia Coalition's Resolution for Justice: Statement Asking 
   for Justice in the June 21, 1964 Murders of James Chaney, Andrew 
                     Goodman and Michael Schwerner

       Forty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men, James 
     Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, were murdered 
     in Neshoba County by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
       The state of Mississippi has never brought criminal 
     indictments against anyone for these murders--an act of 
     omission of historic significance. There is, for good and 
     obvious reasons, no statute of limitations on murder. This 
     principle of law holds that anyone who takes the life of 
     another person for any reason not provided by law is never 
     immune from prosecution, no matter how remote in time.
       With firm resolve and strong belief in the rule of law, we 
     call on the Neshoba County District Attorney, the state 
     Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Justice to make 
     every effort to seek justice in this case. We deplore the 
     possibility that history will record that the state of 
     Mississippi, and this community in particular, did not make a 
     good faith effort to do its duty.
       We state candidly and with deep regret that some of our own 
     citizens, including local and state law enforcement officers, 
     were involved in the planning and execution of these murders. 
     We are also cognizant of the shameful involvement and 
     interference of state government, including actions of the 
     State Sovereignty Commission, in thwarting justice in this 
     case.
       Finally, we wish to say to the families of James Chaney, 
     Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, that we are profoundly 
     sorry for what was done in this community to your loved 
     ones. And we are mindful of our responsibility as citizens 
     to call on the authorities to make an effort to work for 
     justice in this case. Continued failure to do so will only 
     further compound the wrong.
       We, the undersigned, call on those in authority to use 
     every available resource and do all things necessary to bring 
     about a just resolution to this case.

       The Philadelphia Coalition.

  Next comes the resolution by the Neshoba County Board of Supervisors, 
the elected leadership of this community on the county level.

            Neshoba County Board of Supervisors' Resolution

       Forty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men, James 
     Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were murdered 
     in Neshoba County.
       The State of Mississippi has never brought criminal 
     indictments against anybody for these murders. There is for 
     good and obvious reason, no statute of limitations on murder.
       This principal of law holds that anyone who takes the life 
     of another person for any reason not provided by law is never 
     immune from prosecution, no matter how remote the time.
       With firm resolve and strong belief in the rule of law, we 
     call on the appropriate authorities to make every effort to 
     seek justice in this case.
       We regret that history will record that the authorities did 
     not make a good faith effort to do its duty and we call on 
     the people in authority to make an effort to seek justice in 
     this case.
       Finally, we wish to say to the families of James Chaney, 
     Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner that we regret what was 
     done in this community to your loved ones.
       We, the undersigned, call on those in authority to use 
     every available resource and do all things necessary to bring 
     about a just resolution to this case.

       By: James Young, President, Neshoba County Board of 
     Supervisors.

  The leadership of the City of Philadelphia, the county seat and 
population center of Neshoba County, has also passed a resolution in 
support of this seeking of justice.

City of Philadelphia's Resolution: Resolution Asking for Justice in the 
   June 21, 1964 Murders of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael 
                               Schwerner

       Forty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men, James 
     Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were murdered 
     in Neshoba County.
       The State of Mississippi has never brought criminal 
     indictments against anybody for these murders. There is for 
     good and obvious reasons, no statute of limitations on 
     murder. This principal of law holds that anyone who takes the 
     life of another person for any reason not provided by law is 
     never immune from prosecution, no matter how remote the time.
       With firm resolve and strong belief in the rule of law, we 
     call on the appropriate authorities to make every effort to 
     seek justice in this case. We regret that history will record 
     that the authorities did not make a good faith effort to do 
     its duty and we call on the people in authority to make an 
     effort to seek justice in this case.
       Finally, we wish to say to the families of James Chaney, 
     Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner that we regret what was 
     done in this community to your loved ones.
       We, the undersigned, call on those in authority to use 
     every available resource and do all things necessary to bring 
     about a just resolution to this case.

       By: Rayburn Waddell, Mayor; Janice Payne, Alderwoman at 
     Large; Joe Tullos, Alderman, Ward I; Roy White, Alderman, 
     Ward 2; Ronnie Jenkins, Alderman, Ward 3; and, Bobbie 
     Jackson, Alderwoman, Ward 4.

  The Community Development Partnership is Neshoba County and 
Philadelphia's chief economic development organization and represents 
the interests of many businesses, financial institutions and companies 
in the region.

             Community Development Partnership's Resolution

       Resolution Asking for Justice in the June 21, 1964 Murders 
     of James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner.
       Forty years ago, on June 21, 1964, three young men, James 
     Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, were murdered 
     in Neshoba County.
       The State of Mississippi has never brought criminal 
     indictments against anybody for these murders. There is, for 
     good and obvious reasons, no statute of limitations on 
     murder. This principle of law holds that anyone who takes the 
     life of another person for any reason not provided by law is 
     never immune from prosecution, no matter how remote the time.
       With firm resolve and strong belief in the rule of law, we 
     call on the appropriate authorities to make every effort to 
     seek justice in this case. We regret that history will record 
     that the authorities did not make a good faith effort to do 
     their duty and we call on the people in authority to make an 
     effort to see justice in this case.
       Finally, we wish to say to the families of James Chaney, 
     Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner that we regret what was

[[Page E1181]]

     done in this community to your loved ones. We the 
     undersigned, call on those in authority to use every 
     available resource and do all things necessary to bring about 
     a just resolution to this case.

       By: Brenda Mills, Chairwoman of the Board; and David 
     Vowell, President.

  This Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have long represented an 
integral part of this community and has created a model of economic and 
community revitalization and development. Today they have moved from 
poverty to prosperity and are an integrated part of both the community 
and this call for justice.

          Letter From the Tribe of Mississippi Choctaw Indians

       Dear Friends and Neighbors: Forty years ago, three 
     communities, white, black, and Choctaw, lived in Neshoba 
     County separated by fear, ignorance, and bigotry.
       Although all of us were Neshoba Countians, Mississippians, 
     and Americans, living together in a relatively small 
     geographic region, we lived apart in our separate communities 
     seeking protection and self-preservation among our own kind. 
     Mainly what we knew of one another was to be wary. Being a 
     small community many of us did interact and often 
     positively, but mutual respect, honor, and acceptance were 
     indeed not commonalities shared between us.
       Being forced apart, we were often denied the opportunity to 
     learn from one another's differences and to gain from each 
     other's strengths. Forty years ago, three young men who 
     ignored the walls of separation between our communities were 
     sacrificed to the fears and hatreds that long simmered 
     throughout our country. Forever since, Neshoba County has 
     been associated with an act of infamy. However, those three 
     that we lost, live among us today.
       While it is right to mourn them, we honor them more when we 
     celebrate their lives for the positive changes they provided 
     to all of us.
       Today white, black, and Choctaw still live together in 
     Neshoba County. We also work together, transact business 
     together, learn together, worship together and play together.
       While we have not eliminated fear, ignorance, or bigotry, 
     we have surpassed those constraints and are prospering 
     together.
       While we continue to maintain our separate communities, we 
     do so now not to, but because we choose to in order to 
     preserve our unique cultural identities.
       Now, forty years later, we come together with ease, and as 
     equals not just to remember the trauma of the past, but more 
     importantly, to admire our present, and plan our future 
     together. All of our communities have changed for the better, 
     we have an economy that is flourishing, our people are 
     working and prospering, with the Tribe alone providing more 
     than 9,000 jobs. When we work together and support one 
     another, good things happen.
       On behalf of The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, I 
     commend Philadelphia Coalition for its efforts to celebrate 
     our unity.
           Sincerely,
                                                   Phillip Martin,
                                                     Tribal Chief.

  Mr. Speaker, today at the request of this community, federal and 
state law enforcement officials are actively studying the potential of 
reopening this case to bring any remaining murderers to justice. The 
purpose is not to reopen old wounds, but to bring closure and healing 
to those wounds by providing the remedy of justice.
  This weekend, I will participate in events in Neshoba County 
memorializing the deaths of three men who sought equality, justice and 
civil rights. We will remember the past, take stock of the present, and 
work for the future. We are a better Mississippi today, we will be 
still better tomorrow. I commend this community for showing leadership 
and embracing justice and look forward to working with all the citizens 
of Neshoba County as we continue to move forward both socially and 
economically. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

                          ____________________