Legally end until december 6 1865. Heres thery, mr. Speaker. Following president lincolns election in november of 1860, 12 Southern States ceded from the union in response to their belief that president lincoln would free the four million slaves. South carolina was the first state to de from the union on december 20, right after lincolns electio these Southern States formed the Confederate States of america. They empowered a military elected a president , adopted a constitution, adopted a currency. They engaged in a brutal, brutal civil war with the union. Thousands of lives were lost on both sides of the battle and is flag, mr. Speaker, this confederate battle flag, was their symbol. It was their flag. The Southern States lost the war. The states then rejoined the union. President lincoln then proposed a 13th amenent legally ending slery. That amendment mr. Speaker ssed this congress on january 31 1865. Finally it was ratified by georgia on december 6, 1865. And during the period of ratification, president lincoln was assassined. For the next 50 years,0plus years, every black person living in the south faced the possibility of lynching. More than 4,000 blacks were lynched between 1890 a 1950. 136 black people were lynched in soutcarolina. But there are some now who want to continue to honor slavery and hon your bigotry honor bigtry. This house must not be complicit. The shooting in sth carolina was an example of a 21st century lynching. The man festo left by the charleston killer stated, quote, i have no choice. Im not in the position to go to alone go into the ghetto and fight. I chose charleston because is the most historic cy in my state and at one time had the highest ratio of blacks to whites in the country. He was right. 57 . We have no skinhea, no k. K. K. , no one doing but taing on the internet. Well, someone has to have the bvery to take it to the real world, and i guess that has to be me. End of quote. Mr. Speaker bigotry continues to exist in this country. This congress should not pass any legislation today or any other day that would embolden the who continue to hold racist beliefs. The calvert amendme, the calvert amendment is misguided and it emboldens bigotry. I ask my colleagues, democrat and republican, respectlly, lets defea the calvert amendment this afternoon and even if the gentleman would consider to withdraw his amendment a not put this ouse through this turmoil mr. Speaker. Ask unanimous csent to revi and extend my remarks. He speaker pro tempore without objection. Hoyer r. Speaker there are daysn this house when morality and the values our cotr as articulated in the declaration of independence and in the constitution of r countr summons us o vote as americans. As moral representatives and representatives of e values of oucountry. Today is such a day, my cleagues. Ree demoatic amendments were adoed earlier in the nsideration of the interi bill that would en the practice of diplaying our selling confederate battle flagsnd flag merchandise in National Parks and National Park service cemeteries. Those amenents were adopted by voice vote. They reect the strong consensus in is country and hopefully in this congress that a symbol of slavery, is a digs segregation sedition, segregation has no place in our national par and cemeteries whose groundsave been llowedy the veterans who rest tre after havg sved and given their livesin defense ofreedom andustice and thevalues of our country. Believablely, howeverr. Spear, several hours ago the darof night, the chairman ofthe bcommittee offered an amendmentn this floor that would feively strikese amements whic sury reflect the vals to whh all of us have risen our hand and sworn to protect. Today on the anniversarof the ratification of the 14th amendmt to our nstitution how ironic that we would meet this ve on this day whi enshrined the principle of equality for all amecans. We have this shamef confederate battle flag amendment on our floor. Thismendment would keep in place the policy thatllows confedera battlelags in our National Pars and National Park service sem fares. Cemeteries. A symbolas my colleague, jim clyburn, the assistant leader, and the chaian of e congressional bl caucusand an eordinarily representative in South Carolina said yesterday w so offensive and hurtful too many millions of r fellow citizens and our felw colleagues in this by. Even in South Carolina today where the confederacy was born, that flag ibeing taken down from are thetate Capitol Grounds after both republican ntroed houses of tt tates assembly ved to remove it. Ceainly, certainly on ts daye ougot to ee a republicanled congss movin the oppote dirtion. My colleaguestogether, not as republicanand democrats, but s americans deeply committed to the values of equaly and justce and opportunity for all , we ought to remove that flag from our national pas,he cemeteries wre our veterans rest, and iousafurther, all public places. That includeshe United States caitol and i support my friend reprentative thompsonsesoluti th sits now in e hsedministration committee that would remove the flagfmississippi, which contains the cfederate battle untiluch time as miissippiians as uth caroliniandid yesterday make statemt and rove that om theirlag. I urge my collgues my fellow americans, the 434 of my colleagues that ha raised eihand and swn ptect and defend the constutn of the United States of america i ur my colleagues, lets do e right tng and reject this endment and send a poweul ssage about what america truly present, equality, justice respect for one anotr freed all. Let