H.R. No. 452
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, Dick Gregory is coming to San Antonio to serve as
    1-2  the keynote speaker for the 1995 Quality of Life Champions banquet,
    1-3  and the occasion provides a fitting opportunity to honor this
    1-4  esteemed gentleman for the extensive contributions he has made to
    1-5  citizens the world over as an entertainer, an activist, and a true
    1-6  humanitarian; and
    1-7        WHEREAS, Mr. Gregory began his multifaceted career in the
    1-8  1960s as an overweight, chain-smoking, stand-up comedian who
    1-9  quickly made a name for himself with his outspoken, provocative
   1-10  brand of humor; having found comedy an expedient means by which to
   1-11  make people think as well as laugh, he soon put his talents to good
   1-12  use as an advocate of many worthy causes that were in critical need
   1-13  of increased support and attention; and
   1-14        WHEREAS, For many years, he has worked diligently to advance
   1-15  the cause of civil rights, to promote world peace, and to combat
   1-16  world hunger and, most recently, has put his considerable energy
   1-17  behind eliminating drugs in our society by such innovative means as
   1-18  camping out in dealer-ridden public parks and rallying community
   1-19  leaders to shut down "head shops"; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, Throughout his many endeavors, Mr. Gregory has often
   1-21  had to pay a stiff price for his activism; virtually barred from
   1-22  the entertainment industry, he has been jailed on numerous
   1-23  occasions for his willingness to stand up for what he believes to
   1-24  be right, and his strong sense of justice has led him to visit such
    2-1  diverse places as Louisiana and Iran to bring about the cherished
    2-2  goal of equality for all people; and
    2-3        WHEREAS, In keeping with his determination to seek positive
    2-4  solutions to difficult problems, Mr. Gregory embraced his own
    2-5  personal challenge to lose weight and taught himself the basics of
    2-6  nutrition; after years of research and development, he went on to
    2-7  market the diet that helped him to shed his excess pounds while
    2-8  promoting better nutrition, and the Bahamian diet has since become
    2-9  a resounding success; and
   2-10        WHEREAS, Mr. Gregory has used his extensive research in this
   2-11  regard to help hunger strikers from around the world to forward
   2-12  their cause without risking their lives, and he also has played a
   2-13  pivotal role in helping a number of hugely obese people to reclaim
   2-14  their normal lives; and
   2-15        WHEREAS, A highly acclaimed author and speaker as well,
   2-16  Mr. Gregory's works include his autobiography and Dick Gregory's
   2-17  Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat, and his speaking engagements
   2-18  continue to inspire in his audiences a renewed commitment toward
   2-19  making a difference in the lives of others; and
   2-20        WHEREAS, With a winning combination of compassion and
   2-21  charisma, Dick Gregory has taken an active stand on a number of
   2-22  critical issues facing this nation today and has offered his time
   2-23  and talents to make the world around him a better place in which to
   2-24  live; it gives the members of this chamber great pleasure to
   2-25  welcome Mr. Gregory to Texas at this time and to commend him for
   2-26  his remarkable contributions in this regard; now, therefore, be it
   2-27        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas
    3-1  Legislature hereby honor Dick Gregory for his exceptional
    3-2  achievements as an entertainer, activist, and humanitarian and
    3-3  extend to him sincere best wishes for continued success and
    3-4  happiness in the years to come; and, be it further
    3-5        RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
    3-6  prepared for Mr. Gregory as an expression of high regard by the
    3-7  Texas House of Representatives.