GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

H	1 

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 1459

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Sponsors: Representatives Womble, Oldham; Adams, Aldridge, Alexander, Arnold, Blue, Bowen, Boyd-MCIntyre, Braswell, Brawley, W. Brown, Cansler, Capps, Carpenter, Church, Cocklereece, Crawford, Creech, Cummings, Cunningham, Daughtry, Davis, Dockham, Earle, Easterling, Fox, Gamble, Gray, Hackney, Hayes, Hensley, Hightower, Hill, Hunt, R. Hunter, Hurley, Kiser, Lee, Linney, Locke, Luebke, McAllister, McComas, McCrary, McLaughlin, Mercer, Michaux, G. Miller, Neely, Nichols, Nye, Owens, Pulley, Ramsey, Redwine, Russell, Sharpe, Sherrill, Shubert, Thompson, Tolson, Wainwright, Warner, C. Wilson, Wright, and Yongue.

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Referred to:  

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June 21, 1996

A JOINT RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ARSON, VANDALISM, AND BOMB THREATS AGAINST PREDOMINANTLY BLACK CHURCHES AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS TO INVESTIGATE AND SOLVE THESE CRIMES.
Whereas, throughout the South, predominantly Black churches have been the targets of arson, vandalism, and bomb threats; and
Whereas, since early 1995, at least 30 predominantly Black churches have been burned in the South including three in North Carolina; and
Whereas, recently, bomb threats were left on the answering machine of the Durham County Chapter of the NAACP against three predominantly Black churches in Durham and bomb threats were left on the answering machine of a predominantly Black church in Charlotte; and
Whereas, these incidents have prompted various federal and state agencies and departments including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Justice Department, and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms to investigate a possible connection between the incidents; and
Whereas, the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996 has been introduced in Congress to clarify federal jurisdiction over offenses relating to damage to religious property, reflecting both bipartisan and biracial support; and
Whereas, there is a growing concern that these incidents may be acts of racially motivated domestic terrorism designed to intimidate African Americans and all Americans; and
Whereas, the people of the State of North Carolina will not tolerate such attempts at intimidation;
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:
Section 1.  The General Assembly condemns all acts of arson, vandalism, and bomb threats against predominantly Black churches and supports efforts aimed at ending these criminal acts against predominantly Black churches.
Sec. 2.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.