Kendrick Meek: “first of all I want the Congress and the world to know that we are grateful to the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs.…”

“first of all I want the Congress and the world to know that we are grateful to the gentlewoman from North Carolina [Mrs. Clayton] and the gentleman from Oklahoma [Mr. Watts], a sister and brother of mine who have brought this resolution in front of the Congress. The church burnings are despicable acts, and they are very outrageous as well, perpetrated by these people who crawl on their bellies in our society. It is a very small segment of our society representing these burnings. I also want to commend the President of the United States, who went to lend his sympathy to the people who were churchgoers from these churches. We need leadership at all levels, I think, both the Republicans and the Democrats in the Congress, because the churches of this country, they do not lean on parties, they lean on God, and it so important that we solve it in this resolution. We cannot say with all confidence that these burnings will stop. We hope that they will. I think the people who have come out with fresh and adventuresome initiatives want to be sure that these things do not happen again. But we cannot say with all confidence because we know prior history shows us that it is not beyond them. Peter, one of Christ's disciples, said: ``Upon this rock I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'' Let us pass this resolution.”