    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book I)]
    [January 18, 1997]
    [Pages 41-42]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    January 18, 1997

        Good morning. Today I want to talk with you about the progress we
    have made in response to last year's disturbing rash of arsons and other
    destructive acts directed at houses of worship throughout our country.
    But before I do, I want to condemn another act of violent terror, the
    recent bombing of the women's health center in Atlanta. That, too, is
    wrong, and we also must stop it.
        Now, in the aftermath of these terrible crimes against the houses of
    worship, many of us ask ourselves, why? Were these fires fueled by a
    sudden upsurge in racial and religious hostility? Were they set for
    personal gain or revenge? Or were they merely random acts of violence?
    Whatever the causes of the crimes, they offended every citizen who
    cherishes America's proud heritage of religious and ethnic diversity,
    every citizen who remembers that religious freedom, justice, and
    equality are the founding principles of our great democracy. As one who
    was raised in the church and who continues to be guided by the enduring
    lessons I learned there, I joined with all Americans of conscience in
    demanding swift action to combat these crimes, to help the churches
    rebuild, and to prevent any more fires.
        Seven months ago, I established the National Church Arson Task Force
    to coordinate the efforts of more than 200 FBI and ATF agents deployed
    to work with local and State law enforcement agencies, churches, and
    citizens to catch and prosecute those responsible for these crimes. This
    week, the task force released its first interim report. The report shows
    that we have been remarkably successful in solving the crimes. Since
    January 1995, 143 suspects have been arrested in connection with 107
    fires at churches and other houses of worship. This rate of arrest is
    double the general rate of arrest for arsons, and three-quarters of
    these arrests occurred during the 7 months following the formation of
    the task force. So far, 48 defendants have been convicted on Federal and
    State charges in connection with 43 fires.
        This work has been supported by $3 million in Justice Department
    grants to help local communities intensify their enforcement and
    surveillance efforts. In addition, Congress authorized the Department of
    Housing to administer a $10 million loan guarantee to assist with the
    rebuilding of churches. And the Federal Emergency Management Agency
    continues to work with communities to increase awareness and help build
    local arson prevention coalitions. This Federal effort must continue
    until all those responsible are brought to justice and no more fires
    burn.
        But even more impressive than our Government effort has been the
    tremendous outpouring of assistance that has flowed from every corner of
    our country in response to these crimes. People have crossed lines of
    faith and race and region to link arms in a united effort to rebuild and
    protect our houses of worship. And by doing so, they have shown us that
    America is still a country that cares about its neighbors, a country
    that comes together in the face of common threats to defend the common
    ground of our values. I am reminded of what Joseph said in Genesis when
    he met up with the brothers who sold him into slavery: ``You meant evil
    against me, but God meant it for good.''
        I saw this up close this past August when Hillary and I, along with
    the Vice President and Tipper Gore, picked up paintbrushes and hammers
    to help rebuild Salem Baptist Church in Fruitland, Tennessee. One of the
    earliest supporters of the rebuilding of this tiny black church was the
    congregation of a white church 3 miles down the road that also had
    suffered a suspicious fire.
        On a national level, we saw groups like the National Council of
    Churches, the Anti-Defamation League, the Southern Christian Leadership
    Council, the National Association of Evangelicals, and the NAACP come
    together as one to tackle this problem. And we received strong
    bipartisan support from Congress for our work. The insurance industry,
    at the urging of the Vice President, also became a partner in the
    rebuilding effort.
        These groups, and others of good will all over America, stepped
    forward to live out the lesson of the man whose birthday celebration
    this year coincides with my second Inauguration on Monday. Thirty-four
    years ago in his famous speech on The Mall in Washington, Dr. Martin
    Luther

    [[Page 42]]

    King recognized the need for biracial cooperation. In talking of his
    fellow Americans who stood with him in the civil rights struggle, he
    said, ``Their destiny is tied up with our destiny, and they have come to
    realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We
    cannot walk alone.''
        My fellow citizens, we must not walk alone into the 21st century.
    This next week as we focus on the Inauguration and the future of our
    great country, my greatest hope is that we as Americans will continue to
    find strength in our diversity, that the world will always look to us as
    a champion of racial and religious liberty, that we will have the wisdom
    to heal our divisions and walk together into a bright new day.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 12:03 p.m. on January 17 in the Oval
    Office at the White House for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on January 18.