Political Quotes

“I rise today to support the Lantos resolution, and to discuss a subject as painful as it is important. Last November, Khalid Abdul Muhammad, a spokesman for the Nation of Islam gave a speech at Kean College in New Jersey. It is a speech we have heard before. Mr. Muhammad described a nightmare; a world of enemies and conspiracies; a world of division and violence; a world divided by prejudice and bigotry. He described the same world seen by the Klan; the same world defined by Nazi ideology. It is the sameness and familiarity that is so striking. Only the details change. If Mr. Muhammad's particular fascination with Jews is even more disturbing, it is because blacks and Jews have always stood together in support of civil rights, equal opportunity, and concern for the underprivileged. We have always worked side by side, challenging our country to live up to its ideals. I know that my good friends in the Congressional Black Caucus, some of whom joined me last year on a trip to Israel, are every bit as outraged and pained by these statements as I am. But our partnership will continue and grow stronger because the bonds and values that tie us together are stronger than the forces that would push us apart.”