Assembly Democratic leadership today released the following statements in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver (D-Essex/Passaic): “Dr. King once said, ‘Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve,’ and today I urge everyone to celebrate Dr. King’s sentiment, but not just for today. Let’s do it every day of the year. We all know Dr. King stood for equality and opportunity. We all know he stood for dignity. And we all know that while we have made strides toward making his dream rarity, we still have lots more work to do.
“Let us all commit to moving forward with the goal of confronting the social, education and economic problems that have proven impediments to making Dr. King’s dream reality. Let’s do the right thing, together, to confront inequality and poverty and its adverse consequences. Let’s embrace the greatness Dr. King saw in each and every one of us, and let’s do it each and every day.”
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Jerry Green (D-Union/Middlesex/Somerset):
“Today we remember the remarkable life of Dr. King and all that he stood for, but let’s also double our commitment to fight every day for the equality and fairness Dr. King stood for so strongly. His dream of a better America inches closer, but we still most overcome great difficulties such as the economic problems that unfairly hit some communities harder than others.
“Dr. King said, ‘Equality means dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts through the week.’ He was right then and he’s right now, and that’s why we cannot relent in our goal for a better New Jersey. And, unequivocally, that means a better New Jersey for everyone.”
Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-Camden):
“Few people have had a more profound and long-lasting impact on American life than Dr. King, and for that we’re all grateful. His courage and conviction to confront what was immoral and bring about change is an example to us all, and we should strive to summon that courageous spirit as we confront the problems facing our state and nation in this difficult time.
“Dr. King believed that a genuine leader was not a searcher for consensus, but a molder of consensus. That’s a belief that we can all embrace to build a better New Jersey that puts social and economic equality and opportunity – whether it be a job or a quality education or reliable access to health care – within reach of everyone.”
Assembly Deputy Speaker John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex):
“Dr. King expressed the idea that ‘all labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.’ With that in mind, let’s commit to working together – no matter our background, no matter our viewpoints – to finally make Dr. King’s idea of equal opportunity for everyone more than just a dream.
“Throughout New Jersey and America today, scores of people will devote themselves to Dr. King’s memory through the greatness of community service, but the painstaking part is keeping that spirit alive throughout the year so we can confront the difficulties we face. If we can do so, we will accomplish the excellence Dr. King sought. We can build a stronger New Jersey. It is a worthy goal for all of us.”
Assembly Conference Leader Gordon Johnson (D-Bergen):
“Dr. King expressed the thought that ‘If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.’ Let’s embrace that as our shared goal. Let’s make ‘moving forward’ our constant commitment.
“We much to accomplish to make true equality commonplace. Too many people worry about getting a job or being able to get quality health care or an education. We cannot stand idle. Let’s, as Dr. King implored, keep moving forward.”
Assembly Budget Chairman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson/Bergen):
“We know we face great challenges as we endeavor to make Dr. King’s righteous ideals a reality. The obstacles that even now still block equal opportunity for everyone are steep and heavy, yet not insurmountable if we truly commit to ourselves to work together to find ways to promote community service and policies that steer us toward social and economic equality.
“And all of us can make this commitment. Dr. King said that in order to bring about change ‘you only need a heart full of grace.’ and ‘a soul generated by love.’ Those are qualities we all can bring out, no matter where we stand on the difficult issues of the day. Let’s put them to good use to benefit us all.” TLS.
Thank you to (Republican) President Ronald Reagan for signing into law the establishment of Dr. Martin Luther KIng Day to remember the great civil rights icon.
Also, thank you (Republican) President Abe Lincoln for abolishing slavery in the United States of America.
In truth, civil rights should be apolitical, but since the Democrats saw it fit to release this press release while making it very clear that they are Democrats and trying to gain politically from this, I will give you a bried history of civil rights in thid country, and I’ll let you, my dear readers, decide if it is the Democrats or Republicans who pushed for civil rights for blacks: (Amazing stuff)
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On his deathbed in 1874, Senator Charles Sumner (R-MA) told a Republican colleague: “You must take care of the civil rights bill – my bill, the civil rights bill. Don’t let it fail.” In March 1875, the Republican-controlled 43rd Congress followed up the GOP’s 1866 Civil Rights Act and 1871 Civil Rights Act with the most comprehensive civil rights legislation ever. A Republican president, Ulysses Grant, signed the bill into law that same day.
Among its provisions, the 1875 Civil Rights Act banned racial discrimination in public accommodations. Sound familiar? Though struck down by the Supreme Court eight years later, the 1875 Civil Rights Act would be reborn as the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
During the twenty years of the FDR and Truman administrations, the Democrats had refused to enact any civil rights legislation. In contrast, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the 1957 Civil Rights Act, which had been written by his Attorney General, a former Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The original draft would have permitted the federal government to sue anyone violating another person’s constitutional rights, but this powerful provision would have to wait until the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The bill had to be weakened considerably to secure enough Democrat votes to pass, so violations would be civil, not criminal offenses, and penalties were light. Vice President Richard Nixon helped overcome a Democrat filibuster in the Senate. The GOP then strengthened enforcement with its 1960 Civil Rights Act.
Clever strategizing had won him the support of most African-American voters, but it took President John Kennedy (D-MA) nearly two years to make good on even one of his promises to them. He refused to attend a dinner commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and turned down Martin Luther King’s invitation to speak at the March on Washington. He did name Thurgood Marshall to the federal bench, but that was to an appeals court in New York, far from the fray in southern states. Kennedy did not honor his campaign promise to submit to Congress a new civil rights bill soon after taking office.
While the Kennedy administration was ignoring its campaign pledges, the Republican minority in Congress introduced several bills to protect the constitutional rights of African-Americans. In January 1963, congressional Republicans introduced a sweeping civil rights bill to enact what Democrat opposition had prevented from being included in the 1957 and 1960 laws. Threatened by this initiative, the president finally acted. Hastily drafted in a single one-nighter, the Kennedy bill fell well short of what the GOP had introduced the month before. Many Democrats were preparing a protracted Senate filibuster of this civil rights bill, which was in a committee of the House of Representatives when John Kennedy was murdered in November 1963.
The 1964 Civil Rights Act was an update of Charles Sumner’s 1875 Civil Rights Act. In striking down that law in 1883, the Supreme Court had ruled that the 14th Amendment was insufficient constitutional authorization, so the 1964 Civil Rights Act had to be written in such a way as to rely on the interstate commerce clause for its constitutional underpinning. The 1964 Act guaranteed equal access to public facilities and banned racial discrimination by any entity receiving federal funding, thereby extending coverage to most every hospital, school and government contractor. Also banned was racial discrimination in unions and in companies with more than twenty-five employees. Enforcement provisions were much more rigorous than those of the 1957 and 1960 Acts.
Republicans supported the 1964 Civil Rights Act much more than did the Democrats. Contrary to Democrat myth, Everett Dirksen (R-IL), the Senate Minority Leader – not President Lyndon Johnson – was the person most responsible for its passage. Mindful of how Democrat opposition had forced Republicans to weaken their 1957 and 1960 Civil Rights Acts, President Johnson promised Republicans that he would publicly credit the GOP for its strong support. Johnson played no role in the legislative fight. In the House of Representatives, the 1964 Civil Rights Act passed with 80% support from Republicans but only 63% support from Democrats.
In the Senate, Dirksen had no trouble rounding up the votes of most Republicans, and former presidential candidate Richard Nixon lobbied hard for passage. On the Democrat side, the Senate leadership did support the bill, while the chief opponents were Senators Sam Ervin (D-NC), Al Gore (D-TN) and Robert Byrd (D-WV). Senator Byrd, whom Democrats still call “the conscience of the Senate,” filibustered against the 1964 Civil Rights Act for fourteen straight hours. At a meeting held in his office, Dirksen modified the bill so it could be passed despite Democrat opposition. He strongly condemned the Democrat-led 57-day filibuster: “The time has come for equality of opportunity in sharing of government, in education, and in employment. It must not be stayed or denied. It is here!”
Along with most other political leaders at the time, Johnson, credited Dirksen for getting the bill passed: “The Attorney General said that you were very helpful and did an excellent job… I’ll see that you get proper attention and credit.” At the time, for instance, The Chicago Defender, a renowned African-American newspaper, praised Senator Dirksen for leading passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
The struggle for civil rights was not finished, however, as most southern states remained under the control of segregationist Democrat governors, such as George Wallace (D-AL), Orval Faubus (D-AR) and Lester Maddox (D-GA). Full enforcement of the 1964 Civil Rights Act would not arrive until the Republican political ascendancy in the South during the 1980s.
Its great that historically the republicans supported civil rights, it would be even better if the current crop of republicans would continue that tradition
AE –
Stop regurgitating the talking points of the left. The Republican party continues the Republican tradition of civil rights for all, while continuing to block efforts by the Democrat party to make minorities (and frankly all Americans) dependents of the state.
And you know it.