[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 76 (Thursday, June 5, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1124-E1125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                     CONGRATULATIONS TO ADAM JAMES

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                        HON. PETER J. VISCLOSKY

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, June 5, 1997

  Mr. VISCLOSKY. Mr. Speaker, it is truly my pleasure to rise today to 
congratulate Mr. Adam James on winning the 1997 Veterans of Foreign 
Wars of the United States and its Ladies Auxiliary Voice of Democracy 
broadcast script writing contest for Indiana. A resident of Hobart, IN, 
Adam is one of 54 high school students Nation wide to win a college 
scholarship for his script on the topic, ``Democracy--Above and 
Beyond.''
  The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its Ladies 
Auxiliary is now in its 50th year of sponsorship for the Voice of 
Democracy audio-essay scholarship competition. The program requires 
high school student entrants to write and record a 3- to 5-minute essay 
on an announced patriotic theme. Adam James was sponsored by VFW Post 
5365 and its Ladies Auxiliary in Hobart, IN. He was named the recipient 
of the $1,000 Department of Arizona and Auxiliary Harry A. Kosht 
Memorial Scholarship Award earlier this year. A junior at Hobart High 
School, Adam aspires to pursue a career in law.
  Adam's winning broadcast script reads as follows:

       Living in the United States, the one thing that I cherish 
     is democracy. Waking every morning and not donning this cloak 
     of freedom is a notion I cannot fathom. Many Americans, 
     myself included, often take our freedom for granted. We treat 
     it as a right instead of the privilege that it is. 
     Fortunately for us, in our democratic society, freedom is a 
     right.
       I wish that I could praise my ancestors for providing me 
     with freedom, but I cannot. I am not related to any of the 
     soldiers who fought or played a part in the American 
     Revolution. My father's family were immigrants who came here 
     in the 1800s. My mother's side of the family came to the 
     states after World War II.
       Although they did not fight for America's freedom, my 
     grandparents on my mother's side are subjects of a story that 
     truly demonstrates what democracy is. My grandfather Nikola 
     was a leader of a European underground movement against the 
     Communist government. He used to tell stories about having to 
     carry a semi-automatic pistol with his whenever he took my 
     grandmother on a date. In fact, on the day he died, three 
     years ago, he was still wanted dead or alive in the former 
     Yugoslavia. In the 1940s, my grandfather was fighting against 
     his government when Adolf Hitler invaded Eastern Europe. 
     Being a high-ranking soldier, my grandfather knew that Hitler 
     would imprison him, so he and my grandmother packed up their 
     few possessions and escaped. They made it back on foot to 
     middle Italy, where they were captured by German soldiers and 
     placed in a work camp. Held as prisoners there, they slaved 
     until the United Nations freed Europe from the grasp of the 
     demoniacal Hitler. After the war, my grandparents were put in 
     a detention camp, where my mother was born. Later, they moved 
     to America, settled in the Midwest, and my grandfather became 
     a steelworker. Here they bought a home and raised five 
     children.
       This is what makes democracy what it is. In their former 
     country, my grandparents had to hide to prevent being killed 
     and would

[[Page E1125]]

     have been lucky to live to the age of thirty. In America, 
     they had a choice of how they wanted to live their life, and 
     how they wished to raise a family. Few countries of this 
     world would allow this to happen. Many countries claim to be 
     democratic but impose laws similar to those of a third world 
     dictatorship. If these and all other countries had a 
     government like the one in the United States, the world would 
     not carry the burden of wars, both civil and global. These 
     disputes claim thousands of lives and ruin the families of 
     those who die. Besides wars, millions of people die each year 
     from starvation because of dictators withholding food from 
     the poor citizens. If these people lived in the United 
     States, they would still be alive today.
       A democracy has many benefits for its citizens. Those who 
     live in a democratic system are allowed to make choices that 
     those in a communist or socialist society are not allowed to 
     make. We are allowed to choose what career to pursue, and the 
     amount of education we need in order to train for this 
     career. Communist societies choose careers for their people 
     at an early age and force them to endure the government's 
     choice. Even if the people are successful with this venture, 
     they cannot keep all profits made. These governments take all 
     money earned by their subjects, then dole out an equal amount 
     to each of them.
       Although this provides a proverbial safety net for people, 
     this monotonous equality cannot make for an enjoyable life. 
     Under the quilt of democracy, people are allowed to choose 
     their livelihood. People are allowed to strive to be better 
     and not worry about giving extra earnings to the government. 
     Democratic societies are fertile fields of hopes and 
     aspirations.
       Democracy is a way of life that all people should respect, 
     although some people do not. I often become angry when I see 
     images of people burning American flags or building militias 
     against our government. I cannot comprehend how anyone could 
     disagree with the concept of democracy. Then I have to stop 
     and think of why this angers me. These people are just 
     expressing themselves as our democracy allows them to do. 
     This ability to express ourselves freely is what makes 
     democracy so great. Burning the symbol of freedom that 
     thousands of men have given their lives for is ignorant and 
     wholly disrespectful, but these people are entitled to their 
     opinion in a country such as America. The human mind has no 
     boundaries in democracy. People can choose to do what they 
     please, even if it is disrespecting the very idea that allows 
     them to be free. This is what first attracted my grandfather 
     to this great country. I am proud to live in a country where 
     democracy is the type of government practiced.
       Mr. Speaker, I would like to once again extend my most 
     heartfelt congratulations to Mr. Adam James on his receipt of 
     the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary ``Voice 
     of Democracy'' national scholarship. His parents, Doug and 
     Zagorka James, can be proud of their son for the tenacity he 
     has displayed in achieving this most noteworthy 
     accomplishment. This young man has a promising future ahead 
     of him, which will undoubtedly include improving the quality 
     of life in Indiana's First Congressional District.

     

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