[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 33 (Friday, March 14, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2333-S2334]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK

 Mr. DORGAN. Mr. President, I am pleased to support the 
National Character Counts Week resolution. Senator Domenici has 
introduced this resolution, which declares October 19 through 25, 1997, 
as National Character Counts Week, on behalf of myself and the 
bipartisan membership of the Senate Character Counts Group. I 
especially want to thank Senator Domenici for his continuing good 
leadership on Character Counts.
  The national Character Counts Coalition, an alliance of hundreds of 
groups, communities, and individuals, was born out of a meeting of some 
of our country's best thinkers and doers in Colorado less than 5 years 
ago. These folks had many of the concerns that I know a lot of us here 
in the Senate share about the wrong direction that many of our young 
people seem to be headed.
  Character Counts calls on all of us, educators, church and youth 
leaders, community and business leaders, and most importantly parents, 
to reinforce six basic values, or pillars of character. These values 
are so important and basic that I do not think anyone could question 
them. They are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, 
caring, and citizenship.
  I have two young children, so I know firsthand how difficult it is 
for kids to make the right choices when they are constantly being 
bombarded by messages from our popular culture that it is cool to drink 
alcohol or smoke or use vulgar language. To counteract these messages, 
it is more important than ever that we instill in our young people the 
integrity and good character to stand up for what is right. Children 
are not born with good character. They learn by example, and if they 
have good role models all around them, I am confident they will make 
correct choices for themselves.
  As evidence that children are eager, even hungry, to do the right 
thing if given the proper reinforcement, I want to hold up the story of 
11-year-old Herbert Tarvin. Many of you may remember hearing on the 
news about the Brinks armored car that crashed in January of this year 
in one of Miami, Florida's poorest neighborhoods. Herbert was walking 
to school that day when he passed the wrecked truck, and like many of 
the adults all around him, he gave into the temptation to grab some of 
the money from the truck. Herbert's newfound riches totaled 85 cents. 
In all, some $300,000 in cash and coins was stolen from the truck.
  Fortunately, when Herbert got to school, he had a teacher who cared 
enough to urge her students to turn over any money they had taken. 
Herbert's conscience prompted him to turn his 85-cent windfall over to 
his teacher, who returned it to the Brinks Co. Herbert says he knows he 
should not have taken the money to begin with because his mom and 
teacher have taught him better than that, but I am proud of him for 
ultimately returning the money.
  Many of the adults around Herbert did not act so honorably. After 
weeks of public pleas and investigations, only about $300 of the 
$300,000 taken from the truck has been returned. Even so, this story is 
heartening to me because I think it shows that children want to do the 
right thing when faced with difficult situations. As Herbert's mom and 
teacher have done, we all have a role in ensuring that all children are 
given the ethical tools they need to make difficult choices in today's 
world. Quite simply, that is what the Character Counts Program is all 
about.

[[Page S2334]]

  I have found that young people in North Dakota are excited about 
Character Counts. Nearly a year ago, I brought together a group of 
about three dozen North Dakotans, including several young people, to 
introduce them to the Character Counts Program. Out of that meeting was 
born a Character Counts initiative in North Dakota, under the 
leadership of 4-H youth specialist Geri Bosch.
  In the year since then, Geri and her army of college- and high 
school-aged 4-H youth ambassadors have been traveling throughout North 
Dakota to share the Character Counts concept with children, youth, and 
adults alike, and Character Counts is spreading like wildfire in my 
State. In December alone, nearly 200 concerned adults participated in 
Character Counts training so that they could take Character Counts back 
to their communities. Even more exciting, more than 1,000 young people 
in North Dakota have participated in the Character Counts Program 
directly in some way throughout the last year, and countless other kids 
have been indirectly influenced for the better through the teachers, 
youth leaders, clergy members, and other concerned citizens who touch 
their lives daily.
  I have been proud to play some small role in supporting Character 
Counts in North Dakota and our country. Through these kinds of efforts, 
we can build a better future for our kids, and I want to again pledge 
my continued help and support for teaching the pillars of good 
character.

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