Political Quotes

“Today I rise to honor the 99th birthday of a great American: Kirk Douglas. I read about Mr. Douglas' birthday in the paper where he didn't receive gifts, but gave gifts. He gave a $15 million contribution to an Alzheimer's home in California. He did this on his birthday. I found out that he has a long history of charitable giving in philanthropy. In Los Angeles, he created 400 different playgrounds, has given money to children's hospitals, and taken a long effort to help people from all walks of life. I saw him also in a movie that I saw recently called ``Trumbo.'' I didn't realize that he had stood up against blacklisting in Hollywood and had encouraged the hiring of Dalton Trumbo, a blacklisted writer, who saved his career from what was a scourge on the United States Congress and our history of free speech and democracy. I first learned all of what Kirk Douglas has done when I heard an apology for slavery and Jim Crow, and I found out he had been for an apology for slavery for years. He had an Internet site encouraging people to join a petition and lobbyists to pass an apology for slavery in this country. These type of things show that Kirk Douglas is the type of person we should emulate and honor. He has had 99 great years. I thank him for his efforts of charitable giving and for his philosophy of forgiveness and understanding. ____________________”