Richard K. Armey: “44 years ago this December, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man who wanted it. Rosa Parks…”

“44 years ago this December, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white man who wanted it. Rosa Parks didn't know that she was making history. And she certainly had no idea that she would become a genuine American hero. What she knew was that she was tired after a long day's work and she wanted to rest her weary feet. In the first half of this century, Montgomery, Alabama, represented the worst segregation had to offer. Daily life in Montgomery included such insulting facts of life as "blacks only" elevators, segregated lunch counters, and Jim Crow laws which relegated African-Americans to second-class status. And on public buses, the first four rows of seats were reserved for whites, and usually remained empty when there were not enough whites to fill them. The back section, of course, was always very crowded, was reserved for blacks. One December evening after a long day at work, Rosa Parks stepped on a bus for the ride home to a restful night of sleep. Parks was sitting in the middle section of the bus when a white man boarded the bus and demanded that she move because the white section of the bus was full. Parks, very tired from a long day working as a seamstress, quietly refused to move. When told by the bus driver that the police were about to be called, Parks said, "Go ahead and call them." The police came and they arrested this gentle, middle-aged women for refusing to move to the back of the bus.”