EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS

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Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor.

January 9, 2009 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E53 

IT’S A SOUTHERN THING 

HON. TED POE OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, as we 

kick off 2009, people across the country are 

making their new year’s resolutions and families are carrying on with their special traditions 

to start the year out on a good note. Of course 

by mid February you should be able to get a 

close parking spot at the gym since that’s 

about the time motivation for the fitness resolution begins to wane. However, there are 

some traditions that endure year after year, 

particularly in the South where we seem to 

value our heritage and culture a little more 

than our friends to the north. 

Since I grew up in Texas, black eyed peas 

and football were the norm for my family, and 

everyone I knew, on New Year’s Day. Everyone had to have at least one bite for good 

luck, like it or not, it was the rule. It wasn’t 

until I met my first northerner that I realized 

this was a southern thing unique only unto us. 

There are stories that date the ‘‘good luck’’ 

tradition all the way back the pharaohs of 

Egypt, but for us it goes back to the War Between the States. During General Sherman’s 

March to the Sea in late December 1864, he 

ordered the Union troops to ‘‘burn and destroy’’ everything they saw, and ‘‘leave a trail 

that will be recognized fifty years hence.’’ 

In the aftermath of the devastation of the 

South, the only fields that were spared were 

the crops of black eyed peas and corn. The 

Northern soldiers considered them food for the 

livestock and didn’t waste time burning them, 

thereby leaving them as the only real source 

of food left for the starving southerners. As a 

result, black eyed peas were seen as the saving grace of the South and became a sentimental symbol of better days that lie ahead. 

Now there are a lot of theories on why we 

must eat them on New Year’s Day, but they 

all revolve around the principle that they bring 

good luck and prosperity in the coming year. 

Every family has a different way of cooking 

them, if you’re from the South you can bet 

your family has a recipe. 

In Texas, some just like to serve plain ole’ 

‘‘East Texas Caviar’’ (as black eyed peas are 

referred to in Texas). My friends over in Louisiana like to ‘‘kick it up a notch’’ and add tomatoes and Cajun spices, some folks make 

Hoppin’ John with rice and hammocks, and 

most everyone serves them with cornbread 

and some type of greens such as collards, 

mustard or turnip greens, or just cabbage or 

cole slaw to symbolize money. But you can’t 

just eat the greens and expect a prosperous 

year, you have to have the peas too. Just one 

bite, it’s the rule. (Although some say you 

have to eat 365 peas, one for each day or eat 

‘‘every bean and pea on your plate’’—I leave 

that one up to you!) 

I have even heard of people putting a penny 

in the pot and whoever gets the penny in their 

bowl gets the ‘‘best’’ luck of the year. Maybe 

this is like the baby in the King Cake? Whatever the case, it is a tradition that runs deep 

in the South and I am glad to see that it is still 

alive and well. Both my grandmothers had 

their special recipes, and every New Year’s 

Day I still hound my kids and grandkids to 

make sure they eat their peas. So, I hope you 

all had your black eyed peas and for all you 

transplants living in the great State of Texas, 

I hope you get with the program and try some 

East Texas Caviar to start your year off right. 

It’s a Southern thing. 

And that’s just the way it is. 

f 

CELEBRATING SAN YSIDRO’S 

CENTENNIAL YEAR! 

HON. BOB FILNER OF CALIFORNIA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker and colleagues, I rise today to commemorate the 

Centennial of the great community of San 

Ysidro—the gateway to America. San Ysidro 

is not only home to the world’s busiest land 

border crossing, but is also a multicultural 

tight-knit community with a rich history and 

culture like no other. As California’s Border 

Congressman, I am very proud to represent 

San Ysidro and will continue to be a vocal advocate for our border community. Please join 

me in this year-long celebration. ‘‘¡Adelante 

San Ysidro!’’ 

f 

HONORING SPECIAL KIDS DAY 

HON. PETER J. ROSKAM OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. ROSKAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today 

to recognize an important community service 

organization located in Elmhurst, Illinois in my 

congressional district called Special Kids Day. 

Special Kids Day was created in 1990 as a 

holiday event for children with special needs 

and their families to visit Santa Claus without 

obstacles. This venture has evolved into a notfor-profit organization dedicated to providing 

celebratory events for children with disabilities 

and their families in an environment designed 

to accommodate their special needs. 

On the first Wednesday each December, 

Special Kids Day holds their flagship event. 

Volunteers help children get their picture taken 

with Santa and distribute goodie bags with 

toys and candy. Other surprises from face 

painters to balloon animals help make these 

events a memorable time for special needs 

children. All of this allows these children and 

their families to enjoy the magic of the Christmas season without some of the challenges of 

making a trip to the mall at the holidays. 

Today, the Special Kids Day organization 

has grown to include dozens of volunteers 

who serve hundreds of families in the 

Chicagoland area. For the first time, Special 

Kids Day also began holding a Carnival Day 

at the Annual Elmfest in Elmhurst this year. 

Madam Speaker and distinguished colleagues, please join me in honoring the time 

and effort of Special Kids Day volunteers. This 

organization’s selfless, charitable spirit is what 

makes Illinois’ Sixth District such a pleasure to 

represent. 

f 

THE TERMINATION OF RFE/RL 

AND VOA RADIO BROADCASTS IN 

AZERBAIJAN 

HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS OF FLORIDA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Friday, January 9, 2009 

Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, 

I rise to express deep concern about Azerbaijan’s cessation of local broadcasts of Radio 

Free Europe and Voice of America. After 

threatening for months to remove RFE/RL and 

VOA from the FM airwaves, Baku did precisely that on January 1. 

The official justification for this unfortunate 

decision is that a 2002 Azerbaijani law restricts such frequencies to local broadcasters. 

The Helsinki Commission, which I chair, sent 

a letter on November 24, co-signed by CoChairman Senator BENJAMIN CARDIN and 

Ranking Minority Member CHRISTOPHER

SMITH, to President Ilham Aliev in which we 

urged him to reconsider. We pointed out that 

keeping Congressionally funded RFE/RL and 

VOA off the FM airwaves was an unwise and 

unfriendly move and that ending these programs was a poor way to start a relationship 

with incoming President Barack Obama. But 

Baku did not budge. Nor, might I add, have 

we even received the courtesy of a reply since 

November. 

In fact, there are grounds for even graver 

concerns. Baku had pledged that only FM 

broadcasts would be ended. On January 6, 

however, Azerbaijani authorities tried to close 

down RFE/RL’s Internet operation—which they 

had said would not be touched. 

It is difficult to see these actions in any light 

other than a desire to restrict information available to the public. As the State Department 

said on December 30, ‘‘These media organizations play a crucial role in supporting democratic debate and the free exchange of ideas 

and information. This decision, if carried out, 

will represent a serious setback to freedom of 

speech, and retard democratic reform in Azerbaijan.’’ 

I concur completely. Azerbaijan’s record on 

media freedom was poor before this, with 

heavy state influence on the airwaves, three 

journalists in jail and frequent criticism by the 

OSCE, Council of Europe and freedom of 

speech advocates. Now, Azerbaijanis without 

access to cable or the Internet—which means 

most of the listening audience—are cut off 

from objective, impartial sources of information. 


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