Elijah Lewis: “this weekend I traveled with President Clinton to San Diego, CA. There the President announced his initiative on race…”

“this weekend I traveled with President Clinton to San Diego, CA. There the President announced his initiative on race: One America in the 21st century. The President has appointed a commission of highly respected Americans to examine this issue and call for a year-long dialog to take place across our Nation. In the address, the President stated, ``We must be one American community, based on respect for one another and our shared values.'' Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more. There is no issue more important to the future of our country than building the bridge of trust and understanding between people of all religions, all nationalities, and all colors. Mr. Speaker, I want to commend President Clinton for launching this bold initiative. Not since Lyndon Johnson has a President so directly and sincerely addressed the important issue of race. There are those who have criticized the President's initiative, who would use any opportunity to attack the President. I hope and pray that the President's critics will cease their attacks. This issue is too important to the future of our Nation to be exploited for political gain. Thank you, Mr. President, for your inspiring words this weekend, and for beginning the process of healing and bringing our Nation together.”