[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 45 (Friday, March 10, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E573]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E573]]
                   AMANDA SAPIR'S VISION FOR AMERICA

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                          HON. GERRY E. STUDDS

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, March 10, 1995
  Mr. STUDDS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor an outstanding young 
woman from my congressional district, Amanda Sapir of Kingston, MA. 
This week she won the national Voice of Democracy Award from the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars for an essay she wrote and recorded on her 
vision for America.
  Amanda, an 18-year-old senior at Silver Lake Regional High School, is 
the first Massachusetts student to win the award in the 48-year history 
of the Voice of Democracy Program. She prevailed over 125,000 other 
students from across the country to win the $20,000 T.C. Selman 
Memorial Scholarship Award, sponsored by the VFW and its ladies 
auxiliary. I was informed of the award by proud local veterans who 
visited with me this week.
  But more important than Amanda's winning a contest, or even the 
scholarship, is the vision she conveyed: that diversity is America's 
greatest strength and that our Nation's long journey toward justice and 
equality for all citizens is not complete.
  Amanda's words are so eloquent, her message so timely, that I wanted 
to include them in the Record as a reminder of how far we've come and 
how far we have to go.
                         My Vision for America

                           (By Amanda Sapir)

       The air was thick and sweet smelling. Traffic was bumper-
     to-bumper as usual. It seemed like there were people 
     everywhere; people walking up and down the sidewalks, 
     shoppers peering hopefully into store windows, tourists 
     searching aimlessly for the nearest landmark, and the 
     homeless sitting in the warmth of a typical hustle and bustle 
     summer in Washington, D.C. It was just another day when I was 
     among the eternally lost sightseers and Helen among the 
     homeless.
       ``Where's Wisconsin Ave.?'' I asked a gentleman who 
     responded, ``Isn't that near O street?'' ``Hmm, where's O 
     Street?'' ``Beats me. Do you know where Pennsylvania Ave. 
     is?'' By the end of the conversation we were both, if you can 
     believe it, even more confused than when we started. This is 
     when I spotted another homeless looking woman sitting on the 
     sidewalk clasping her most precious belongings. On one of her 
     bags was a sticker that read, ``Helen.'' I figured she would 
     know her way around this maze they call Washington.
       ``Excuse me, ma'am, do you know where Wisconsin Avenue 
     is?'' She was looking straight ahead with an empty gaze, not 
     acknowledging me for quite a few seconds. After waiting 
     patiently, I was startled when she jerked her head towards me 
     and staring with intensely fierce brown eyes asked, ``What do 
     you see?'' as she pointed to a perfectly maintained 
     photograph. Surprised, yet curious by her question, I 
     answered, ``Well, there's an average looking older Asian 
     woman, a middle-aged rather dirty looking white man, and a 
     young well-dressed black woman all standing side by side.'' 
     Apparently displeased by my answer, she yelled, ``No, no, 
     no!'' Wondering where I went wrong, I asked, ``Why what do 
     you see?'' She looked at me with those eyes and without 
     hesitation said, ``Three people. Keep walking up this street 
     and you'll find Wisconsin Avenue.''
       I was stunned by her response, but learned that in Helen's 
     answer was a translucently clear message that now typifies my 
     vision for America, a nation where its citizens continue to 
     make great strides toward demolishing discrimination by 
     understanding that it is our differences which makes us 
     similar. Although we may wear different clothes, earn 
     different amounts of money, walk or talk differently, we are 
     all just people with fears and hopes, struggles and joys. I 
     feel that with this ideal in mind we as a nation can knock on 
     the door to the next century with confidence, knowing that we 
     will handle all changes and all challenges that will arise. 
     However, this confidence is only achievable if all Americans 
     feel included and worthy, without fearing discrimination.
       As I continued on my walk, I learned how this could 
     actually happen. Looking at museums, the White House, the 
     Supreme Court and the Mall, I saw why the United States is 
     the only global Superpower remaining. We rely on creative 
     solutions, which are the result of educating and acting. My 
     vision for a unified America necessitates effort. In order 
     for compassion to prevail over discrimination, the nation 
     must first call on our educators to teach about different 
     places and different cultures. We need our nation's youth to 
     further understand that we are all different, but that 
     diversity is our greatest strength not only in problem 
     solving but in fighting ignorance. Knowledge has a funny way 
     of operating minds, and in the future, bright open minds will 
     be quintessential in fighting prejudice. This knowledge is 
     only useful if put into practice. My vision relies on 
     Americans to act with the same moral impetus it took for 
     civil rights to speak up and for American soldiers to leave 
     their families to fight for our nation, we must also speak up 
     and fight for equal treatment for everyone. As a country, we 
     have already made leaping bounds in the name of equality, but 
     there is more struggling to do, whether we are employees 
     helping a co-worker cope with discrimination or an employer 
     concentrating on having qualified diverse employees. We must 
     act until minorities, disabled and abled are all viewed as 
     people.
       America is only as strong as its weakest link, and those 
     links are tested by the way in which we treat people, be they 
     friends or strangers. As this country enters a new millennia, 
     progress will present many opportunities as well as 
     obstacles. My vision is that on December 31, when the clock 
     ticks the past century away, Americans, no matter what 
     ethnicity or sociopolitical or economic status, together will 
     unlock this potential of the 21st century with optimism and a 
     renewed sincere commitment to educating and acting against 
     discrimination and for open-mindedness and unity, so that 
     when any American is asked, ``What do you see?'' the answer 
     will be without hesitation, ``People.''
     

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