E1448 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks August 7, 2012 

HONORING SPECIALIST BRENDEN 

N. SALAZAR 

HON. TOM PRICE OF GEORGIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I along 

with Representative ADAMS rise in honor of 

Specialist Brenden Salazar, who gave his life 

July 22, 2012, while supporting combat operations in the Logar Province of Afghanistan. 

He died of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his dismounted patrol. 

Salazar was a 2010 graduate of Paul 

Hagerty High School in Oviedo and enlisted in 

the Army in June 2010. He deployed to Afghanistan in July 2012 after being in his unit 

a little over a year and was assigned to the 

1st Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment, 173rd 

Airborne Brigade Combat Team based in 

Caserma Ederle, Italy. Brenden came from a 

long line of soldiers. His grandfather is a retired helicopter pilot and both his mother and 

stepfather are active duty Army aviators. 

Spc. Salazar will be buried at Florida National Cemetery with full military honors. He is 

survived by his father Chris Salazar and sister, 

Sophie Salazar of Canton, Georgia; mother, 

Jovanna Nelson; stepfather, James Nelson; 

and sister, Hannah Nelson of Chuluota, Florida. 

Mr. Speaker, it is with the greatest respect 

and admiration that we honor Spc. Brenden 

Salazar’s sacrifice on behalf of our Nation. He 

is a hero to his countrymen, his family, and his 

fellow soldiers. He reminds us that America is 

blessed to have so many young men and 

women willing to stand up and fight to preserve our precious freedoms. Our thoughts 

and prayers are with his family and all our 

military families, whose selfless dedication to 

this Nation is an inspiration to us all. 

f 

IN HONOR OF VICTIMS RIGHTS 

HON. PAUL A. GOSAR OF ARIZONA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 

Mr. GOSAR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to 

discuss an important issue and to point out 

the efforts of a person who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes on this issue. 

The issue I am referring to is the passage 

of a Victim Rights Amendment to the U.S. 

Constitution. Currently, this issue is before us 

by way of H.J. Res. 106. 

The resolution seeks to amend our Constitution by fixing a problem our founders never 

likely anticipated. Our founding fathers were 

concerned, with good reason, about the prosecutorial abuses they had witnessed by the 

King of England and local Colonial loyalist bureaucrats. 

There are few offices more powerful than a 

prosecutor, and abuse of that office by prosecutors, or by the police assisting that office, 

is prevented by many provisions in our Constitution. What has happened, however, is that 

all of the Constitutional provisions designed to 

stop prosecutorial abuse have essentially conveyed criminals in our society with fundamental rights unparalleled even for its lawful 

citizens. 

This proposed amendment addresses the 

reality that for every crime there is a victim, 

and that our legal system has systematically 

excluded these victims from meaningful consideration. This amendment, if enacted, would 

prohibit the denial or limitation of the rights of 

a crime victim to fairness, respect, and dignity. 

It would also convey to a crime victim the 

right: (1) to reasonable notice of, and to not be 

excluded from, public proceedings relating to 

the offense; (2) to be heard at any release, 

plea, sentencing, or other such proceeding involving any right established under this 

amendment; (3) to proceedings free from unreasonable delay; (4) to reasonable notice of 

the release or escape of the accused; (5) to 

due consideration of the crime victim’s safety; 

and (6) to restitution. 

The victims of crimes would have standing 

to fully assert and enforce any of the above 

rights in court. This amendment brings balance back to the criminal justice system which 

has, for centuries, protected the criminals and 

ignored and often harmed the victims a second time. 

At the same time, no constitutional right afforded to a criminal would be impacted or 

lessened. All such rights are preserved. Instead, crime victims are afforded some legal 

rights long overdue. 

I want to point out the good work of Steven 

J. Twist, of Phoenix, Arizona. He has been an 

advocate for crime victims’ rights. He recently 

published a scholarly review on this issue, 

called ‘‘The Proposed Victims’ Rights Amendment: A Brief Point/Counterpoint’’ in the Phoenix Law Review, Volume 5, Number 2 (2012). 

He researched this issue and has advocated 

for this issue for years. His work should be 

recognized and applauded. On behalf of my 

constituents and the people of Arizona, I want 

to thank Mr. Twist for his work in this area and 

I encourage my colleagues to support H.J. 

Res. 106. 

HONORING THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF VINTAGE HALL AND 

ST. HELENA HIGH SCHOOL IN ST. 

HELENA, CALIFORNIA 

HON. MIKE THOMPSON 

OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, August 7, 2012 

Mr. THOMPSON of California. Mr. Speaker, 

I rise today in celebration and praise of St. 

Helena High School, my alma mater and one 

of the oldest public education facilities in 

northern California, which celebrates its 100th 

anniversary this year. 

Founded in June of 1912, upon the completion of what is now known as Vintage Hall, St. 

Helena Union High School represents the culmination of a long-standing effort to unify the 

various school districts of the St. Helena area, 

including those of Pope Valley, Conn Valley 

and Angwin. Early efforts to provide free, public education, beginning in the 1890s, combined the regions under a single governing 

board, but classes had to be held in the local 

Presbyterian Church from 1895 until completion of the building nearly 20 years later. 

Today, St. Helena High School’s facilities 

have expanded far beyond Vintage Hall to accommodate the demands of the community’s 

growing student population. And this year, the 

school became home to a new $13.5 million 

vocational education complex, complete with a 

state-of-the-art culinary facility, animal barn, 

agricultural mechanics workshop and all of the 

amenities of 21th century classrooms. With 

these facilities in place, students will benefit 

from a top-flight vocational training program, 

essential to the development of a skilled work 

force and subsequent community improvements. 

Students at St. Helena High School will now 

be afforded the unique opportunity to prepare 

for careers in the areas of hospitality, tourism, 

the culinary arts, floral design, agricultural husbandry, and mechanics, continuing the historic 

tradition that St. Helena High School started 

so many years ago. 

Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate at this time 

that we congratulate the students, educators 

and administrators of St. Helena High School, 

past and present. The centennial celebration 

in St. Helena is one that is well-deserved. We 

extend our best wishes to the school and 

community for many more years of outstanding public education and the merits that 

come with. 


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