[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 197 (Tuesday, December 12, 1995)]
[House]
[Page H14258]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE TRAGEDY OF JIMMY RYCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of May 
12, 1995, the gentleman from Florida [Mr. Diaz-Balart] is recognized 
during morning business for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, a child is always special. Children are 
the hope of the world, and every child is blessed with the love of God 
and the goodness of heaven.
  In south Florida we have all, our entire community, has been deeply 
wounded by the tragedy suffered by one very special child--Jimmy Ryce. 
And by the suffering, the incalculable suffering, of his wonderful 
family.
  As our prayers go out for Jimmy's family so that God may give them 
the strength to endure, we also pray for Jimmy in Heaven, with full 
confidence that he is now at peace in the presence of the Lord.
  No one in south Florida will ever forget Jimmy Ryce and we join 
together as a community to grieve for him.
  Jimmy's family--his mom and dad, Claudine and Don, his sister 
Martha--have shown us all an example of extraordinary strength and of 
the will to somehow permit this tragedy to shield other children from 
similar future nightmares on Earth. Even before we all received the 
ultimately tragic news of the last few days, Don and Claudine Ryce had 
commenced a petition campaign to the President, a noble campaign that 
they, and now many in south Florida are continuing, urging him to 
require agencies in the executive branch to post in public places 
pictures of endangered children, so that the American people can help 
in the search for these children, while there is still time to save 
their lives.
  Don and Claudine Ryce have also urged that the media run public 
service announcements publicizing the photographs and the peril of 
endangered children.
  Together we will remember Jimmy Ryce as we strive to bring down the 
full weight of justice on monstrous beings who commit crimes against 
children, and as we work to protect children against such unspeakable 
crimes in the future.

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