[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4640]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              CESAR CHAVEZ

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Arizona (Mr. Grijalva) for 2 minutes.
  Mr. GRIJALVA. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I rise with my colleagues 
today to remember a great American on his birthday. Cesar Chavez was 
born 83 years ago and would have been 83 years old yesterday. He 
devoted his entire life to the betterment of this Nation and to its 
people. He gave voice to the voiceless. In working with the farm 
workers, in organizing their union, in fighting for their dignity, 
respect and equal treatment on the job, he worked for farm workers who 
were not considered equals in any sense. He gave voice to the 
voiceless.
  And in these times when we see these disturbing trends going on in 
our Nation, where even on the floor of this great people's hall we hear 
disturbing trends where people are marginalized, demonized, dehumanized 
because of who they are and the circumstances of their life, these 
disturbing trends should remind us of Cesar's legacy. His legacy was 
not about creating a situation where people are treated less than but 
creating a society where people were treated as equals, with respect 
and with dignity. Cesar insisted on the best for us and on the best in 
us. He insisted on a sense of faith about the future and our families 
and our Nation. He insisted on tolerance, that we as human beings 
should understand and respect each other and with that respect comes 
understanding and with that respect comes a better nation.
  He insisted on equality, that all humans are created equal under our 
Constitution, all people are created equal under our Constitution, and 
he fought his entire life to make that value a reality for all of us.
  So when we celebrate his birthday and we celebrate his legacy, let us 
not forget that Cesar's legacy is a living legacy, a legacy that calls 
upon us day after day to continue his work, to forward his vision and 
to make this Nation the best it can be and to make ourselves the best 
we can be.

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