[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 80 (Thursday, May 31, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E934]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   TO APPLAUD THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM 
              RECIPIENTS TO THE STRUGGLE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. LAURA RICHARDSON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 31, 2012

  Ms. RICHARDSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the recipients 
of the Presidential Medal of Freedom and to thank them for their 
contributions to the struggle for civil rights. The Medal of Freedom is 
the highest civilian honor in the United States, and its very name 
serves as an important reminder that we owe our freedom to the hard 
work and sacrifice of these American heroes. Each recipient is a 
shining example of quiet courage and unwavering dedication to equality. 
They have used their own personal talents to advance the rights of the 
disenfranchised, and for that, our nation stands stronger today.
  Delores Huerta has spent her entire career in the fight for farm 
workers' rights and has fiercely defended marginalized populations. 
From promoting Spanish-language ballots for voters to securing drinking 
water free from pesticides, Ms. Huerta has demonstrated the incredible 
power of community organizing and is a leader in a class of her own. 
Ms. Huerta has made such a tremendous impact on the state of California 
and across the nation that I have dedicated a separate statement to 
her.
  John Doar served as Assistant Attorney General during the most 
pivotal years of the Civil Rights Movement. He used his position to 
bridge the local struggles he witnessed in the south with the national 
efforts of the federal government. Mr. Doar is remembered for escorting 
the first African-American student at the University of Mississippi to 
classes as well as for diffusing an angry mob following the 
assassination of Medgar Evans. He also helped draft the Civil Rights 
Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. He again and again put 
himself in the line of fire, armed only with a call for nonviolence and 
justice.
  Bob Dylan was the poet laureate of the sixties generation, and his 
lyrics will forever be ingrained in American history. Through 
groundbreaking songs like ``Blowin' in the Wind'' and ``Times They Are 
A-Changing,'' Mr. Dylan coupled his talents as a songwriter with his 
visions as an activist. He never caved to outside voices or criticisms, 
instead remaining steadfast in his quest for truth and justice.
  Gordon Hirabayashi was honored posthumously for his actions on behalf 
of Japanese-Americans during World War II. Mr. Hirabayashi was one of 
three Americans to defy internment, calling it racial discrimination. 
He took his case all the way to the Supreme Court, which ruled against 
him. Mr. Hirabayashi waited over forty years for the court to overturn 
that conviction, but he was not embittered by his struggle. Rather, he 
saw it as part of a greater mission to uphold the integrity of the U.S. 
Constitution and ensure that its protections are extended to every 
American.
  Mr. Speaker, this year's award recipients are a personal inspiration 
to me as well as to millions of other Americans. They have all 
persevered against fierce opposition, not for their own personal gain 
but in defense of the core values on which this nation was founded. I 
would like to personally thank them and am pleased to see them honored 
with great distinction.

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