CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E547 in ongoing assistance missions, and over the The Sons of Confederate Veterans aren’t A federal judge ruled in Maryland in Feb- last twelve months Hoosier Guard soldiers and happy. Members have said they might try to ruary 1997 that ‘‘The Confederate battle flag airmen have lent a helping hand in Haiti, Hun- re-introduce the flag image. Bills have been on special Maryland license plates is pro- changed before, they say, although they tected by the First Amendment and cannot gary, Kuwait, Slovakia, and South Korea. The won’t say how they plan to do it. be banned.’’ extraordinary range of military service being Or—if the Senate fails to consider any- The SCV got a similar ruling in North performed by the men and women of the Indi- thing but the blank plate with the name of Carolina last December. There, the protest ana National Guard is strong testimony to the the organization on it—the SCV may take was less about the flag and more about reliance that is placed on them. the issue to court. whether the organization was actually a We should never forget that while the Indi- They’re ready for a gentlemanly battle, ‘‘civic group.’’ The SCV took it to court and they say. The Sons of Confederate Veterans won. ana National Guard is responsive to its Fed- In Virginia, said Brag Bowling of Rich- eral mission, it also stands ready to respond was organized in 1896 as an offshoot of the United Confederate Veterans. Today, the mond, legislative liaison for the SCV, ‘‘We’re to the call of our Governor for service in sup- mission of the group is to ‘‘preserve the his- exploring all options. We’re deeply dis- port and protection of the citizens of Indiana. tory and the legacy’’ of the ‘‘citizen sol- appointed they took the flag off the license The Indiana Guard was also in the forefront of diers’’ who fought for the Confederacy in the plate. We got nailed in the House. We want to see how it goes in the Senate.’’ War Between the States, from 1861 to 1865. the special National Guard task force orga- It was likely the impassioned plea of Del. Proof of kinship to a Confederate soldier is nized to help provide security for the Atlanta Jerrauld C. Jones, D-Norfolk, that swayed required. The SCV allows blacks to join; in Olympic Games in 1996. the House. Jones said the flag, often con- The fighting men and women, the soldiers fact, they say, race has never been a ques- nected with hate and terrorism by many Af- and airmen of today's Indiana National Guard, tion on their membership application. And rican Americans, had reminded him through- they do claim black members, although no out his life of fear, anger and claims of racial are worthy of those who, 80 years ago, proud- one at the national headquarters—an ante- ly returned carrying the honors earned on Eu- supremacy. bellum mansion in Columbia, Tenn.—can say The special license plate legislation ropean battlefields. As President Chirac re- how many of their 27,000 members worldwide passed, but without the flag. SCV members minds us by his public commendations, we are black. vow they have never used the flag for such should take time to remember and honor the Neither can Patrick J. Griffin III, SCV na- purposes as Jones claimed. soldiers of that era. Equally, we should pause tional commander and chief, of Darnestown, But the flag is sometimes used as a symbol as we approach the new millennium, to recog- Md. of ‘‘oppression, violence and brutality,’’ said ‘‘We do not have a block on our application nize today's successors to those ``Hoosier Janis V. Sanchez, professor of psychology at that asks for race,’’ Griffin said. ‘‘I’ve never Old Dominion University. Gunners'' who served so bravely and honor- seen anything in this organization that ques- ‘‘The argument is that the flag was appro- ably on the battlefields of France at the begin- tions race or religion. You either have an priated by the KKK,’’ Sanchez said. ‘‘But ning of this century. honorable Confederate ancestor or you that doesn’t change the fact that it is associ- f don’t.’’ ated with the Klan and with slavery. The The SCV, with 700 camps in 36 states, Eu- Civil War was about slavery, and that’s what EXPOSING RACISM rope and South America, accepts members as the Confederate flag stands for. It has been young as 12. used by many people to send a signal to Afri- ‘‘We’re trying to preserve an accurate view can Americans. HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON of Southern American history, to make sure ‘‘I know the Sons of Confederate Veterans OF MISSISSIPPI the names of our ancestors are not sullied,’’ are saying that it represents their heritage, IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Griffin said. but they cannot separate the meanings.’’ The group dedicates itself to preservation, The SCV claims that the Civil War wasn’t Wednesday, March 24, 1999 to marking confederate soldiers’ graves, to about slavery; rather, it was about states’ Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speak- historical re-enactments. It holds regular rights. More than 95 percent of the soldiers er, in my continuing efforts to document and meetings to discuss the military and polit- who fought for the South weren’t even slave expose racism in America, I submit the fol- ical history of the Civil War. It publishes a owners, they maintain. bimonthly magazine, and it hands out two More like 85 percent, said Dr. Harold D. lowing articles into the CONGRESSIONAL scholarships and a medical research grant Wilson, an ODU history professor. RECORD. each year. At the time of the Civil War, there were 9 [From the Virginian-Pilot] Executive director Maitland Westbrook III million people in the Southern states, Wilson said; 4 million of those were slaves. Of the re- CONFEDERATE GROUP BATTLES FOR ITS FLAG said that the SCV is not ‘‘statistically ori- ented,’’ so he can’t say how many African maining 5 million, 330,000—mostly white (By Linda McNatt) Americans have benefited from SCV scholar- males—were slave owners. Wilson said he be- In May 1997, two members of the Sons of ships. lieves about 85 percent of the soldiers didn’t Confederate Veterans confronted Ku Klux The organization has five full-time em- own slaves. Klansmen in front of the Pensacola, Fla., ju- ployees at national headquarters. None of Some blacks, he pointed out, did serve dicial building. them, currently, are black, Westbrook said, with the South. ‘‘In the North, blacks par- ticipated fully in the war; in the South, they Sworn to conduct themselves as Southern although the SCV has employed blacks in were mostly servants or laborers,’’ Wilson gentlemen, the SCV members asked the the past. hooded Klansmen to put down what they be- The SCV also spends a lot of time defend- said. ‘‘There were great debates over whether lieve is their Confederate battle flag. ing its heritage—including its symbol—the blacks should fight for the Confederacy, and they were conducted mostly in a very pri- ‘‘There were 20 of them, maybe,’’ said Rob- Confederate battle flag. ert A. Young, who belongs to the Sons of Collin Pulley Jr. of Courtland is national vate, sensitive manner.’’ What caused the Civil War? ‘‘In the upper Confederate Veterans. ‘‘This group of fellas chief of heritage defense. In the last several Southern states, it probably was states’ came over from Louisiana. They were months, he’s complained about ‘‘anti-South- rights,’’ Wilson said. ‘‘In the lower South, dressed up like ghosts. We didn’t want the ern’’ TV shows and objected to a rap CD that with its large plantations, it was more about connection, and we told ’em so.’’ depicts a burning Confederate flag on its slavery. The peaceful confrontation made national cover. ‘‘What in the world does the battle flag news. The Klansmen didn’t back down, but represent? It was the military flag of the the SCV had made its point. Since Wal-Mart quit carrying the flags Confederacy. It represented the might of the It wasn’t the first time that the Sons of after some customers complained, he’s led a Confederate government. To that part of the Confederate Veterans have defended the SCV campaign—unsuccessful so far—to per- Confederacy where there were few slave own- bright red flag with its blue cross and white suade the discount chain to re-stock small ers, it may have represented something en- stars. Confederate flags his group uses on graves. tirely different.’’ And it’s not likely to be the last. The flag, ‘‘It has been our position for the last two And that part of the Confederacy may well the SCV says, symbolizes the bravery of years not to carry the Confederate flag be- represent Virginia, Wilson admitted. The their ancestors who followed it through the cause, here at Wal-Mart, we do not stand for Confederate battle flag was first used by the smoke of battle. what that flag represents,’’ said Marvin Army of Northern Virginia, where there were But the same flag has been used by the Deshommes, a buyer at the Bentonville, few large slave owners compared to the deep Klan and other hate groups. For some Afri- Ark., headquarters. South. can Americans, the Confederate flag rep- What the flag represents, the SVC says, is Should the Sons of Confederate Veterans resents terrorism, prejudice and hate. heritage, not hate. And the group is deter- be allowed to use the flag on its license That’s why the Virginia General Assembly mined to reclaim its glory. plate? two weeks ago said ‘‘no flag’’ when it voted It succeeded in Maryland and, more re- The group has an ally it likely doesn’t to allow the group, which has 6,000 Virginia cently, in North Carolina. Both states, and even know about. The Rev. Jeff Berry, na- members, to have a special state license several others, allow SCV members to dis- tional imperial wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, plate. play the flag on license plates. said he believes it is their right. E548 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks March 24, 1999 Like the SCV, the Klan uses the flag to people living under tyrannical, intolerant lead- INTRODUCTION OF H.R. 1214—DE- represent ‘‘heritage, not hate,’’ said Berry, ers, even if they claim to be democratic. We PARTMENT OF VETERANS AF- whose group was started by Confederate Gen. should stop funding this repressive govern- FAIRS VETERANS’ CLAIMS ADJU- Nathan Bedford Forrest. DICATION IMPROVEMENT ACT OF Unlike the SCV, non-whites are not al- ment with American aid, impose economic lowed in the Klan. The two groups have no sanctions as we did against the apartheid re- 1999 connection, Berry said. But the Klan, which gime in South Africa, and go on record urging says it believes first in the U.S. Constitu- India to allow a plebisciteÐa free, democratic HON. LANE EVANS tion, says the SCV ought to be able to dis- voteÐin Punjab, Khalistan, in Kashmir, in OF ILLINOIS play the Confederate flag. Christian Nagaland, and throughout their poly- ‘‘If it isn’t OK to fly the Confederate flag glot state to decide the future political status of IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES in the U.S., why is it OK for blacks to fly the these regions. This is the only way to end the Wednesday, March 24, 1999 African flag?’’ Berry said. ‘‘We would defend the right of the SCV to fly its flag. Nobody genocide, settle the differences, and finally Mr. EVANS. Mr. Speaker, for years our Na- should be able to take that right away.’’ bring lasting peace to this troubled tinderbox tion's veterans who submitted a claim to the known as South Asia. f Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for bene- Freedom is not only America's founding fits associated with their military service, par- CHRISTIAN VILLAGE BURNED BY principle, it is our mission. Let us carry that ticularly service-connected disability com- HINDUS—WAVE OF SECULAR VIO- mission to the deserving peoples and nations pensation, have been forced to contend with a LENCE GOES BACK TO CHRIST- of the subcontinent. We look forward to the VA claims adjudication process which has MAS DAY day when the glow of freedom shines on all been both too slow and too inaccurate. Too the people of South Asia and the world. often the adjudication of a veterans' claim has taken not days, not weeks, not months, but HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS [From The New York Times, Mar. 19, 1999] years. OF NEW YORK 157 HOMES BURNED IN RELIGIOUS CLASH IN Recent information suggests that after wait- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INDIA ing years for a decision, one out of three vet- Wednesday, March 24, 1999 (By Celia W. Dugger) erans may find that the decision made by VA was wrong. Untimely and inaccurate decision- Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I was very dis- BHUBANESWAR, INDIA, MARCH 18.—Less than tressed to see an article in the March 19 issue two months after a Hindu mob killed a making by the VA, and particularly the Vet- of the New York Times reporting that in the Christian missionary from Australia and his erans Benefits Administration (VBA), have village of Ranaloi in India, a mob chanting two young sons here in the eastern state of been twin problems which have plagued vet- ``Victory to Lord Ram'' burned down 157 of Orissa, Hindus and Christians clashed in a erans, veterans service organizations and 250 homes of Christians. I thank my good village this week, and 157 of the 250 Christian Members of Congress who have sought to as- friend Dr. Gurmit Singh Aulakh for calling my homes were burned down, state officials say. sist their veterans constituents. attention to this atrocity, which unfortunately is The officials said they presumed that Hin- While experience clearly indicated other- not an isolated incident but part of a wave of dus set the fires on Tuesday, but have no wise, VBA consistently reported that the qual- anti-Christian violence that began on Christ- solid evidence. Christian villagers inter- ity of its work was nearly error free as meas- viewed by television reporters blamed Hin- ured by VBA. Between 1993 and 1997, VA mas Day. dus, who they said shouted ‘‘Victory to Lord Since Christmas, several Christian church- Ram,’’a Hindu god, as they set the fires. was reporting an accuracy rate of 97%. This es, prayer halls, and religious missions were Thirteen people were wounded, three by gun- was unfortunately like the fox not only guard- destroyed by Hindu extremists affiliated with fire, and the police have arrested more than ing the hen house, but also keeping the inven- the Bajrang Dal, a part of the VHP, a militant 40 people, officials said. tory of hens. Hindu organization that belongs to the same The tensions in the village—Ranaloi, in To his credit, the Under Secretary of Vet- family of organizations as the ruling BJP. The southern Orissa—developed after someone erans Benefits, Mr. Joe Thompson instituted, VHP also praised the Hindus who raped four painted a trident, symbol of the Hindu god on a trial basis, a new system for measuring nuns, calling them ``patriotic youth'' and de- Shiva, over a Christian cross on a boulder the quality of the claims adjudication work per- nouncing the nuns as ``antinational elements.'' about a mile outside the village. formed by VBA. This new quality measure, the In January a missionary and his two very The violence is part of a growing number Strategic Technical Accuracy Review (STAR) young sons were burned to death in their jeep of attacks on Christians in India in the last was tested and used operationally in 1998. year. Church officials and opposition polit- STAR use has been focused on claims sub- by a gang of Hindus chanting ``Victory to ical parties say the problem has worsened Hannuman,'' then another nun was raped. In since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya mitted by veterans which require the VA to early February the bodies of two more Chris- Janata Party became the head of a national rate the claim, make a determination as to tians have been found in the state of Orissa. coalition Government a year ago. Party whether a medical disability is service-con- At least four priests have been murdered. In leaders say they oppose the violence. nected or non-service-connected and deter- 1997, police broke up a Christian religious fes- It is not clear who was responsible for the mine the degree of disability manifest. Using tival with gunfire. A country that engages in violence in Orissa, which is governed by the the STAR methodology, the accuracy of var- such practices should be declared a religious Congress Party. The state’s Chief Minister, ious actions taken during the adjudication oppressor and perhaps a terrorist state. J.B. Patnaik, resigned after the killing of process are used to determine if the case was This latest incident took place during the pe- the missionary, Graham Staines, and his correctly or incorrectly decided. A case is ei- riod of Lent, leading up to Easter. With Easter sons, Timothy, 10, and Philip, 6. ther all right or all wrong. Using STAR, the ac- coming in April, followed soon after by the D.P. Wadhwa, the Indian Supreme Court curacy rate was 64%Ðless that two out of 300th anniversary of the Sikh Nation, we may Justice who was named by the Government three claims were correctly decided. to head an inquiry into the Staines killings, now have the best opportunity to raise the harshly criticized the central Government While STAR has provided a more realistic consciousness of the world to the religious tyr- for failing to provide resources to inves- assessment of the quality of VA claims adju- anny that exists just under the veneer of In- tigate. The commission of inquiry, which dication, STAR does not currently meet gen- dian democracy. was set up six weeks ago, is due to issue its erally accepted governmental standards for Although India has democratic elections, for findings in two weeks but has yet to field a independence and separation of duties. Re- Christians, Sikhs, Muslims, Dalits, and so team of independent investigators or to be views of regional office decisions are made by many others, there is no democracy. No mat- given functional offices to work from. persons who are also decision makers. There ter who they elect, the result is more killing The state police blamed a mob that they is not sufficient staff provided for reviewing and more oppression. Is this true democracy? said was led by a man from the Bajrang Dal, enough cases to make statistically valid accu- As I have said before, this is not democracy, a Hindu nationalist youth group that be- racy determinations at the regional office level. longs to the same family of Hindu nation- It is merely the opportunity to choose one's alist organizations as the Bharatiya Janata In order to pinpoint errors, it is important to be oppressors. Party. able to identify regional offices which have specific high or low accuracy rates and to as- The only solution is freedom for all the peo- Leaders of the Bajrang Dal denied involve- ple of South Asia. As the world's only super- ment, and said the violence was a backlash certain the reasons for discrepancies between power and the beacon of freedom for the against what they called the Christians’ de- regional offices. world, the United States must do whatever it ceitful efforts to convert impoverished, illit- In addition to the problems documented by can to extend the blessings of liberty to all erate Indians. the STAR report, VBA is facing the impending