May 3, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 945

over-the-air broadcast channels, but also subscribe to cable, or own a home satellite receiver. With telephone company entry into the

video marketplace, American consumers will

have additional options from which to choose

their programming. Despite all these advances

in technology broadcasting should remain a

vital component in the information age. Broadcast television occupies a unique position in

the world of telecommunications. Broadcasting

is not only the only technology available to

100 percent of American households, the content it provides is free. The only cost is for a

receiver.

The bill does the following: First, states that

the FCC shall not prescribe or enforce rules

limiting crossownership of mediums of mass

communications; second, increases the aggregate national audience reach from 25 to 35

percent upon enactment. One year later allows the cap to increase to 50 percent. The

bill contains a built-in safeguard; within 2

years of enactment of the bill, the FCC is to

commission a study to ensure competition in

the marketplace; third, the bill allows certain

station ownership combinations in a market:

UHF/UHF; UHF/VHF and if the Commission

determines that it will not harm competition

and will not harm the preservation of a diversity of voices in the local market, VHF/VHF

combinations; fourth, the bill also repeals all

radio ownership restrictions.

I might add that this bill will be presented as

an amendment to the communications act of

1995, which has the full support of Chairman

BLILEY and Chairman FIELDS and as previously

mentioned, it is bipartisan.

STEVENS, HONOR ROLL TEACHER

CONGRATULATING CHERYL

f

HON. KEN BENTSEN OF TEXAS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

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

congratulate Cheryl D. Stevens, of Roberts Elementary School in Houston. TX. Ms. Stevens

has been named by the Association of

Science-Technology Centers to its 1995 Honor

Roll of Teachers.

The Children’s Museum of Houston, which

nominated Ms. Stevens for the honor roll, recognized her remarkable dedication to the

world of science and teaching, Ms. Stevens

excels in both at Roberts Elementary, where

she teaches science to kindergarten through

fifth graders. She and her students are participants in Science-by-Mail, a pen pal program

designed to match fourth through ninth graders with scientists around the country. Over

20,000 kids and 20,000 teachers are involved

in Science-by-Mail. In addition to Science-byMail’s regular pen pal program, Ms. Stevens

and her classes have participated in a special

Science-by-Mail teleconference, Teltrain XI, a

video town meeting televised around the country for scientists and students.

Ms. Stevens is also active in the Annual

Meet Your Scientist Day, which will take place

this year on Saturday, May 6, 1995. Over 300

school children will meet with scientists to

learn more about the world of science and

technology. This year, Ms. Stevens will be

honored for her recognition as one of ASTC’s

honor roll teachers for 1995.

Ms. Stevens is a member of the Magic

School Bus Advisory Committee, sponsored

by the National Science Foundation and the

Children’s Museum of Houston. She also

works actively on the Science and Technology

Committee and the Building Blocks for a

Healthy Classroom Conference at the museum.

Only 43 teachers were named to the 10th

annual ASTC’s honor roll. Each teacher has

gone beyond the normal requirements of their

school curriculum by using the resources of

their local science center to inspire, educate,

and stimulate students’ interest in science and

technology. I salute Ms. Stevens on her accomplishments and especially for her commitment to teaching. She is an outstanding role

model for Houston’s teachers and students.

Her placement on ASTC’s Honor Roll of

Teachers is well-deserved.

OPENING OF THE SPECIAL EXHIBIT ‘‘DEFENDING RELIGIOUS

fLIBERTY’’

HON. CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH OF NEW JERSEY

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey. Mr. Speaker,

thank you for this opportunity to speak out for

religious freedom.

The worldwide religion known as the Baha’i

Faith is one of the most peace-loving groups

in the world—and yet one of the most consistently persecuted.

The Baha’i Faith began in Persia in the

1840’s, and spread rapidly through the Mideast, where Islam has historically been dominant. Though the Baha’i Faith now has adherents all around the world, including all 50

States of the United States, its historic links to

the Mideast have helped bring it repeatedly

into conflict with Islam.

Islam, like most other world religions, teaches certain truths that its adherents take to be

absolute. Baha’is take a different approach,

seeing all religions as successive revelations,

each with a partial truth.

These questions are faced, one way or another, by all men and women of conscience.

And it is inevitable that many of us will come

out differently on these questions. In decent

societies—in free societies—we respect each

other’s freedom of conscience. If we seek to

persuade one another, we do it in friendship,

and with respect.

But in some parts of the world, force is still

used to settle religious issues. In Iran, with its

extremist regime, the fact that the Baha’is

question Islam’s claim to represent God’s full

and final revelation makes them a target of

unceasing persecution. The fact that the

Baha’i Faith arose on territory in which Islam

has been dominant for some 1,400 years, and

among ethnic groups with a long Islamic heritage, seems to be an unbearable irritant to the

Iranian regime. They view the Baha’is as

worse than mere adherents of another religion—which, in their eyes, is quite bad

enough. They view them as something worse:

as heretics, as conscious destroyers of Islam.

For those of us who have met Baha’i believers—even those of us who come from a religious perspective quite different from theirs—

the notion that they would be destroyers of

anything is simply absurd.

Yet Baha’is in Iran have no legal rights, despite being the largest religious minority in that

country. More than 200 Iranian Baha’is, including women and teenage girls, have been executed for their faith since 1979. Thousands

have faced torture and imprisonment for refusing to convert to Islam. Tens of thousands

have lost their jobs, and been forced to repay

past salaries or pensions. All Baha’i students

were expelled from Iranian universities by

1982.

President Clinton has placed Iran’s treatment of its Baha’i minority on a par with ethnic

cleansing in the former Yugoslavia. Given the

professed intention of the Iranian regime to

block the progress and development of the

Baha’i Faith. I would have to agree with the

President on this.

I salute my colleagues for sponsoring this

exhibition on the persecution of the Baha’i

Faith community. I hope it will inspire all who

see it to stand up for religious freedom.

A SALUTE TO SMALL BUSINESS

Thank you very much.

fWEEK

HON. KWEISI MFUME

OF MARYLAND

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Wednesday, May 3, 1995

Mr. MFUME. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind my colleagues, as well as the American

public, that the week beginning April 30 is National Small Business Week, and I would like

to take this opportunity to discuss small and

minority-owned businesses and the role they

play in our economy.

Not all Americans realize how important

small businesses are to our national economy.

Although the definition of a small business is

sometimes varied, the fact of the matter is that

firms with less than 100 employees account

for more than 98 percent of the Nation’s enterprises. Furthermore, between September 1991

and September 1992, jobs in small business

dominated industries increased by 177,700

which helped to offset the 400,000 job decrease in industries dominated by large businesses.

While nonminority men still own the lion’s

share of small businesses and still represent

the largest number of sales, minority- and

women-owned businesses are increasing in

size and number. Minority-owned businesses

have increased from approximately 380,000 in

1969 to 1.5 million today. Despite this increase, however, minorities are still not fairly

represented in small business ownership;

while minorities comprise nearly 20 percent of

the total U.S. population, they own less than

9 pecent of American businesses.

In addition to playing an important role in

the national economy, minority- and womenowned businesses also tend to play important

roles in their communities. In many poor,

urban communities, minority-owned businesses are often the only commercial establishments available. Furthermore, as was demonstrated in a recent Department of labor

study, minority- and women-owned businesses

are more likely to hire minorities and women

than are businesses owned by nonminority

men. In short, minority- and women-owned