Statement by the President on the Passing of His
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Jack Greenberg
Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Jack Greenberg
On
behalf of the people of the United States, I offer my heartfelt
condolences to Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, her children and
grandchildren, and
the people of Thailand on the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol
Adulyadej. His Majesty the King was a close friend of the United States
and a valued partner of many U.S. Presidents. I had the honor of
calling on His Majesty the King during my visit to
Thailand in 2012, and recall his grace and warmth, as well as his deep
affection and compassion for the Thai people.
As
the revered leader and only monarch that most Thais have ever known,
His Majesty was a tireless champion of his country's development and
demonstrated
unflagging devotion to improving the standard of living of the Thai
people. With a creative spirit and a drive for innovation, he pioneered
new technologies that have rightfully received worldwide acclaim. His
Majesty leaves a legacy of care for the Thai
people that will be cherished by future generations.
The
American people and I stand with the people of Thailand as we mourn His
Majesty the King's passing, and today we hold the Thai people in our
thoughts and prayers.
Thanks
to Jack Greenberg’s devotion to justice, millions of Americans have
known the freedom to learn and work and vote and live in a country that
more faithfully lives
up to its founding principle of equality under the law. The son of
immigrants who had fled anti-Semitism, he believed that civil rights was
a cause for all Americans, regardless of race or circumstances of
birth. As a leader of the NAACP Legal Defense and
Education Fund, he followed in the footsteps of his mentor, Supreme
Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, and pushed our nation to confront some
of our most profound challenges.
Jack served in our Navy at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and then, at just 27 years old, he helped argue the landmark
Brown v. Board of Education case that desegregated our schools. A
decade later, he represented Dr. King in Birmingham Jail. He learned
quickly that change would not come overnight -- that it would take many
generations, more court cases, and nationwide
movements to even begin realizing the dream of civil rights for all
Americans. But Jack’s calm temperament and intellectual approach to
moral arguments perfectly suited him for the fight; he knew, after all,
that history was on his side. Michelle and I offer
our thoughts and prayers to his wife, Deborah, his children, and all
those who loved him dearly and have benefited from his strong sense of
right and wrong.
Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary
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