Bernard Sanders: “Mr. Speaker, this is a very difficult resolution for me. As it happens, virtually my father's entire family was murdered…”

“Mr. Speaker, this is a very difficult resolution for me. As it happens, virtually my father's entire family was murdered by Hitler when they were living in Poland. I have very strong feelings about anti-Catholicism or gay bashing or bigotry in general. My concern lies, among other things, that when we have people like David Duke, a former Nazi, when we have all kinds of people in the United States ranting and raving about sending blacks back to Africa or all kinds of absurd bigotry, I do not see resolutions coming down on the floor of the House. They are ignored. My concern also is that while virtually every Member of this body condemns the horrendous and stupid remarks that we are discussing today, I fear very much that the people who follow Mr. Muhammad or Mr. Farrakhan are not going to stay up too many nights worrying that the U.S. Congress has condemned them. In fact, I suspect that if we want to see that movement grow, probably we have given them a shot in the arm today. To be condemned by the U.S. Congress in many communities of America is a step forward. I think the most important point that I would make, however, is that if we are concerned, as we must be, as to why that type of movement is gaining a foothold in the United States, we should ask some questions as to why people respond to that type of garbage and what we might do about it.”