Solon Urges Gop to Adopt an Anti-bias Plank in Its Platform

Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R. N.Y.) today called on the Republican Party to include a strong anti-racism/anti-Semitism plank in its 1984 platform.

In a letter to Sen. Paula Hawkins (R. Fla.), co-chairperson of the Republican Platform Committee, D’Amato said the GOP “must take every opportunity to restate that we find obnoxious and repulsive all public expressions based on bigotry, hatred, racism and anti-Semitism. To do any less, would imply a lack of resolve to fight the kinds of evil that could destroy our domestic tranquility and our national harmony.”

D’Amato criticized the Democratic Party for failing to adopt a similar plank at their convention in San Francisco earlier this month. The resolution was to have been considered by the Democratic National, Committee the day following their convention, but it was ignored.

Democratic sources said the resolution was submitted too late to be considered by the party’s platform committee and that the pressures of the agenda at the National Committee meeting prevented the resolution from being considered. However, the resolution had come under attack by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and some of his delegates at the convention as being aimed against him.

SAYS DEMOCRATS WERE INTIMIDATED

D’Amato stated today that the Democratic Party was intimidated and “walked away from the chance to put its party on record in repudiation of bigotry, anti-Semitism, racism and the remarks made by Rev. Louis Farrakhan. ” Among other things, Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, a Chicago-based Black Muslim group, denounced the creation of Israel as “an outlaw act” and termed Judaism “a gutter religion.”

Continuing, D’Amato said: “In San Francisco, the Democrats again knuckled under to a special interest group and refused to do what was right. I think the country should ask Walter Mondale why a movement to include an anti-hatred plank in the Democratic platform was quietly killed.”

The Senator proposed that the following plank be included in the 1984 Republican platform; “In view of recent events and statements of prominent political personalities, the Republican Party takes this opportunity to reaffirm its adherence to pluralistic principles and to totally repudiate and disassociate itself from those who preach all forms of hatred, racism, bigotry and anti-Semitism.”

In predicting adoption of his platform plank, D’Amato said that “the Republican Party will not shirk the responsibilities of leadership. There should never be room for compromise on issues like this. Racism and anti-Semitism must be condemned outright — without hesitation.”