[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 170 (Tuesday, October 31, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2076]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     ESSAY BY JOSHUA BARRETT GREEN

                                 ______


                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 31, 1995

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with the Members of the 
House the experience of one recent graduate of the House Page Program. 
I include the essay at this point in the Record.

                           Personal Statement

                       (By Joshua Barrett Green)

       During the summer of 1995, I had the honor of serving as a 
     page in the United States House of Representatives. This 
     unique experience provided me with an unparalleled 
     opportunity to live in a community of my peers and work in 
     the paradigm of democratic government. Through the valuable 
     friendships I made and the many debates I witnessed, I gained 
     an understanding of America's diversity, a definite respect 
     for our government, and, indeed, a sense of clarity in my own 
     ambitions.
       The Congress of the United States is representative in 
     structure to ensure that the diversity of American society is 
     reflected in its government. Just as diversity is evident in 
     the representatives, so too was that same diversity evident 
     in my fellow pages. Issues, such as farmers' subsidies, 
     illegal immigration, and teen pregnancy, to which I had 
     previously given no thought, suddenly became real to me 
     through the concerns of my new friends who brought together 
     the views of their respective communities and, collectively, 
     the diverse views of this nation.
       One common misconception regarding modern day politicians 
     relates to their work ethic: they are considered to be lazy. 
     I learned, quite to the contrary, that they are extremely 
     hardworking. One specific example can be found through 
     examination of the Congressional Record for June 28, 1995: 
     this verbatim account of Congressional activity does not 
     record the conclusion of daily business. In fact, there was 
     no conclusion. The House was in session from 9:00 A.M., June 
     28, until 9:00 P.M., June 29: thirty-six hours straight. 
     Being one of the two pages responsible for the bell system 
     which alerts Congressmen of votes, I was required to be 
     present for the first twenty-four hours. In the debates of 
     that grueling night, I recognized a beauty in the American 
     political system: Congressmen who collectively respect the 
     institution of representation, through their integrity, serve 
     to ensure that each individual will be heard.
       Despite friends' predictions of my disillusionment with 
     modern government through my witnessing of back-room 
     political dealings, I was, in fact, impressed by the dignity 
     of public service. What most believe to be corrupting of 
     principles in government, I now recognize as the compromise 
     of individual interests for those of the common good. I am 
     now, thus, firmly committed to service through government, 
     and I plan to be a leader in the government of future 
     generations.
       Though representatives are transient as they are voted in 
     and out of office, Congress is not. For two hundred years, 
     Congress has been the center of America's democratic system 
     of government and, despite the rampant skepticism which 
     pervades today's society, the United States House of 
     Representatives retains its nobility of character and 
     preserves the diversity of the American people. By seizing 
     the opportunity to explore the government from within as a 
     page, I learned about this country, I learned about 
     democracy, and I learned about myself.

                          ____________________