Political Quotes

“first I want to commend both the chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Cox) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Dicks) on this report, and for working diligently on the issues of security presented by the recent situation that we face at the Department of Energy. I want to particularly thank them for the deliberate nature in which they addressed these issues, and also for not politicizing it, unlike some people who have come to the floor. In times of concern over national security, we must remind ourselves that sparing no effort to ensure our national security should not be at the expense of our basic beliefs about the civil rights of our people as a whole, as members of ethnic groups, and as individuals. In times of heightened concern about the national security, it is sometimes all too easy to conclude that there may be groups of people among us who are contributing to our national insecurity. The most tragic example in American history was the treatment of Japanese Americans during World War II, but in recent memory we have stigmatized Arab Americans, especially in the immediate reaction to the Oklahoma bombing. Of course, we have many allegations of racial and ethnic profiling in many communities around the country. It is vitally important to our national security to continue to ensure the security of our military secrets, but also our civil rights.”