As many of you who joined us in our April 1995 Rally for Women's Lives know, NOW has a strong national campaign to stop violence against women. We fully support those leaders of our more than 500 NOW chapters who speak out vigorously against violence. However, we have a problem when one of our leaders pollutes our message with statements that leave the widespread perception that domestic violence is more important than racism on NOW's agenda.

 As national leaders of NOW, we feel so strongly about what has transpired that we call on Tammy Bruce to issue an apology as well. Indeed, at the first meeting of NOW's National Board of Directors following the Simpson verdict, we voted to repudiate the statements made by or attributed to Bruce. NOW's National Board of Directors, 30 percent of whom are women of color, also voted to censure Tammy Bruce and to call on her to retract her comments. We have rarely spoken out against statements made by local leaders because of NOW's ongoing support of and commitment to our grassroots activists. We take this action now, in part, because Bruce has not heeded calls to retract and to refrain from making racially insensitive statements. We also take this action, and make public this reprimand and apology, as a first step in restoring the goodwill between NOW and people of color and all of our allies and coalition partners.

 Our vote to take this action followed a lengthy public session during which members of NOW's Board from around the country provided examples of local responses to Bruce's statements. Many members said they were overwhelmed with phone calls expressing concern about several highly visible statements made by or attributed to Bruce. In the handouts you have before you, you can see both those problematic statements and some examples of the responses to Bruce's comments received by our local activists.

 NOW leaders recounted the frustration, anger and pain communicated by allies who found such statements to be, at the least, offensive. Board members reported that NOW activists, supporters, allies and coalition partners -- especially people of color and civil rights allies -- felt betrayed. Activist after activist described a breakdown in the trust and communication they had spent years developing between their chapters and civil rights groups. No matter what Tammy Bruce actually said or meant to say, her statements gave people strong perceptions that are inconsistent with and damaging to our central commitment to racial justice and to NOW's ongoing work on feminist issues.

 As allies united against unprecedented attacks on women's rights and civil rights, we need to talk, now, about where we go from here. We have work to do stemming directly from this case and work that is indirectly related to the case.

 We must cure a judicial system that is crippled by sexism and racism. Women have little faith that the system will protect us from our abusers. And people of color have no confidence that the system will treat them fairly either. We need a sure cure for the Mark Fuhrmans of this world and for the nameless, faceless law enforcement officials who fail to respond effectively to violence against women. While some people continue to obsess about O.J. Simpson, Congress is slashing more than $50 million that would fund programs that would train police and judges and support shelters where battered, abused women seek refuge.

 Heading into the 1996 campaign season, we must mount a vigorous defense of our rights and our friends. NOW's Equality Countdown Campaign is aimed at both defeating oppressive ballot measures -- like the anti-affirmative action initiative in California -- and electing and re-electing feminist friends to office -- especially those African American women first elected in 1992 and now vulnerable due to court challenges of districts created to diversify Congress.

 We must be alert to the fact that our enemies are eager to use the Simpson case as a wedge to divide and conquer us. Supporters of the California initiative encouraged people who disagreed with the verdict to sign their petitions and vote to repeal affirmative action. That sort of race baiting is not only deplorable, it is immoral. As feminists, we stand against it and against any and all actions that further widen the chasms created by racism and sexism in our society. We must continue to do so if we are to remain faithful to our mission.