Political Quotes

“the continued spate of burnings of African-American churches in the South is a national tragedy. I commend Attorney General Reno for redoubling the efforts of the Department of Justice to catch the perpetrators of these most heinous crimes. I have also joined with Senator Faircloth in cosponsoring legislation which reiterates that burning of a church is a Federal crime and lowers the damages threshold to bring Federal enforcement. One of out most precious freedoms is to practice our religious beliefs. To have that freedom abridged because of racist acts is doubly troubling. I know that substantial efforts have been made to investigate these fires. But it is clear that more must be done because the fires, some 30 in all over the past year and a half, keep happening. The leadership of my Commonwealth is responding. The attorney general of Virginia, Jim Gilmore, was recently elected as chairman of the southern region of the National Association of Attorneys General. One of his first acts was to organize a coordinated effort among southern attorneys general to combat hate crimes such as church burnings. His leadership on this issue will bring results, and I commend him and the organization for taking this action. Everybody concerned with the rash of church burnings wants to know whether these crimes are the work of an organized group or isolated instances of violence.”