[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                        WHAT MAKES AMERICA GREAT

                                 ______


                            HON. IKE SKELTON

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 16, 1994

  Mr. SKELTON. Mr. Speaker, often, we wonder about the greatness of our 
country and what makes America what it is. An intern in my office, John 
Carr, composed an essay entitled, ``What Makes America Great.'' He was 
assisted by two other interns, Sean Fahey and Julie Gibson. I am 
convinced these young people will, in their day and time, add their 
full measure to our country. I commend this essay to the Members of 
this body:

                       What Makes America Great?

       How did it happen? Why is it that the United States--from 
     more than 130 nations--has come to possess the greatest 
     society in the history of human civilization? A society which 
     has not only endured, but continues to progress through 
     decades of unparalleled world transformation. Quite simply, 
     we earned it.
       The people of America possess a unique spirit . . . a gleam 
     in the eye which is not found anywhere else in the world. It 
     is a Show-Me-Attitude. Show-me what needs to be done and move 
     aside. It is this reason why we, as Americans, have 
     constructed the greatest civilization in the history of the 
     world. President John F. Kennedy was correct when he stated, 
     ``after the dust of centuries has passed over our cities, we, 
     too, will be remembered not for our victories or defeats in 
     battle or in politics, but for our contribution to the human 
     spirit.''
       Personally, I believe our contribution to the human spirit 
     has been, and will continue to be manifested through our 
     unique American character. This character has been forged by 
     centuries of hardwork and dedication. This effort has not 
     been, nor will it be in the future, easy.
       A few people in America today assume that a productive and 
     enjoyable life should be easy. I can assure you that such is 
     not the case. The hardy pioneers who settled my home state of 
     Missouri, did not emerge from the wilderness to find the 
     fields cleared and planted--the cabins built and stocked. 
     What they did find was a wild land of promise and excitement. 
     Years of intense labor . . . produced for their children and 
     grandchildren fields which were cleared and planted--cabins 
     which were built and stocked. But from our greatest 
     sacrifices come our greatest accomplishments.
       Examine the early history of our country. The summer of 
     1776--The Founding Fathers, gathered in Philadelphia, 
     expressed the ideals and spirit of the most enlightened human 
     beings of their time. With an understanding of the tremendous 
     importance of the experiment which was about to begin, the 
     founders of this nation established a government based on the 
     rule of law--not men--which guaranteed for the first time 
     basic, fundamental human rights.
       The spirit which charted the course of Democratic 
     government for the world also challenged American men and 
     women to great achievements in all endeavors--health, 
     science, government, and space . . . reflected in names such 
     as Walter Reed and Clara Barton, the Wright Brothers, Amelia 
     Earhart, Andrew Jackson and Harry Truman, John Glenn and Neil 
     Armstrong.
       Americans are free to pursue and enjoy the essence of the 
     human spirit--OPPORTUNITY. Immigrants--by the millions--from 
     the far reaches of every continent--flocked to this land of 
     opportunity in search of the ``American Dream.'' . . . the 
     hope that dedication and achievement would be rewarded with 
     the simple betterment of life. They, and we, succeeded.
       Our contributions to the human spirit have been 
     immeasurable. For more than 218 years, America has served not 
     only as an example, but an inspiration to the rest of the 
     world. Why? Because our individual liberties, thwarted only 
     by the guidance of our conscience, have sparked periods of 
     achievement and innovation never before imagined. From the 
     settlement at Jamestown--to the lab of Thomas Edison--to the 
     beachhead on the shores of Normandy--to the launch pad at 
     Cape Canaveral--Americans have protected, maintained, and 
     advanced.
       With the European discovery of the New World, to the 
     exploration of the western frontier, to the 49'er goldrush, 
     this land was explored and settled by individuals dedicated 
     to the betterment of their nation, community, family, and 
     themselves. Never has a country been settled by such a 
     diverse mix of individuals and families united by the quest 
     for a better life.
       The proof of our tenacity is in the pudding.
       Take, for instance, the troops at Valley Forge. Camped 
     during the winter of 1777, hundreds of Continental soldiers 
     voluntarily endured extreme hardship--below-zero 
     temperatures, lack of shoes and blankets, outbreaks of 
     pneumonia, shortages of food--their one goal the 
     establishment of a fair and equitable government for their 
     families and their neighbors.
       The Homestead Act. Passed in 1862 during the heart of the 
     War Between the States, this Act provided the anxious 
     pioneers an opportunity--go west with your family, settle a 
     piece of land, and you could keep it. Thousands of Americans 
     took advantage of this opportunity, wrought with extreme 
     hardship, to provide their families with a better life. The 
     classic story of Laura Ingalls--a childhood favorite--
     provides a moving recollection of one such journey.
       Indeed, the Westward Movement was what made our nation 
     unique. The conquering of the western frontier was a 
     different kind of struggle, a movement without parallel in 
     world history. Nowhere else has an area of equal size been 
     settled in so short a time entirely as a result of quiet 
     courage and initiative of small groups.
       America is about taking risks, taking bold steps, At times, 
     these risks have led to failure. We, as a nation, have many 
     faults, many shortfalls. But the only thing worse than 
     failing is not to have tried. Teddy Roosevelt said it best: 
     ``Far better is it to dare great things . . . than to take 
     rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor 
     suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that 
     knows not victory nor defeat.''

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