Speech #920206701

I rise in support of House Concurrent Resolution 471. a bill which I consponsored and which. if enacted. will proclaim the sense of Congress that the President of the United States should take immediate steps to: First. call upon the Soviet Government to permit the free expression of ideas and the exercise of religion by all its citizens in accordance with the Soviet Constitution. Second. utilize formal contacts with Soviet officials in an effort to secure an end to discrimination against religious minorities. Third. demand of the Soviet Government that it permit its citizens the right to emigrate from the Soviet Union to the countries of their choice as affirmed by the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. and Fourth. raise in the General Assembly of the United Nations the issue of the Soviet Unions transgression of the Declaration of Human Rights. particularly against Soviet Jews and other minorities. Mr. Speaker. we in the United States take many of our freedoms for granted. Two in particular that we take for granted arefreedom of religion. and freedom to emigrate. These like many of our rights seem unimportant until they are taken away from us. In the Soviet society. however. where there are more than 100 nationalities. many of whom scorn and discriminate against each other. and where it has state policy of atheism. the story is different. Simple things such as Yiddish books on library shelves. kosher food. schools where Yiddish is taught. and the freedom to come and go to a synagogue without being harassed. which are taken for granted in the United States. are denied to Soviet Jews. In fact. in our country. there is a popular bumper sticker that says "America Love it or Leave it." This is a simple statement of a freedom which we enjoy. but one that is denied Soviet citizens. namely. the right of emigration. In one sense in the Soviet Union the Jew is an eternal stranger. In some ways the Jews situation is worse than that of any other minority.