Speech #920071267

Mr. President. It merely expresses the sense of Congress that we use normal channels and procedures. and invoke a United Nations declaration. to express our outrage at the twin tragedy of Soviet antiSemitism coupled with the denial of the right of Soviet citizens to emigrate. With all of its own burdensome problems I have no doubt that the people of Israel would open their arms and joyfully gather in the tens of thousands of men and women who--were the universal declaration implemented in the Soviet Unionwould leave at once for the freedom they cannot find at home. Mr. President. all we are proposing is that the United States support the principle of the open society. We are calling upon the President to use Americas influence to help eliminate those restraints which hinder individuals from freely developing their abilities. personalities. and cultural identities. The hallmark of the open society is its recognition of such basic freedoms as speech. religion. and the right to emigrate. These principles have been embodied in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We support these principles not only because they are morally right. but we support them also because we know that our own freedom is intimately tied to the freedom of others.