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2004 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Commentary
Congressman Hastings delivered the following statement
on June 1, 2004, recognizing Leonard Pitts, Jr. for being awarded the 2004
Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Commentary.
"Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Mr. Leonard Pitts, Jr. of The
Miami Herald, winner of the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Journalism for Commentary.
As a long-time fan of Mr. Pitts' work, I am delighted that he has been honored
with this very prestigious award.
"Leonard Pitts is a hugely talented writer with a sharp eye and a sharp
wit. Newspaper readers in Miami
and around the country who are fortunate to read his column would surely agree.
Mr. Pitts' work is an important contribution to the social and political debate
in America,
and I am immensely grateful for his dedication to upholding the highest
standard of his craft.
"Formerly a pop music critic, Leonard Pitts was hired by The Miami Herald
in 1991. By 1994 he was writing about race and current affairs in his own
column. Syndicated nationally, Leonard Pitts 1999 book Becoming Dad: Black Men
and the Journey to Fatherhood was a bestseller.
"After the September 11 attacks on New York
and Washington,
D. C., Pitts' Herald column headlined "We'll Go Forward From This
Moment" was widely circulated on the Internet and frequently quoted in the
press. In the column, Pitts bluntly expressed his anger, defiance and resolve
to an unnamed evil terrorist. He wrote, "You monster. You beast. You
unspeakable bastard." These words, which I remember reading the first
time, expressed what so many of us were feeling at the moment and still feel
today.
"Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to share this moment with Leonard Pitts, Jr.
and his family. On behalf of this body, I express my congratulations to him and
wish him well."
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