Extensions of Remarks Hon. Howard Coble Hon.Jamesj

February 4, 1986 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1639 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS A MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO and Labour Party in Northern Ireland, John pluralism. Again not without difficulty yes RONALD McNAIR Hume. terday or devoid of controversy today, you It is almost 17 years since the breakout of have achieved religious toleration and estab HON. HOWARD COBLE the current troubles in Northern Ireland and in lished the separation of Church and State. those years John Hume has worked endlessly Written on your smallest coin in this coun OF NORTH CAROLINA try is your message of greatest value, the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in trying to find a peaceful solution to the trou cement of your society-E Pluribus Unum bles. His commitment to nonviolence has Tuesday, February 4, 1986 from many, one. The essence of unity is the shown that it can be the only path from which acceptance of diversity. The tragedy of di Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, I was invited to change can come about. vided people everywhere, as in Ireland, is participate in a January 31, 1986, program at In his address at Catholic University he reaf that they have pushed difference to the North Carolina A&T State University, Greens firmed his strong commitment to peace, jus point of division and have not yet learned boro, NC. This program was a memorial trib tice and reconciliation in Northern Ireland and the lesson that is the essence of unity in ute to Dr. Ronald McNair-"a great Aggie." of the inspiration he has drawn from the civil every democratic society in the world is to Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with my col rights movement in the United States. accept and respect diversity. leagues my comments on that day: Mr. Speaker, I wish to commend the Catho The story of Northern Ireland is the story lic University for the honor and tribute that of a conflict between the aspirations of ordi Last Wednesday morning when I awoke I nary men and women-600,000 Nationalists, found this message at my door: they have paid to John Hume for his leader 900,000 Unionists-who have been trapped "DEAR CONGRESSMAN: Please accept my ship and cause. His address, portions of by a tragic error of history which saw their grief for the members of the shuttle, one of which are excerpted below, is of interest to all hopes and fears as mutually exclusive and whom was a North Carolinian." Americans who share his commitment to irreconcilable within an Irish state but This message was written by one of my peace and a final settlement of the conflict in which obliged them nonetheless to live and neighbors. I thanked her for her concern, Northern Ireland. compete side-by-side in one corner of Ire and I assured her that two of those aboard STATEMENT OF JOHN HUME land. These two communities in Northern the shuttle Challenger had North Carolina Ireland, Catholic and Protestant, National connections. I explained that Ron McNair It is a great honor for me to accept this ist and Unionist, both behave like threat was an alumnus at A&T State University. Honorary Degree from an educational insti ened minorities and only by regarding them She was not familiar with A&T, and I doubt tution of such high standing and prestige as and only by removing the fears which they that she knows my surname, but she wanted the Catholic University of America. It is both feel can a just and durable solution be me to know that the explosion that oc also a great pleasure for me to receive this found. curred the previous day was a personal trag award and to speak to you in an institution edy. which has such a distinguished record of The American civil rights movement in service in a whole range of fields corre the 60's gave birth to ours. The philosophy Oftentimes we become stronger by having of non-violence which sustained your strug been victims of misfortune, sorrow, and loss. sponding to my own background and to the Misfortune, sorrow, and loss bring us to causes which I have sought to serve in my gle was also part of ours. Our own history gether as one this morning to honor the political life. and our own circumstances gave a special memories of Dr. Ronald McNair and his col Coming from Ireland, which over 40 mil power to the counsel of Reverend Martin leagues who perished last Tuesday. lion Americans are proud to claim as the Luther King that violence as a way of land of their birth or ancestry, let me salute achieving justice is both impractical and im I walked a mile with Pleasure moral. She chatted all the way, the work and achievement of Catholic Uni versity in documenting, in studying, in cele The world in the 60's responded with sym But I was none the wiser pathy to our non-violent movement for civil For all She had to say. brating the heritage of those Americans. Irish studies were initiated here in 1896. rights as it did to yours. But whereas here I walked a mile with Sorrow The first Department of Irish Studies in in the United States the structures of your Not one word uttered She, any university in the U.S.-only seven years democracy were resilient enough to encom But, oh how much I learned from Her after this institution opened its doors and pass the challenge of civil rights, in the un When Sorrow walked with me. over the intervening period, right up to the stable political environment of Northern We have walked hand in hand with sorrow present day, the scholars who have graced Ireland, our struggle was perceived as a since Tuesday. But as we honor Dr. Ron these halls have made a contribution to the threat to the very survival of the society McNair today, my wish is that the memory study of the rich linguistic, cultural and lit itself and as such was resisted by the insti of his life will illuminate around, and in erary heritage bequeathed to us by the dif tutions of the State. spire within, those who become involved in ferent major strands and traditions that In the ensuing clash, the Unionist majori the arts of teaching and learning on this have gone to make up the Irish nation. ty, through the imposition of direct rule great campus. We are gathered here today at the begin from London, lost their local parliament Ron McNair was a gallant patriot and ning of the International Year of Peace and which they had come to regard as the great American as the Governor observed. on the birthday of a great American, Martin symbol of their independence and as the He valiantly gave his life for his country, Luther King, a man of world stature, whose guarantor of their heritage. Though many and I am pleased to join you in honoring principle of non-violence in the struggle for would still wish to regard Northern Ireland him today. justice has been an inspiration and guiding as their exclusive homeland, they lack the light to me personally in my approach to power and indeed the freedom to shape the resolution of conflict, whether in Ire their destiny as they once hoped. Though TRIBUTE TO JOHN HUME land or the international sphere. they dominate the security institutions of You are, in this country heirs to benefici the State still, they have not found security HON.JAMESJ.HOWARD aries of great traditions and principles of as a people. This insecurity has led them to OF NEW JERSEY constitutional government which stand out oppose change, even when that change is as of particular value and indeed, as a stand constructive. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ard of emulation and application in our own Nevertheless through pressure on the Tuesday, February 4, 1986 affairs in Ireland today. British Government including the presence In America, there has always been respect of sympathetic opinion in America and the Mr. HOWARD. Mr. Speaker, on January 15 for this idea of unity in diversity and what world at large, we were able to make, the Catholic University of America awarded an ever the controversies may be about the through non-violent methods, major honorary degree to one of the greatest states value and application today of the old melt progress on a number of fronts, especially ment in Ireland's long and far too often tragic ing-pot concept, there is, I understand, in on the original demands of our Civil Rights history, the leader of the Social Democratic creasing acceptance of the idea of cultural Movement. These included one-man, one- e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. 1640 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February#,, 1986 vote, fair allocation of publicly provided never heal the deep wounds that divide a seach, Dr. Garret FitzGerald and the Brit housing and an end to job discrimination. people. Only a healing process can in time ish Prime Minister, Mrs. Margaret Thatch While we made these very worthwhile ad end the division in Ireland. er. vances, affecting the lives of ordinary men Our analysis is that the first necessary The Agreement is a major achievement of and women, we encountered, as I have said, step in that healing process is the creation democratic, non-violent politics.

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