Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise to express the utter outrage of the Congressional Black Caucus regarding the Calvert amendment, scheduled for later this afternoon, which is an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill. That amendment would allow Confederate imagery to remain on graves on Federal lands. Don't Republicans understand that the Confederate battle flag is an insult to 40 million African Americans and to many other fair-minded Americans? The Confederate battle flag, Mr. Speaker, is intended to defend a dark period of American history, a period when 4 million Blacks were held as slaves, held as property, as chattel, not as human beings. The slaves were bought and sold and mortgaged and gifted as chattel. Mr. Speaker, this period of enslavement continued for more than 200 years and did not legally end until December 6, 1865. Here is the history, Mr. Speaker. Following President Lincoln's election in November 1860, 12 Southern States ceded from the Union in response to their belief that President Lincoln would free the 4 million slaves. South Carolina was the first State to cede from the Union, on December 20, right after Lincoln's election. These Southern States formed the Confederate States of America. They empowered a military, elected a President, adopted a constitution, and adopted a currency. They engaged in a brutal, brutal civil war with the Union. Thousands of lives were lost on both sides of the battle. The Confederate flag, Mr.…”