Aloha Spirit

Floor Speech

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Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, a week ago, a man walked into a church in South Carolina and, in cold blood, gunned down nine worshippers. His actions were motivated by ignorance and hate. Throughout history and also in present day, unfortunately, there has been so much terror and suffering caused by ignorance and hate.

Mr. Speaker, in order to truly transcend racism, we must do more than remove slurs from our national vocabulary. In Hawaii, my home State, that consciousness is known as the aloha spirit--the consciousness of love and respect for all others, regardless of differences such as race, religion, gender, or nationality.

Understanding this truth is the path to peace. I would like to quote Mahatma Gandhi who said:

There must be a recognition of the existence of the soul apart from the body, and of its permanent nature, and this recognition must amount to a living faith; and, in the last resort, nonviolence does not avail those who do not possess a living faith in the God of love.

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