IV 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 181 
Honoring the memory of Christina-Taylor Green by encouraging schools to 
teach civic education and civil discourse in public schools. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2011 
Ms. MOORE (for herself, Mrs. MYRICK, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mr. 
GRIJALVA, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. RUSH, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. BRADY of 
Pennsylvania, Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas, Ms. HIRONO, Ms. NORTON, 
Mr. CLEAVER, Ms. BASS of California, and Mr. BACA) submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and 
the Workforce 
RESOLUTION 
Honoring the memory of Christina-Taylor Green by encour-
aging schools to teach civic education and civil discourse 
in public schools. 
Whereas Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords held a ‘‘Congress 
on the Corner’’ town meeting in her Tucson, Arizona dis-
trict, where a man killed six people and injured others; 
Whereas among the people killed was Christina-Taylor Green, 
who was nine years old and born on September 11, 2001; 
Whereas Christina-Taylor Green was a student who showed 
great interest in civic life, government, and politics, as re-
flected in her election to the student council at Mesa 
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Verde Elementary school and her self-motivated interest 
to attend Congresswoman Giffords’ event; 
Whereas the Green family is hoping that the memory of 
Christina will live on through the message that inspira-
tion in politics, civics, and debate begins at an early age 
in school, at home, and in the community; 
Whereas there is a bipartisan consensus that discourse about 
issues of the day, including political, governmental, reli-
gious, and other controversial matters, has become too 
coarse, angry, and counter-productive in resolving issues 
important to the way Americans live their lives; 
Whereas there is no suggestion, evidence, or implication that 
any angry public debate led to the tragedy in Tucson, but 
from that tragedy can come opportunity; 
Whereas the coarseness of American debate is attributable to 
people of all political and ideological groups; 
Whereas education about civics and how to participate in a 
civil debate about controversial issues has practically dis-
appeared from public school classrooms; 
Whereas it is the nature of discussion about civics in the 
classroom, not merely its presence or frequency, that cor-
relates with greater civic knowledge and engagement; 
Whereas according to the Campaign for the Civic Mission of 
Schools, over the past 25 years students have become less 
interested in political discussion and public issues, and 
more cynical about and alienated from politics; 
Whereas empirical evidence demonstrates a strong link be-
tween civic education and participation in community and 
public service, and according to the Center for Informa-
tion and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, 
students who take courses in civics are at least 50 per-
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cent more likely to volunteer and to help solve community 
problems; 
Whereas students who participate in classroom civil debate 
are, according to the Center for Information and Re-
search on Civic Learning and Engagement, more civically 
engaged, being at least 60 percent more likely to follow 
the news, sign a written petition, and be involved in orga-
nizations outside school; 
Whereas, according to a study by the Center for Information 
and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, stu-
dents involved in civic activities to fulfill a class require-
ment are 22 percent more likely to graduate from college; 
Whereas a 2008 report by Dr. David Campbell of the Univer-
sity of Notre Dame demonstrated that there is a causal 
link between classroom civil debate and community and 
public service; 
Whereas Dr. Campbell held that discourse and debate is ‘‘the 
lifeblood of participatory democracy’’, and found that ‘‘a 
classroom environment which fosters a free, open, and re-
spectful exchange of ideas is positively related to young 
people’s level of knowledge about democratic processes’’; 
Whereas Professor E. Hess, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin- 
Madison, said, ‘‘A more enlightened and democracy-sus-
taining approach is to teach all young people to engage 
in high-quality public talk about controversial political 
issues.’’; 
Whereas President George W. Bush, in his inauguration 
speech in 2001, said, ‘‘Civility is not a tactic or a senti-
ment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, 
of community over chaos.’’; and 
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Whereas President Barack Obama, in Tucson on January 12, 
2011, said, ‘‘It’s important for us to pause for a moment 
and make sure that we’re talking with each other in a 
way that heals, not in a way that wounds.’’: Now, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) recognizes the importance of returning the 
teaching of civic education and civil discourse to 
schools, especially for students in grades 6 through 
12; 
(2) recognizes that there are numerous non-
partisan organizations around the Nation to help 
schools teach civic education and civil discourse; 
(3) encourages the Secretary of Education to 
direct schools receiving Federal funding to include 
instruction in civic education and civil discourse, and 
to ensure online access to free educational materials 
to assist schools in teaching about civic education 
and civil discourse; 
(4) encourages schools and teachers to conduct 
educational programming on the importance and 
methods of civic education and civil discourse; and 
(5) believes that education about civics and civil 
discourse is a fitting way to honor and memorialize 
the life of Christina-Taylor Green. 
Æ 
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