[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 61 (Monday, April 3, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E757-E758]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


         TRIBUTE TO MICHELLE DOUGLAS, VOICE OF DEMOCRACY WINNER

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                        HON. ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD

                                of guam

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 3, 1995
  Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to 
congratulate Ms. Michelle Douglas of Agana, Guam, for winning this 
year's Pacific Area Voice of Democracy broadcast scriptwriting contest.
  Ms. Douglas is a senior at John F. Kennedy High School and hopes to 
pursue a career as a music or drama teacher. She has been honored 
repeatedly for her scholastic and extracurricular achievements and is a 
leader in school offices. Her patriotic essay, titled ``My Vision of 
America'' represents a vision of America as a place dedicated to the 
principles of equality and opportunity. I am proud to announce that as 
a result of her hard work, Ms. Douglas has been awarded $1,000.
  This monetary award comes from the Voice of Democracy Scholarship 
Program. The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Program was started 48 
years ago with the endorsement of the U.S. Office of Education and 
National Association of Broadcasters, Electronic Industries Association 
and State Association of Broadcasters.
  Starting in 1958, the program was conducted in cooperation with the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW], with the broadcasters still serving as 
sponsors. in 1961, the VFW assumed sole sponsorship responsibility. At 
that time, the national scholarship award consisted of a single $1,500 
scholarship for the first place winner.
  During the past 35 years, under VFW sponsorship, the annual national 
scholarship have been increased to 47 totaling $109,000 with the first 
place winner receiving a $20,000 scholarship to the college of their 
choice.
  This past year, more than 126,000 students participated. Over 8,200 
schools participated, over 4,400 VFW posts and over 4,200 auxiliaries 
sponsored the program. The total monetary value of scholarships, bonds, 
and awards provided by VFW posts, auxiliaries, districts, county 
councils, departments, and national amounted to over $2.5 million this 
past year. I commend the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary for this program 
and their role in promoting scholastic achievement in our Nation.
  I am proud that the VFW and its Ladies Auxiliary have honored Ms. 
Michelle Douglas with this year's award. I wish Ms. Douglas all the 
best in her chosen career path and in her college years. I encourage my 
colleagues to take the time to read her thoughtful and inspiring essay.
                       ``My Vision for America''

                         (By Michelle Douglas)

       Nearly everyone has a view of how America ought to be; even 
     I have a dream. Most of us would probably imagine a future 
     where all injustices are righted, where peace reigns. It 
     would be a country without problems: a paradise for everyone. 
     But this idea alone is vague. In order for a vision to 
     materialize, there must be something concrete.
       I am not saying it is necessary to have the blueprint laid 
     out in front of us, or even to have a clear idea of the final 
     vision. I am only saying that each of us contributing in our 
     own way, whether large or small, will make a unique vision of 
     America become reality. Imagine each of us holding a piece of 
     a puzzle, and none of us knowing what the final picture will 
     be. Yet as each of us connects our piece--our individual 
     vision--with the others, a picture emerges, becoming clearer 
     as more pieces are added.
       Perhaps the first part of America's vision was placed by 
     Thomas Jefferson in the early summer of 1776 as he pondered 
     over the wording to the Declaration of Independence. His 
     ideas not only challenged the oppression that stifled the 
     daily lives of the colonists, they also changed the course of 
     history and continue to guide us into the future. If 
     Jefferson were asked where his vision would take this great 
     nation two hundred years later, he would have hardly imagined 
     the results. He could not have known how the vision would 
     grow, or how important his piece would be. Nor did he have 
     to.
       When Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation 
     Proclamation to a war weary nation, he probably did not 
     realize he was setting the stage for future equal rights. In 
     fact, ethics was not the issue. He had decided, right or 
     wrong, that freeing the slaves would hold the nation 
     together. This does 
     [[Page E758]] not mean that the future outcome was not 
     welcome. But it does show that a single act, however 
     intended, can create astounding results, even without great 
     insight.
       These men from our history were magnificent figures whose 
     actions affected the future of America, making it a better 
     place for posterity. But we do not have to be presidents of 
     the country to make worthwhile contributions.
       We do not have to see the final picture, or even plan 
     something remarkable for our future in order to be 
     ``visionary.'' We needn't even focus on the results of our 
     efforts. We only need to work toward what we believe in, 
     making a personal effort to correct problems. The results 
     will come, whether today or tomorrow.
       Let's consider Rosa Parks. She was only an everyday-type 
     person, a poor black seamstress who never had time for 
     politics; she only tried to make enough to survive. One day 
     as she sat on a bus, work out and tired, she was ordered to 
     give up her seat to a white man. Non-violently, she refused 
     and was arrested.
       Her simple action became a catalyst for many others, 
     starting an avalanche which turned into the Black Movement. 
     Martin Luther King championed her very thoughts and feelings 
     by organizing bus boycotts. Thousands of others added to the 
     vision; many were poor, and many may have thought they had 
     little to offer. But when all was done, the course of history 
     was changed, once again. And equality for all minorities, not 
     just Blacks, was promoted. But that was not the issue. The 
     point was this: although Rosa was not the greatest martyr in 
     history, she stood up for her beliefs, and that is how 
     visions turn into reality.
       How can you contribute to America's vision? It only takes a 
     combination of your attitude and pride in your country. Being 
     generous with your resources, helping out wherever possible, 
     and using your abilities for good characterize a true 
     contributor.
       My individual piece of the final vision for America may not 
     become as great as those of Thomas Jefferson's, Abraham 
     Lincoln's, Rosa Park's, or even yours. But it will be just as 
     important. I cannot guarantee world peace; I may not find a 
     cure for the world's illnesses or put an end to starvation. I 
     can, however, dedicate my efforts along with yours to the 
     continued building of this great nation. After all, aren't 
     our combined efforts today the way to create the greatest 
     vision for America tomorrow?
     

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