As Prepared for Delivery
Madam/Mr. Speaker:
I rise today to address what I will call a tale of two kings. One, a member of this body, who wondered out loud to the New York Times why the terms white nationalism and white supremacy are offensive.
I would say to my colleague that the terms are offensive because the concepts are evil. And we have been counselled by Edmond Burke that, “all that is required for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.”
I have just introduced a resolution to express this august body’s disapproval of Mr. King’s comments and condemnation of white nationalism and white supremacy in all forms.
So today I denounce the words of Representative Steve King, and I do so invoking the words of another King, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who, if he had been allowed to live, would be celebrating his 90th birthday on tomorrow.
Dr. King counselled that, "we are going to be made to repent, not just for the hateful words and deeds of bad people, but for the appalling silence of good people."
I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in breaking the deafening silence and letting our resounding condemnation be heard.