Chris Murphy: “in 1937 the residents of Southbury, a small town in Connecticut, came together to prevent the German American Bund, a…”

“in 1937 the residents of Southbury, a small town in Connecticut, came together to prevent the German American Bund, a group of pro-Nazi German Americans, from establishing a paramilitary training facility in their town. Led by Rev. Felix Manley of the Southbury Federated Church and Rev. M.E.N. Lindsay of the South Britain Congressional Church, the town of Southbury passed its first zoning law to ban the use of land in Southbury for paramilitary training. As a great Jewish writer once said, ``The opposite of love is not hate, it is indifference.'' Mr. Speaker, it gives me a great sense of pride to represent the town of Southbury, where this May 31, 2008, the congregation of B'nai Israel will host the Human Rights Festival, honoring the courageous acts of those citizens some 71 years ago and renewing the town's commitment to justice. The proud legacy of the religious community in Southbury and the work of B'nai Israel to recognize that legacy serve as a reminder to all of us that change and progress must come from the bottom up.”