CHICAGO,
IL – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) issued the following statement
on the Ku Klux Klan rally scheduled for Saturday, December 16 on the steps
of the Cook County Courthouse in Skokie. At 3:00 pm on Sunday, December
17, Schakowsky will address the "Peace and Harmony" rally at Niles West
High School, 5701 Oakton Street, to celebrate the diversity of the 9th
Congressional District.
“One
thing is for certain, our community is stronger than ever. The people
of the 9th Congressional District are proud of our diversity. It
is the source of our strength. Hate groups target us because of what
we represent. We represent the past, present, and future of this
great nation. We are a community of all colors, a community of immigrants
who are proud of our heritage and who are proud of our America.
“This
is who we are: Holocaust survivors enjoying a block party with their Asian
neighbors, who shop on Devon Avenue in Indian, Pakistani, and Russian American
shops not far from the Martin Luther King Elementary School and Mt. Zion
Church. You don’t need to leave our community to find the church,
synagogue, mosque or temple in which you and your family can worship or
to find the food you like to eat. We have it all.
“This
is a concept that small minded hate mongers dread and fear -- an America
that embraces all its people and that is united. So I say to them,
Skokie is your worst nightmare. In your brief stay, our community
will demonstrate to you what it’s like to be proud, diverse, and successful.” |