[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 90 (Wednesday, July 13, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 13, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                                 VALUES

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 13, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
report for Wednesday, July 13, 1994 into the Congressional Record:

                                 Values

       My sense is that the country is going through a kind of 
     moral crisis in which a great many complicated issues with 
     significant moral dimensions are being worked out. I have 
     been impressed how the issues in politics today relate 
     increasingly to our culture. The usual stuff of politics is 
     the economy or foreign policy. Today the concerns of many 
     Americans are violent crime, drug abuse, coarse popular 
     entertainment, rising birth rates among unmarried mothers, 
     and a sense that parents are not raising their children 
     properly. Statistics confirm that violent crime, especially 
     by juveniles, out-of-wedlock births, teen suicides, non-
     married households, and divorces are all up sharply in recent 
     years.
       The polls show that an overwhelming percentage of adults 
     think that the United States is in moral and spiritual 
     decline. They rank crime and drug abuse far ahead of jobs and 
     health care as national concerns. They see that the family 
     has fractured, neighborhoods have disappeared and turned 
     unruly, schools struggle to educate, and even churches are 
     under stress. In short, they fear we are abandoning the very 
     values which have held us together as a nation for over two 
     centuries. As one voter put it to me recently, ``Whatever 
     happened to decency and respect?''
       Building Character: The debate about values surfaces in 
     discussions of crime, welfare reform, health care, and 
     education, and in many other aspects of social policy. This 
     concern for the culture of the nation is creating a new kind 
     of politics in America. Its theme is personal responsibility 
     and building character. It emphasizes that there is a moral 
     crisis in America and that its citizens must fight back to 
     retrieve the shared values we all agree contribute to ethical 
     behavior and good citizenship.
       Numerous communities and institutions across the country 
     are rekindling shared values through ``character education'' 
     programs. These programs take many forms. Some teach students 
     the use of mediation instead of aggression to solve 
     conflicts, or ways to resist peer pressure to use drugs or 
     engage in sexual activity. Still others encourage community 
     service, promote democratic practices, or highlight a 
     particular value, such as honesty or tolerance, through 
     essays, visuals, or role-playing. In some communities, 
     parents, clergy, and local businesses participate. Some 
     programs report dramatic drops in discipline problems; for 
     others results are more modest. But all take seriously the 
     words of Theodore Roosevelt that ``to educate a man in mind 
     and not in character is to educate a menace to society.''
       There are national efforts as well. Two organizations 
     involved in values education are the Character Counts 
     Coalition (CCC), a broadbased coalition which includes the 
     American Red Cross, the 4-H, the Girls and Boys Clubs of 
     America, the Little League, and the National Urban League; 
     and the Character Education Project (CEP), supported by 
     groups including the National Association of Evangelicals and 
     the National Education Association. The CCC seeks to 
     ``strengthen the moral fiber of the next generation'' through 
     programs which promote six commonly-accepted principles: 
     trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, justice, caring, 
     and citizenship. While not emphasizing specific values, the 
     CEP similarly promotes character education programs and 
     awareness across the country, helping to match schools with 
     appropriate programs and materials.
       Role of the Family: Of course such groups cannot and do not 
     seek to act alone. Most of us would acknowledge that good 
     character has to come from living in communities--family, 
     neighborhood, religious and civic institutions--where virtue 
     is encouraged and rewarded. There is no question that the 
     family will continue to play the central role in shaping the 
     values of the next generation. That is as it should be. But 
     like it or not, many young people do not enjoy the benefit of 
     strong and positive family influences. Even those with loving 
     and involved parents need those positive influences 
     reinforced in their schools, religious institutions, and 
     community organizations. Adults in all facets of our 
     children's lives must serve as models of the core ethical 
     values we would like them to learn.
       Role of Government: Government can be of some help as well. 
     First, like the national coalitions, government can draw 
     attention to the issue. Bipartisan groups in both the House 
     and Senate have introduced a resolution to declare a 
     ``National Character Counts Week.'' The resolution, which I 
     cosponsored, focuses attention on character education efforts 
     by encouraging local activities during the commemorative week 
     and beyond. Secondly, Congress can pass appropriate 
     legislation to help strengthen the family or address other 
     value-related concerns, even if in a secondary way. For 
     example, legislation can support local anti-crime efforts, 
     prohibit discrimination, or help states improve child support 
     enforcement, school safety, and anti-drug programs. Finally, 
     Congress can be alert to unanticipated negative effects of 
     public policies on values, such as a welfare system which 
     discourages two-parent families and encourages dependency.
       In the end I think that most of us understand that without 
     a virtuous people the country really does not function well 
     and individuals cannot realize either their own or the common 
     good. I have been encouraged by the rising national debate 
     over character and the public rethinking of the kind of 
     people we really want to be. I am encouraged that politicians 
     are focusing on values, even though they are far behind most 
     Americans, who have been thinking about values for many 
     months.
       At the same time, every legislator is keenly aware of the 
     inadequacies of legislation. As has been noted, in the end it 
     is not the laws we pass that count but the lives we lead. In 
     the home, in the workplace, in the classroom, and elsewhere, 
     we must uphold the high standards and values we espouse. A 
     combination of efforts--those of families, of schools, of 
     local and national institutions--can complement and 
     strengthen each other. In the words of the old proverb, ``It 
     takes a whole village to raise a child.'' Together, we can 
     successfully reinforce in the next generation of Americans 
     the common values we treasure. It is the most valuable legacy 
     we can leave them.

                          ____________________