Political Quotes

“I am opposed to this resolution, and I think that I am as sensitive to the issue of persecution as anyone. I believe I am the leader in minority group membership in the House, claiming two myself, and I am going to vote against this resolution. I would not vote for a resolution that approved of the way Germany is dealing with the Scientologists and others, but I do not believe a case has been made to do the very, very solemn act of having this House of Representatives single them out for condemnation. There are a lot of things in this world of which we disapprove, and I think the gentleman from Virginia quite correctly pointed out that if we were going to make a list of practices worthy of condemnation in this great democratic institution, even those critical of Germany's treatment of Scientologists would put it much lower on the list than practices that have gone unmentioned here. So there is a disproportion. Secondly, and I understand from my friend from Arizona that is in the resolution, my colleagues cannot disclaim it, they also have in the resolution a specific example that people in the youth wing of two political parties boycotted movies. Well, I do not always like people who boycott movies, but are we going to have a resolution condemning the Baptists for condemning Disney? I mean, to intermingle genuine religious persecution with a decision by private individuals to boycott a movie is a mistake. It is also inappropriate.”