[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4856]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            PEACEFUL PROTEST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Al Green) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, once again, I am proud to rise 
and stand in the well of the House of Representatives.
  Mr. Speaker, I salute the flag, I sing the national anthem, and I 
believe in what the flag stands for: liberty and justice for all. But, 
Mr. Speaker, I find now that the flag is being used as a tool to 
suppress what it stands for: liberty and justice for all.
  Mr. Speaker, peaceful protest is how I arrived in the Congress of the 
United States of America. If not but for peaceful protest, I probably, 
most likely, and believe in the sincerest corners of my heart that I 
would not be in the Congress of the United States of America.
  Peaceful protest has brought about positive change in this country, 
but peaceful protest is now under assault from the highest office in 
the land: the Office of the President.
  Peaceful protest is under attack, and I rise today, Mr. Speaker, to 
defend peaceful protest. I rise especially to defend it as it relates 
to the flag because the flag stands for liberty and justice for all. 
Peaceful protest is about liberty and justice for all.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I would like to share a very shocking piece of 
information, perhaps not shocking to some, but it should shock our 
consciences. This piece of information was compiled by The Guardian and 
reported by Vox.
  The information is as follows: racial minorities make up 37.4 percent 
of the general population--some things bear repeating: 34.7 percent of 
the general population--and 62.7 percent of the unarmed people killed 
by police; 37.4 percent of the population, 62.7 percent of the people 
who are unarmed and killed by the police.
  Why wouldn't we protest this? Why wouldn't somebody decide that this 
is unacceptable and I will peacefully protest it? Why wouldn't someone 
take a knee at a football game to protest this?
  Why would the President of the United States find reason to link that 
peaceful protest to disrespect for the flag when the flag stands for 
liberty and justice for all? That has to include these people who have 
been killed by the police.
  By the way, it doesn't matter how great the economy is; their lives 
will not be brought back. It doesn't matter how many jobs people have; 
those lives will never return. So being comfortable and being able to 
say ``I have a great job'' won't bring back people who have lost their 
lives.
  Mr. Speaker, this is a sad commentary when the President of the 
United States brings peaceful protest into dispute as it relates to the 
flag.
  I believe that we have a duty and an obligation to protest wrong when 
we see it. It is as old as the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock, it is 
as old as the Boston Tea Party, and it is as old as the farmers coming 
to Washington, D.C., in their tractors to protest.
  Peaceful protest is at the foundation of this Nation. And for us to 
allow the President to assault and attack peaceful protest by and 
through the flag, which stands for liberty and justice for all, is an 
insult to the country.
  So here is what I propose to do by way of standing against what the 
President seems to stand for. He has brought Mr. Kaepernick into 
disrepute; that is what the President would do. I plan to salute him. I 
will have a flag flown over the Capitol of the United States of America 
to salute him for his courage, for his willingness to suffer the slings 
and arrows that have been thrown at him by the highest office in the 
land to protect liberty and justice for all, which is what the flag 
stands for.

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