[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 144 (Thursday, October 23, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H9043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     NATIONAL SAVE OUR CHILDREN DAY

  (Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Ms. CHRISTIAN-GREEN. Madam Speaker, not just October 27, but every 
day should be National Save Our Schools Day. As I see it, October 27 
and every day should be National Save Our Children Day. This is the 
test by which our generation will be judged. The degree to which our 
Nation prospers in the 21st century and beyond will depend on our 
success as leaders in developing safe, well-equipped and well-managed 
public educational institutions which will promote and nurture the 
academic, social, and emotional development of our children from the 
very beginning of their lives.
  Today, much of the greatness that this country could realize is being 
lost in the broken down hallways and ill-equipped classrooms of the 
public school system which we have created through our neglect.
  No one would disagree that the system as a whole is dysfunctional, 
but would not this Congress be also dysfunctional if conditions were in 
the same despicable state in which too many of our children spend most 
of their young impressionable lives? Every day that this nation's 
children enter most of our public schools, the message that they get is 
that we, their leaders, do not care and they naturally respond in kind. 
So, Madam Speaker, not just on Monday, but every day we should make 
saving our children from despair and neglect our highest priority.

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