May 24, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E 1111

children who met this fate. Soon after its establishment, the facility was moved to accommodate more children, and it grew into what is

now St. Joseph’s Home for Children.

Catholic Charities has retained its focus on

children throughout the years, yet at the same

time, it has expanded to include other residents of the community in need of assistance.

The organization runs emergency shelters and

temporary housing facilities for homeless individuals and families. They operate job training

programs to help people gain skills, find work,

and become self-sufficient. They also help

educate the broad community by distributing

information and providing counseling on health

issues such as AIDS, mental illness, and substance abuse. Catholic Charities acknowledges the diversity of the Twin Cities area by

including programs to help immigrants and

their families become and remain self-supporting. These and other programs help citizens in

the Twin Cities community get back on their

feet and enjoy a better quality of life.

Today, however, the fate of Catholic Charities and other similar organizations is uncertain. In a time when budgets are being cut and

many social programs are on the chopping

block, volunteer organizations like Catholic

Charities will become an even more vital part

of the Twin Cities community. Limiting both

government and charitable organizations from

helping the citizens of our community that are

in need is a disastrous formula for both the

Twin Cities and the nation.

For 125 years, the Catholic Charities of the

Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has

supported the Twin Cities community, lending

a helping hand to those in need. They not only

give shelter, educational information, and

training to the people they help, they give

something even more powerful and important;

they give them hope. Hope that they can build

a better life and a secure future for themselves and their families. I am proud of the

work that all of Catholic Charities’ staff and

volunteers do on a daily basis to make a difference in the lives of so many people. They

have made our Twin Cities, St. Paul-Minneapolis, a strong foundation for families and

especially people in need.

SKEPTICISM AND TERRORISM

fHON. WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY OF MISSOURI

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 23, 1995

Mr. CLAY. Mr. Speaker, this past weekend

Pennsylvania Avenue was closed-off to protect

the White House from terrorist bombs. Soon

this body will deliberate legislation designed to

restrict domestic terrorism in the wake of the

Oklahoma City bombing. In the aftermath of

such historic and tragic events there have

been some sensational proposals about how

we might prevent future acts of domestic terrorism. Mr. Speaker. I am concerned that

some of the recommendations for deterring

terrorism threaten to trample civil liberties. I

believe it would be a serious mistake to jeopardize the rights and freedoms of all citizens

in the name of preventing potential acts of

madness. Our freedom is our greatest

strength. I encourage my colleagues to remember this and commend you to consider

the points raised in this St. Louis Post Dispatch editorial.

[From St. Louis Dispatch, April 25, 1995]

MAKING IT EASY TO HATE

Skepticism toward government—even a

measure of cynicism—is a healthy thing in a

democracy. It means people are on guard

against an overreaching government. But

something has been at work in recent years

that goes beyond skepticism or mistrust. It

comes down to hate, and in Oklahoma City,

the nation has seen first hand what hate can

do.

The various paramilitary groups that can

be found in so many states, including Missouri, are cauldrons of distrust and suspicion

in which hate is easily brewed. Some groups

call themselves survivalists, others say they

are militias, and all are proud to proclaim

themselves patriots. Their credo is that the

government is the enemy, and they must

arm themselves against it. Under this paranoid scenario, everything the government

does is intended to enslave people—income

taxes, Social Security numbers and, above

all, gun control.

If men want to dress up in battle fatigues

and play soldier in the woods, that is harmless enough in itself. But things don’t always

stop there. For the drilling and the target

practice to retain their allure, a threat must

loom. It is, of course, the government, that

large, impersonal force out there. However,

until the attack comes, more immediate

threats must be found so as to keep everyone

alert and ready to hate. Jews or blacks, or

both, usually suffice.

Self-appointed paramilitary groups that

soon turn themselves into vigilantes are not

new in American history. This surge,

though, may owe its growth to that relatively new phenomenon known as hate

radio, which unrelievedly preaches contempt

of government and ridicule of those in power.

President Bill Clinton took note of this disturbing development in Minneapolis Monday, reminding Americans that hate radio

hosts’ ‘‘bitter words can have bitter consequences.’’

This is not to say there is a cause-and-effect relationship between the anti-government propaganda of hate radio and what

happened in Oklahoma City. Rather, hate

radio provides the background music for extremists. Tell people often enough and long

enough that their government can do no

right and that the people in it are incompetent or dishonest or sinister, and eventually some of them will conclude that the

government is a force for evil. Moreover, it is

not difficult to find government excesses to

cite as supporting evidence. In this way, a

small group of unstable people, susceptible

to the message of hate, decides to launch a

pre-emptive strike, or take retaliatory action, against a government facility.

The risk now is that the country will overreact. The first impulse is to see all paramilitary groups that cavort in the woods as

terrorists in training. The second is to think

that constitutional rights must be jettisoned

to combat the threat they pose. No one

wants to make it easy for another Oklahoma

City atrocity, but Congress should not give

federal law-enforcement authorities the

added powers Mr. Clinton has requested

without careful thought.

Since the end of World War II, political

dissenters, civil rights organizations, antiwar groups and even Earth Day organizers

have been the target of government spying

and disruption, always in the name of protecting society. Mr. Clinton wants to give

law-enforcement agencies greater authority

to place people and groups under surveillance on the basis of less evidence. If the

tools the FBI and other agencies have now

are inadequate, they should be strengthened,

of course, but the bombing in Oklahoma City

does not automatically mean they are.

The last thing Congress and the administration need to do is prove that the kooks

are right.

THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS

CHILDREN’S CHOIR

f

HON. GLENN POSHARD OF ILLINOIS

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Tuesday, May 23, 1995

Mr. POSHARD. Mr. Speaker, it is a distinct

pleasure for me to take this opportunity to welcome the Southern Illinois Children’s Choir to

Washington, DC. In a time when children are

experiencing especially tumultuous times in an

all too violent world, the magnificent efforts

which have produced this wonderful choral

group are very much appreciated.

The 85 boys and girls from grades 4

through 8 who have auditioned and been accepted as part of the choir represent the

southern Illinois communities of Alto Pass,

Anna, Carbondale, Carterville, Cobden,

DuQuoin, Elkville, Gorham, Harrisburg, Herrin,

Jonesboro, Makanda, Marion, Murphysboro,

and Sparta. I am proud that many of these

young people are residents of the 19th Congressional District which I represent.

The choir was organized only 5 years ago

under the Southern Illinois University at

Carbondale Youth Music Program. Its purpose

is twofold. First, and foremost, it has been assembled for the musical enrichment of our

children, and then for the enhancement of the

musical life for all southern Illinoisans. In the

short span of time of its existence, the choir

has remarkably amassed a very impressive

portfolio of performances, including the Southern Illinois University Opera Theatre, the Symphony Orchestra and Choral Union, as well as

various conferences, education programs and

concerts throughout the southern Illinois area.

In addition, the Choir has sung in the State

Capitol at Springfield, and appeared at the

1992 Illinois Music Educators All-State Conference. In 1993, the choir toured the southeast, performing at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, and in 1994, they appeared on the Shepley Music and Art Series

at Christ Church Cathedral in St Louis where

they presented the premiere performance of

Gregg Smith’s ‘‘Four Sandburg Songs.’’

The choir continues to impress audiences

everywhere it performs. I am especially delighted and pleased that the 1995 tour of

Southern Illinois Children’s Choir includes a

one week visit to the Nation’s Capital June 9

through 16. The children’s performances while

in Washington will include singing a prelude to

the morning worship service at the National

Cathedral, and performances on the west

steps of the Capitol as well as at the Lincoln

Memorial. The tour will also include an excursion to historic, Colonial Williamsburg, VA,

with a performance at the Bruton Parrish

Church.

I heartily commend the choir and all who

have contributed to its success—parents, directors and assistants. It is indeed gratifying

that these children and their extraordinary musical talents exemplify what is best in the

youth of today. They are certainly beacons of

light for their families, friends and communities.