Date: 2011-10-05
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Madam Speaker. thank you for your indulgence. We were in a Judiciary Committee hearing on the importance of protecting this Nation from weapons of mass destruction and then in a hearing on the Homeland Security Committee. on which I serve. in trying to ensure that we secure this homeland and also respect the privacy of our citizens. I believe that is a very important challenge. I wanted to come to this floor to call for civility and understanding. Those are two conflicting terms. But as a member of the Judiciary Committee. having the privilege to oversee the Constitution of the United States. I hold very dear the idea of the Bill of Rights. which allows our citizens the right to the First Amendment. the right to association. and the right to freedom of religion. But sometimes you have to call upon your right to explain or to express your abhorrence with ugly speech. So I want to say that over the past couple of days. we have had Herman Cain shouting out about brainwashing of a certain population of people. African Americans. who I guess he suggests that we are not educated persons and as different as any other population of Americans. The greatness of Americans is that we are mosaic. we are diverse. Though I may challenge the philosophy of the Tea Party and have great abhorrence of their views. I would never suggest that those individuals didnt thoughtfully think about who they wanted to associate with. So again to Mr. Cain. get your vocabulary straight and understand that we have a brain as well and make choices on our interests. Then my good friend Hank Williams. who I guess professes to be one of Americas great philosophers. when he was posed a question about the President of the United States and the Speaker of the House attempting civility through what a lot of Americans do. playing golf. he chose to use a. what I think was both an unhelpful and disgraceful comparison. Now. I dont know who he was calling what. but he used the phrase that it would be like the Prime Minister of Israel meeting with Hitler. And one would have to argue. am I defending the Speaker of the House or the President of the United States? Im defending the idea that ugly speech should be called out any time it is utilized. Mr. Williams. you might stick to the penning of a new hit that you havent had for a long period of time. although Im sure you have many fans. for you to characterize any leader as the dastardly and heinous person that Hitler was. the dastardly and heinous and horrific acts that he perpetrated on people who were innocent. From those who happened to be of the Jewish faith to Polish people to people of many different backgrounds that lost their lives in this disgraceful era that was led by Hitler during the time that Germany was led by the Nazis. What a disgraceful statement. So I would ask that we understand that America is a great country because people view us as being tolerant of so many different things. And I conclude by suggesting that those who are watching those on Wall Street who have gathered now. 700 of them were arrested. college students may be out of their classes at 12 noon. and I say hurray for people who are standing up and asking the question. where is my country going? I want to take it back. I do believe in saving Medicare. Medicaid. and Social Security. Pell Grants that are on the cutting board. I want a job. and I want banks to be able to give access to credit to small businesses. Of the five that I visited over my time in my district. and more that are coming as I go to many others. I hear over and over again. are we going to respond to the needs of small businesses or are banks going to continue to crush the backs of small businesses by not lending them credit? People have a reason to be upset. But we dont have to use ugly talk. But dont judge people because theyre out in the streets. I disagree with the Tea Party because of the stranglehold that they have on this Congress that doesnt allow us to come together in a civil manner and come together on behalf of the American people. But at the same time I recognize their constitutional rights. recognize the constitutional rights of those that Wall Street and other places have chosen to be arrested because they dont like what is going on in this Nation. They dont like the fact we are in an obstruction form of government. that we would take from those who need us most and we would use them to balance the budget. Im going to stand with the people who are out in the streets and say. you are rightand tell Hank Williams to try and write another song that might get him a hit so he doesnt have to talk so much.