Barbara Jordan

"I spent my entire career trying to protect the Constitution, the civil rights and the civil liberties of American citizens and people who are here lawfully. I, as chair of this commission, would not be a party to any system that I felt was an unpardonable intrusion into the private lives of people. If I felt that what we are recommending would be such an intrusion I can assure you that recommendation would never have seen the light of day, not even as a pilot program."

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Source: 1976 Democratic National Convention Keynote Address, delivered 12 July 1976, New York, NY

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Barbara Jordan

Barbara Jordan

Politician, Lawyer

Barbara Jordan was a groundbreaking American politician and civil rights leader known for her powerful advocacy for justice and equality.

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Barbara Jordan Politician, Lawyer

"My faith in the Constitution is whole, it is complete, it is total, and I am not going to sit here and be an idle spectator to the diminuation, the subversion, the destruction of the Constitution. It is reason and not passion which must guide our deliberations, guide our debate, and guide our decision."

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