[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15799]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                             FOURTH OF JULY

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the article 
I wrote in response to a request by the Philadelphia Inquirer be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

             [From the Philadelphia Inquirer, July 4, 2008]

                  Saluting America, A Work in Progress

(The Inquirer asked a group of prominent Philadelphians to share their 
     thoughts about July Fourth and what it means. Here are their 
                              responses.)

       The values and ideals embodied in the Declaration of 
     Independence have made the United States the envy of the 
     world. Thomas Jefferson's historic call for ``decent 
     respect,'' his assertion that ``all men are created equal,'' 
     form the cornerstones of modern democracies. On this 232d 
     anniversary, we should reflect that these goals are works in 
     progress, and that much more needs to be done here and abroad 
     to attain them.
       While the Declaration speaks about all men being created 
     equal, what about women, who didn't get the right to vote 
     until 1919, or slaves who were owned by Washington and 
     Jefferson? What of the phrase separate but equal, from the 
     Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, which defined 
     the rights of so many African Americans until 1954?
       The United States is challenged today by world opinion that 
     we do not accord ``decent respect'' to human rights by 
     ``enhanced interrogation,'' denial of due process at 
     Guantanamo, and failure to observe the Geneva Conventions. We 
     make mistakes. We acknowledge them. We correct them.
       The work in progress continues. Our judicial system 
     invalidates executive excesses. Our First Amendment rights, 
     due process of law, and separation of powers take time, but 
     they remain the universal gold standard. Our current 
     congressional agenda contains initiatives to expand civil-
     rights legislation; it is likely to be enacted soon to 
     reverse the Supreme Court decision limiting women's rights to 
     sue for equal employment opportunities.
       The work started here in Philadelphia with the Declaration 
     of Independence, leading to our magnificent Constitution.
     U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter, (R., Pa.)

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