Date: 2012-03-01
Speaker: DANIEL E. LUNGREN (republican)
Chamber: H
State: Cali

fornia. Mr. Speaker. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker. although obviously the efforts in the civil rights movement were the culmination of efforts by people of all faiths. I find it instructive that this march takes place during the period of Lent. that in the Christian faith is a period of reflection and sacrifice as we prepare for Easter Sunday. Last Sunday. in my home parish out in California. I recall the readings at the first Sunday of Lent were about the temptations of Christ in the desert. And we received a remarkable sermon at our church in which the theme was expressed with the words "the crown without the cross." that the essence of the temptation of Christ was whether He. as Godmade man. was able to make the decision or was tempted to make the decision to accept the crown without accepting the cross. that is. to accept the kingship as Godhead without going through the demands. the terror. and the death of the cross. Im reminded of that today because I think of that question that JOHN LEWIS and others had as they crossed that bridge. as they reached the crest and they saw the troopers at the other side: Do you turn back and do you not accept the cross that is coming in order to achieve that which needs to be done to redeem this country and its promise of equality of all as contained in the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence? I would say that I was inspired as I was there with my wife and others on the march several years ago. STENY HOYER leading those on the Democratic side and JOHN LEWIS. of course. being a regular Member. And he wrote to those of us who reflected on that period that perhaps the most magnificent piece of literature that came out of the civil rights movement. in my judgment. is the "Letter From the Birmingham Jail" by Dr. King. I would commend to my colleagues and to others who might hear our words that they go back and take time to read those words. Dr. King. sitting in jail. without access to any texts. wrote a magnificent epistle of his generation and our generation to the conscience of the American people. And he found no difficulty whatsoever in utilizing his heartfelt religious values and principles in extending the promise of that Christian message and the religious values that are found in our JudeoChristian tradition to the underpinnings of our Constitution and challenged us to understand the difference between just and unjust laws and our responsibility to "render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars. and unto God the things that are Gods." It is an inspiration to me now. and it has been an inspiration to me my entire life. 1l 1000 I would say to anyone who wants to understand the civil rights movement. to understand the promise of America that was not fulfilled and will never perfectly be fulfilled but is certainly in a better state today than it was prior to the civil rights revolution. they should read those words of Dr. King and understand how that animated the civil rights movement and gave us heroes such as our colleague from Georgia. JOHN LEWIS. And with that. I reserve the balance of my time.