Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Letter From Birmingham Jail

Floor Speech

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Mr. SANDERS. Mr. President, some of us have been out of school for a while, and we may have forgotten our American history. But I did want to take a moment to remind some of my colleagues about a document called the U.S. Constitution and, specifically, the First Amendment of that Constitution.

So for those who may have forgotten, here is what the First Amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

Let me also take this opportunity to remember our late colleague, the former Congressman John Lewis, for his heroic role in the civil rights movement. Now, I know it is very easy to heap praise on Congressman Lewis and many others decades after they did what they did, but I would remind my colleagues that Mr. Lewis--later Congressman Lewis--was arrested 45 times for participating in sit-ins, occupations, and protests--45 times for protesting segregation and racism.

I would also remind my colleagues that the lunch counter protest at Woolworth's and elsewhere which helped lead to the desegregation of the South and the ending of apartheid in the United States were, in fact, sit-ins and occupations where young Black and White Americans bravely took up space in private businesses, demanding an end to the racism and segregation that existed at that time.

Further, as I hope everybody knows, we have also seen, in recent decades, protests--some of them massive protests--against sexism, against homophobia, and the need to transform our energy system away from fossil fuel in order to save this planet. In other words, protesting injustice and expressing our opinions is part of our American tradition. And when you talk about America being a free country, well, you know what? Whether you like it or not, the right to protest is what American freedom is all about. That is the U.S. Constitution.

And let me also remind you that exactly 60 years ago--ironically, exactly 60 years ago--student demonstrators occupied the exact same building on Columbia University's campus as is taking place right now-- ironically, the same building 60 years ago.

Across the country, students and others--including myself, I would say--joined peaceful demonstrations in opposition to the war in Vietnam. Those demonstrators were demanding an end to that war; and maybe, just maybe, tens of thousands of American lives and countless Vietnamese lives might have been saved if the government, at that time, listened to the demonstrators. And I might also add that the President at that time--a very great President, Lyndon Johnson--chose not to run for reelection because of the opposition to him that occurred as a result of his support for that Vietnam war.

And, further, let us not forget those who demonstrated, went to the streets, and protested against the failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Maybe those protestors should have been listened to as well. Shock of all shocks, government policy is not always right.

I noted recently that a number of my colleagues in both parties--not just the Republican Party but the Democratic Party as well--as well as many news reporters--TV, newspapers--they are very concerned--very, very concerned--about the protests and violence we are seeing on campuses across the country. So let me be very clear: I share those concerns about violence on campus or, for that matter, anyplace else. And I condemn those who threw a brick through a window at Columbia University. That kind of violence should not be taking place on college campuses.

I also am concerned and condemn the group of individuals at UCLA in California who violently attacked the peaceful encampment of anti-war demonstrators on the campus of UCLA.

So let me be clear: I condemn all forms of violence on campus, whether they are committed by people who support Israel's war policies or by people who oppose those policies.

Further, I would hope that all of us can agree that, in the United States of America, all forms of bigotry must be condemned and eliminated. We are seeing a growth of anti-Semitism in this country, which we must all condemn and work to stop. We are also seeing a growth of Islamophobia in this country, which we must all condemn and stop.

And in that regard, I would mention that in my very own city of Burlington, VT, three wonderful young Palestinian students were shot at close range on November 25 of last year. They were visiting a family member to celebrate Thanksgiving, walking down the street, and they were shot.

And let me make an additional point. I have noted that there is an increasing tendency in the media and on the part of some of my colleagues here in the Senate to use the word, the phrase, ``pro- Palestinian'' to suggest that that means that people who are pro- Palestinian are pro-Hamas. And, to my mind, that is unacceptable, and it is factually inaccurate.

The overwhelming majority of American people and protestors understand that Hamas is a terrorist organization that started this war by attacking Israel in an incredibly brutal and horrific way on October 7. To stand up for Palestinian rights and the dignity of the Palestinian people does not make one a supporter of terrorism.

And let me also mention something that I found rather extraordinary-- and I have been in politics for a while, but I did find this one particularly extraordinary and outrageous--and that is, just a few days ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the leader of the rightwing, extremist government in Israel--a government which contains out-and-out anti-Palestinian racists--Netanyahu issued a statement in which he equated criticism of his government's illegal and immoral war against the Palestinian people with anti-Semitism. In other words, if you are protesting or disagree with what Netanyahu and his extremist government are doing in Gaza, you are an anti-Semite. Well, that is an outrageous statement from a leader who is clearly trying to do something--and I have to tell you, I guess he is succeeding with the American media--and that is, to deflect attention away from the horrific policies that his government is pursuing in Gaza, which have created an unprecedented humanitarian disaster.

So let me be as clear as I can be: It is not anti-Semitic or pro- Hamas to point out that in almost 7 months, the last 7 months, Netanyahu's extremist government has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000--70 percent of whom are women and children; 5 percent of the 2.2 million people in Gaza have been killed or injured, 70 percent of whom are women and children. And to protest that or to point that out is not anti-Semitic. It is simply factual.

It is not anti-Semitic to point out that Netanyahu's government's bombing campaign has completely destroyed more than 221,000 housing units in Gaza; that is, over 60 percent of the housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed, leaving more than 1 million people homeless--about half the population. No, Mr. Netanyahu, it is not anti- Semitic to point out what you have done in terms of the destruction of housing in Gaza.

It is not anti-Semitic to understand that Netanyahu's government has annihilated Gaza's healthcare system, knocking 26 hospitals out of service and killing more than 400 healthcare workers. At a time when 77,000 people have been wounded and desperately need medical care, Netanyahu's government has systematically destroyed the healthcare system in Gaza.

It is not anti-Semitic to condemn Netanyahu's government for the destruction of all of Gaza's 12 universities. They had 12 universities; they are all destroyed. It is not anti-Semitic to make that point, nor is it anti-Semitic to make the point that 56 other schools have been destroyed; hundreds more have been damaged; and, today, 625,000 children in Gaza have no opportunity for an education. Not anti-Semitic to make that point.

It is not anti-Semitic to note that Netanyahu's government has obliterated Gaza's civilian infrastructure. There is virtually no electricity in Gaza right now, virtually no clean water in Gaza right now, and sewage is seeping out onto the streets. Not anti-Semitic to make that point.

It is not anti-Semitic to agree with virtually every humanitarian organization that functions in the Gaza area in saying that Netanyahu's government, in violation of American law, has unreasonably blocked humanitarian aid coming into Gaza, and they have created the conditions under which hundreds of thousands of children in Gaza face malnutrition and famine.

It is not anti-Semitic to look at photographs of skeletal children who are starving to death because they have not been able to get the food they need.

It is not anti-Semitic to agree with American officials and U.N. officials that parts of Gaza could become famine districts in the not very distant future--famine.

Anti-Semitism is a vile and disgusting form of bigotry that has done unspeakable harm to many millions of people for hundreds of years-- including my own family, I might add--but it is outrageous and it is disgraceful to use the charge of anti-Semitism to distract us from the immoral and illegal war policies that Netanyahu's extremist and racist government is pursuing. Furthermore, it is really cheap politics for Netanyahu to use the charge of anti-Semitism to deflect attention from the criminal indictment he is facing in Israeli courts.

Bottom line: It is not anti-Semitic to hold Netanyahu and his government accountable for their actions. That is not anti-Semitic. That is precisely what we should be doing because, among other things, we are the government in the world that has supplied over a period of years and most recently billions and billions of dollars to Netanyahu in order for him to continue this horrific war against the Palestinian people.

I would also point out that while there has been wall-to-wall TV coverage of student protests--I think that is about all CNN does right now--I should mention that it is not just young people on college campuses who are extremely upset about our government's support and funding for this illegal and immoral war. And I would point out that just last week--just last week--this Senate voted to give Netanyahu another $10 billion of unfettered military aid to continue his war. But it is not just the protesters on college campuses who disagree with that decision; it is the American people.

Let me just quote from a few polls that have recently been taken.

April 14, a poll from POLITICO/Morning Consult: 67 percent support the United States calling for a cease-fire.

This is at a time when Netanyahu is threatening now to expand the war into Rafah.

April 12, CBS poll: 60 percent of the American people think the United States should not send weapons and supplies to Israel, as opposed to 40 percent who think the United States should.

For my Democratic colleagues, as you well know, those numbers are disproportionately higher among the Democratic community.

April 10, the Economist/YouGov poll: 37 percent support decreasing military aid to Israel, and just 18 support an increase. Overall, 63 percent support a cease-fire, and 15 percent oppose.

It is not just protesters on college campuses who are upset about U.S. Government policy regarding Israel and Gaza. Increasingly, the American people want an end to U.S. complicity in the humanitarian disaster which is taking place in Gaza right now. The people of the United States--Democrats, Republicans, Independents--in large numbers, do not want to be complicit in the starvation of hundreds of thousands of children.

Now, maybe this is a very radical idea. Here is a really, really, really radical idea: Maybe it is time for the U.S. Congress to listen to the American people. Maybe it is time to rethink the decision that the U.S. Senate recently made to provide Netanyahu with another $10 billion in unfettered military aid. Maybe it is time to not simply worry about the violence we are seeing on American college campuses but to focus on the unprecedented violence we are seeing in Gaza, which has killed 34,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 77,000, 70 percent of whom are women and children.

So I suggest to CNN and maybe some of my colleagues here: Maybe take your cameras, just for a moment, off of Columbia and off of UCLA. Maybe go to Gaza and take your camera and show us the emaciated children who are dying of malnutrition because of Netanyahu's policies. Show us the kids who have lost their arms and their legs. Show us the suffering that is going on over there.

Let me conclude by saying this: I must admit that I find it incomprehensible that many Members of Congress are spending their time attacking the protesters rather than the Netanyahu government, which has caused and brought about these protests and has created this horrific situation.

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