E 1036 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 15, 1995

PERSONAL EXPLANATION

HON. SAM GEJDENSON OF CONNECTICUT

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 15, 1995

Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, on Friday,

May 12, I was unexpectedly called back to

Connecticut. As a result, I missed three rollcall

votes. Had I been present, I would have voted

as follows: Rollcall 327—Bateman amendment

to Lipinski amendment—‘‘no’’; Rollcall 328—

Lipinski amendment—‘‘yes’’; Rollcall 329—

Largent amendment—‘‘no.’’

TRIBUTE TO THE CENTENARIANS

OF THE WEDGEWOOD PAVILION

fNURSING HOME

HON. BOBBY L. RUSH OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 15, 1995

Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, it is my great

pleasure to rise today to offer my sincerest

congratulations to three truly wonderful seniors, who on Tuesday, the 16th of May, will receive special recognition from the Social Security Administration for having reached the

extraordinary age of 100 years old.

The recipients of this special honor are Mr.

Frank Howard, Ms. Mary Simmons, and Ms.

Bertha Williams. Each of these distinguished

centenarians have touched so many people

over the years, and they are to be applauded

for their achievements over the past century.

I wish to extend to each of them my best

wishes on this wonderful occasion, and am

proud and honored to enter these words of

commendation into the R

fECORD.

‘‘A PATTERN OF SLIGHTS TO OUR

STRONGEST ALLIES’’

HON. DOUG BEREUTER OF NEBRASKA

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 15, 1995

Mr. BEREUTER. Mr. Speaker, as leader of

the free world, the United States has been

ably joined in our foreign policy pursuits by a

number of steadfast friends and allies. Nations

such as France and, in particular, Great Britain, have stood by the United States when

others remained silent. While international relations have changed dramatically with the

end of the cold war, we should understand

that we cannot, we must not, take these relationships for granted. Indeed, in the post-coldwar era, the United States can ill afford to

slight our friends and allies when a wide range

of challenges to our economic and security interests abroad cannot be effectively confronted unilaterally.

Two actions, in particular, have recently

frayed the strong ties binding the United

States with Great Britain—our staunchest ally

in Western Europe. To the consternation of

the British Government, the Clinton administration first granted visas to members of the

Irish Republican Army and then invited IRA

leader Gerry Adams to the White House.

Moreover, relations between the United States

and its West European allies have been seriously strained as a result of failed efforts to

quell the conflict on the Balkan Peninsula.

There have been occasions when the Clinton

administration proposed major initiatives in

Bosnia-Hercegovina without consulting our European allies—nations that have thousands of

troops on the ground. Such affronts to our

best friends, whether intended or not, are actions that do little but to undermine our longstanding relations with these nations.

Mr. Speaker, this Member would point out

that the most recent slight to our European allies occurred during the 50th anniversary of

the Allied victory in Europe. As noted in the

May 9, 1995, Omaha World Herald editorial

entitled ‘‘Clinton’s Affront to England, France,’’

President Clinton’s decision not to participate

in the English and French V–E ceremonies

was a shabby way to acknowledge those allies that did so much not only to halt Nazi aggression in World War II but to protect the free

world during the cold war era. This Member

commends this editorial to his colleagues.

[From the Omaha World Herald, May 9, 1995]

CLINTON’S AFFRONT TO ENGLAND, FRANCE

President Clinton showed little loyalty to

America’s staunchest World War II allies and

even less to the lessons of history when he

chose to commemorate the 50th anniversary

of V–E Day in Moscow rather than with

other Allied leaders in more appropriate

cities.

Clinton sent Vice President Al Gore to represent the United States in London, Paris

and Berlin. This was a shabby way to acknowledge the allies that did so much to

save the Free World, allies that after the war

formed the Atlantic Alliance to protect freedom in the decades since.

Russian President Boris Yeltsin deserves

criticism, too. Yeltsin, whose position as

head of the Russian nation is far from solid,

was unwilling to celebrate V–E Day outside

of Moscow. Yeltsin should not have forced

Clinton into such a choice.

Just as the ‘‘Big Three’’ leaders of World

II, Franklin Roosevelt, Winston Churchill

and Josef Stalin, met together during the

war, so today’s American, British and Russian leaders should have stood together on

the 50th anniversary of V–E Day.

Yeltsin should not have set up such a situation, and Clinton should not have allowed

himself to be manipulated so cynically with

a schoolyard me-or-them ultimatum.

Certainly, the Soviets paid dearly in blood

and treasure in order to defeat Germany on

the Eastern Front. And yes, this was integral

to the Allied victory. Moscow, however, embraced virtue only out of necessity.

Despite Allied efforts to enlist the Soviets,

Stalin initially signed a nonaggression pact

with Germany. Only when Hitler violated

that pact by invading the Soviet Union did

Stalin come to his senses.

Through it all—betrayal by Stalin, the fall

of France, the blitz, the darkest days of the

war—England and her people refused to

waver. In his ultimately unsuccessful plea

that the Vichy government not give in to the

Nazis, Churchill reminded everyone of how

much was at stake in the war against Hitler:

‘‘If we can stand up to him, all Europe,

may be freed and the life of the world may

move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But

if we fail, the whole world, including the

United States and all that we have known

and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a

new dark age.’’

Clinton chose not to honor this rich and

moving legacy during the commemoration of

V–E Day. It was an affront to the people of

England and the people of France.

HEATHER WILLIS, VOICE OF

DEMOCRACY WINNER

HON. HAROLD L. VOLKMER OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Monday, May 15, 1995

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

honor a high school senior from Bowling

Green, MO—Heather Willis. Heather has been

named a national winner in the 1995 Voice of

Democracy Program and the recipient of the

Robert A. Stock Memorial Scholarship. The

Voice of Democracy program is sponsored

each year by the Veterans of Foreign Wars of

the United States and its Ladies Auxiliary, asking high school seniors to write and record a

3–5 minute essay on a patriotic subject.

I believe that Heather’s essay, ‘‘My Vision of

America,’’ is an excellent example of what we

hope our children are learning in school: An

understanding of the principles on which this

country was founded and the realization that

we all have a part to play in its continued

greatness.

I feel that Heather, the daughter of two

school principals—Keith and Charlene Willis,

has clearly demonstrated a maturity beyond

her years. She’s hoping to attend Missouri

University-Columbia to pursue a career in either law or journalism, and I am sure she will

excel in either field.

I urge my colleagues to take a few minutes

to read this very thoughtful essay.

MY VISION FOR AMERICA

It was a single candle that lit mine, and in

the chain of events, I lit another until finally the room was filled with illuminated

faces.

Many of you have seen it at a candlelight

service. A dark room lit by the flame of one

candle, the light growing brighter and

brighter as the flame is passed.

It always amazes me that the instigation

of one small spark, one small idea, one person, can make such a difference in a chain of

events. If one did not start such an event,

would anything be accomplished?

The United States of America is considered

to be one of the most powerful and influential nations in the world. It has been constructed in this fashion because of the power

given to its people.

Out of all the people who started this nation, there stood out among them a number

of sparks that passed on the flame of a

dream.

A man, who would not allow our country

to be suppressed under England’s rein, led a

convention of independence. His ideas struck

many others and together, the land we call

home was granted independence.

A president who believed a nation should

stick together. A president who said, ‘‘With

malice toward none, With charity for all.’’ A

president who freed a race, helped make our

country what it is today.

A song writer, who watched the flag of our

nation withstand the firing of guns and the

storms of the sky believed that the nation

this flag represented had to be just as strong.

He wrote what today brings thousands of

Americans to tears, what today unites a nation. Something as simple as a song.

The hopes and dreams of our nation have

solely depended on a people to make them

reality. We have the power to make or break

our nation. Our forefathers have handed us

the torch—it is our turn to pass it on.

Where do we start? We start with me—we

start with you.

A dream is a wonderful thing to have, that

is unless it stays just that—a dream.