Political Quotes

“a few moments ago, during our opening prayer, the Chaplain mentioned Rosa Parks. I, too, want to take a moment to note the passing of one of America's extraordinary citizens, an activist, a champion of principle, a true hero, Rosa Parks. All Americans should know Mrs. Parks' extraordinary story, how her refusal to give up a seat on that Montgomery, AL, bus led to a successful bus boycott and how that boycott ultimately led to the great and historic civil rights movement that remade our Nation. Ms. Parks defied an unjust, unfair, and unconstitutional law that declared African Americans second-class citizens. In so doing, she began a process that led to the historically important and vital 1964 Civil Rights Act. Racism still exists in our society. Discrimination continues. But Rosa Parks' brave stand against an unjust law began a movement that set our society moving away from prejudice toward equality, toward a society where people are not judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Rosa Parks' actions and the life she lived stand as a testament to the importance of principle and the power of a single individual to change the world. In the coming months, I hope that we in the Senate will look for other ways to honor Mrs. Parks' legacy and the principles for which she and her life stood. ____________________”