[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 61 (Monday, May 6, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E707-E708]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         IN HONOR OF JON THOMAS

                                 ______


                           HON. EARL POMEROY

                            of north dakota

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 6, 1996

  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to recognize an 
impressive young North Dakotan. Jon Thomas of Bismarck has won a 
scholarship from the Veterans of Foreign Wars' Voice of Democracy 
broadcast scriptwriting contest. Mr. Thomas placed fifth in the Nation 
for the theme ``Answering America's Call.''
  I am very excited to see such worthwhile ideas and refreshing 
optimism coming from North Dakota's youth. It is my pleasure to submit 
Mr. Thomas' essay for inclusion in the Congressional Record:

       Last summer, I decided to leave the country and travel the 
     world. One month into my trip I was feeling quite homesick. 
     So I decided I'd better call home. I quickly ran to a pay 
     phone and dialed 1-800-Collect. I knew that if I ever needed 
     anything, calling collect would not be a problem. I then 
     dialed America and listened for an operator to pick up.
       ``Hello. You have reached the United States of America, the 
     land of opportunity, freedom, individual rights and 
     expression * * * I'm sorry but we can't answer the phone 
     right now, because no one here knows how to answer America's 
     call.''
       I couldn't believe it!! Here I was in a foreign country, 
     trying to get through to my home, and it wasn't possible! 
     Why? Because a bunch of USA operators didn't know what it was 
     to answer America's call. Hey!! That's easy! No Problem! Even 
     I could do that! Couldn't I?
       Maybe I could see America differently now because I was 
     away from it. Maybe the people who are in America are taking 
     it for

[[Page E708]]

     granted. Standing here in a third world country, I could see 
     the difference that being an American had made in my life. I 
     did not have to live in a shack made of tin or corn stalks. I 
     had shoes and many changes of clothing. I had the right to 
     speak out against anything. I had a family. I had an 
     education. I had rights guaranteed to me by my country's 
     government. And I had a say in that government.
       Maybe the problem is that people in America are focusing on 
     what's wrong. They're looking so hard at what is wrong in our 
     country that they can't see what is right.
       We blame different groups for our problems, saying ``These 
     people are like this, or these people do this.'' We focus 
     only on the negative. That perspective is not totally true. 
     What about the good these people do, or the good that they 
     could do? What about the people who aren't in that group, but 
     also helped cause the problem? Can't we change our focus?
       It's time that we remember that Americans are individuals. 
     Americans are each entitled to their own opinion. Their 
     opinions shouldn't be taken away from them, or ridiculed.
       It's time to look at the last four letters in American, ``I 
     can.'' The phrase ``I can'' means that you have faith in 
     yourself and in your abilities, that you can take 
     responsibility for your own life. It is knowing that: I can 
     achieve my dream.
       Now is the time for us to answer America's call. It's time 
     to stand up and say ``What good have we done? What good can 
     we do?''
       The answer to America's call is to be as proud, as 
     respectful, as positive, as caring, as grateful, as 
     understanding, and as loving, as we can be * * * to 
     ourselves, our families, our country, and our fellow man.
       We need to stand up and say I can help myself. I can make a 
     difference. It is time for all of us, as Americans, to stand 
     up and say I can answer America's call.
       How? Instead of complaining or blaming others for our 
     problems, we need to look at ourselves. No matter how 
     different we are as individual Americans, we all have one 
     thing in common. We are all free. We need to encourage 
     everyone to use their freedoms. We must answer America's call 
     by being true to ourselves. We need to answer it in our own 
     way and let others answer it in their own way.
       If I could figure out America's call so easily, I knew at 
     least one of my fellow Americans must have figured it out 
     too. I ran to the phone again, this time hoping I would get 
     through and that someone, in America, would answer the call. 
     The phone rang and rang. Finally, the operator picked up.
       ``I'm sorry,'' he said. ``All our lines are busy right now. 
     Could you please hold?'' ``Sure,'' I answered. Then I 
     thought, ``That was a good sign. At least I wasn't getting 
     another machine.''
       America the Beautiful played softly in my ear. I listened 
     closely to the words. The song made me feel homesick and 
     proud at the same time. Before the song was over, the 
     operator returned: ``Hello, This is the United States of 
     America, the country where people say ``I can.'' What can I 
     do to help you?

                          ____________________