| 1 | 1 | | By: Moody H.R. No. 478 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 5 | | WHEREAS, On August 12, 2017, in Charlottesville, Virginia, |
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| 6 | 6 | | numerous people were injured, H. Jay Cullen and Burke N.M. Bates |
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| 7 | 7 | | perished serving and attempting to restore order within their city, |
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| 8 | 8 | | and Heather Heyer was killed by an act of domestic terrorism; and |
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| 9 | 9 | | WHEREAS, This tragic event demonstrates that the resurgence |
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| 10 | 10 | | of white nationalism, fascism, neo-Nazism, and similar movements is |
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| 11 | 11 | | a clear threat to America and her people; and |
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| 12 | 12 | | WHEREAS, Since the inception of our nation and state, these |
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| 13 | 13 | | divisive ideas have, like persistent weeds, twisted within the |
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| 14 | 14 | | bedrock of our democracy and stood in opposition to the principles |
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| 15 | 15 | | of liberty, diversity, and justice that have truly made us great; |
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| 16 | 16 | | and |
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| 17 | 17 | | WHEREAS, The rebranding of these ideas as the "alt-Right" |
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| 18 | 18 | | does not disguise or legitimize them, and we recognize them as |
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| 19 | 19 | | merely a modern incarnation of the animus behind disgraceful |
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| 20 | 20 | | chapters in history such as slavery, Jim Crow, and the Holocaust; |
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| 21 | 21 | | and |
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| 22 | 22 | | WHEREAS, These sentiments are incompatible with the values we |
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| 23 | 23 | | hold dear as Texans and Americans; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | WHEREAS, While supporting the constitutional freedom of |
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| 25 | 25 | | speech, we nonetheless unequivocally reject and repudiate any |
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| 26 | 26 | | message denigrating others based on race, ethnicity, religion, |
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| 27 | 27 | | sexual orientation, immigration status, or any other consideration |
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| 28 | 28 | | beyond the content of their character; and |
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| 29 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Any group which promotes intimidation and violent |
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| 30 | 30 | | repression is, by definition, a terrorist organization; now, |
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| 31 | 31 | | therefore, be it |
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| 32 | 32 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 33 | 33 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby condemns white |
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| 34 | 34 | | nationalism, fascism, neo-Nazism, and similar movements; and, be it |
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| 35 | 35 | | further |
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| 36 | 36 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
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| 37 | 37 | | Legislature, 1st Called Session, hereby urges law enforcement |
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| 38 | 38 | | agencies to regard and pursue the criminal elements of such |
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| 39 | 39 | | organizations as terrorists; and, be it further |
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| 40 | 40 | | RESOLVED, That the Chief Clerk of the Texas House of |
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| 41 | 41 | | Representatives forward official copies of this resolution to the |
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| 42 | 42 | | President of the United States and to all members of the Texas |
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| 43 | 43 | | delegation in Congress with the request that this resolution be |
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| 44 | 44 | | entered in the Congressional Record. |
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