[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 95 (Wednesday, July 20, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 20, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                TAMARA KELLY, VOICE OF DEMOCRACY WINNER

                                 ______


                           HON. MIKE KREIDLER

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 20, 1994

  Mr. KREIDLER. Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the achievement 
of Tamara Kelly, this year's Washington State winner of the Voice of 
Democracy broadcast scriptwriting contest, sponsored by the Veterans of 
Foreign Wars of the United States and its Ladies Auxiliary.
  The Voice of Democracy scholarship program, established 47 years ago, 
is endorsed by the U.S. Office of Education and National Association of 
Broadcasters, Electronic Industries Association, and State Association 
of Broadcasters. This past year more than 138,000 students competed for 
39 scholarships totaling $99,000, with the first place winner receiving 
a $20,000 scholarship to the college of his or her choice.
  The winner from Washington State, Tamara Kelly, is a 16-year-old 
junior at Franklin Pierce High School in Tacoma, WA. Ms. Kelly is a 
bright, motivated young person with numerous achievements in speech, 
debate, and writing. She is committed to education and hopes one day to 
become a teacher. Her award winning script, entitled ``My commitment to 
America'', focuses on the importance of quality education in a child's 
life.
  I ask that my colleagues take the opportunity to read Ms. Kelly's 
valuable thoughts.

                        My Commitment to America

                           (By Tamara Kelly)

       In fifth grade I had a truly remarkable teacher. He taught 
     me that I am an individual, and that I am unique and special 
     and that no one has any right to tell me anything different. 
     He showed me how to stand up for myself, and how to be my own 
     person. He taught me that every person in the world is equal, 
     regardless of anything anyone else might say. The ideals and 
     values he gave me have lasted me throughout my life, and 
     whenever I have doubts about myself and my self worth, I 
     always think of him and his never ending efforts to inspire 
     me to greatness.
       It is because of his encouragement that I have decided to 
     become a part of the greatest, and most important profession 
     in the world. My commitment to America is to become a 
     teacher. If every individual in the United States would 
     dedicate his or her self to the shaping and molding of the 
     youth of America, our country could rise up and meet its 
     awesome potential. So I'm going to take up my end of the 
     great debt I owe to every teacher that has ever picked me up 
     and brushed me off when I stumbled over the obstacles and 
     crises of my life.
       I'm going to repay the debt I owe to this country, and to 
     those who have helped keep it the powerful force it is--by 
     helping to make our children compassionate, fair-minded human 
     beings, I am helping to insure that our country will remain 
     the fantastic world power the very first leaders envisioned 
     it to be.
       To truly live and work up to it's potential, America must 
     educate it's children, and not just in the three R's, but in 
     every aspect of life, and life's dilemmas.
       Teachers shape the lives of their students, and thus, shape 
     the future of America. A teacher worthy of the name must 
     school his or her students to be kind to those less fortunate 
     than they themselves may be, regardless of race, creed or 
     gender, and must teach respect, no only for all human beings, 
     but especially for the elderly and the very young. A teacher 
     must teach by example, by being fair and open minded, just as 
     we hope our future leaders will be.
       I believe that, as cliched as it may sound, children truly 
     are the future of this great country, and that the success of 
     the United States of America depends upon the values of it's 
     youth.
       In these troubled times our country needs wisdom and 
     compassion more than ever. Unfortunately though, we are 
     lacking enough role models who can help a child determine the 
     difference between right and wrong.
       School is where each child spends the vast majority or his 
     or her life, logically, that is where the most emphasis on 
     positive influences should be put. But instead, every day 
     children go to school, and learn of prejudice and hatred. 
     Students are surrounded by every imaginable danger and 
     threat: racism, sexism, peer pressure to abuse drugs or 
     alcohol--the threat of gang violence, rape or harassment is 
     sometimes the foremost subject on the average student's mind. 
     It's a sad commentary on our times when a student fears being 
     shot, or raped, or stabbed at school. Yet hate is taught at 
     school and at home.
       There is hope, though. And our hope lies with the children 
     of America. Not every child can life in the Cleaver family, 
     not every child can have the excellent role models at home 
     that some do. But sometimes having a caring teacher can make 
     all the difference in the world. When no one else in the 
     world is there for that child, at least she knows she can 
     always turn to her teacher, for support and for guidance.
       It's not too late to change the destructive patterns the 
     youth of American has fallen into. By providing caring, and 
     positive role models, we can effectively offset the negative 
     role models in each and every child's life. It only take one 
     person to make the difference.
       My commitment to America is to help provide a role model to 
     children who may not have anyone else to look up to. It I can 
     help just one child, if I can save just one child from gangs, 
     or discourage one child from drug abuse, if I can keep one 
     child from turning to a dead end street of violence or crime, 
     then I believe that I have fulfilled my commitment to 
     America.
       If we educate our children in peace, they will not learn to 
     fight. If we educate our children in the light of equality 
     and fairness, they will not learn to be narrow-minded or 
     prejudiced. And if we educate our children in love, they will 
     not learn the meaning of the word hate. To educate our 
     children, we must teach by example, and provide positive role 
     models for them, thus making the United States of America a 
     country with caring and altruistic leaders--a country worth 
     living in, and dying for.

                          ____________________