[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 64 (Tuesday, May 19, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E900]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  CONGRATULATIONS TO MINDY BACCUS, VFW VOICE OF DEMOCRACY SCHOLARSHIP 
                                 WINNER

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY MORAN

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 19, 1998

  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Ms. 
Mindy Baccus from Ada, Kansas on being named a National winner in the 
1998 Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition sponsored by the 
Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies Auxiliary.
  Ms. Baccus is a senior at Minneapolis High School and hopes to pursue 
a career in communications or Law. She has been honored for her 
scholastic and extracurricular activities and exhibits outstanding 
leadership qualities. She has again distinguished herself by writing 
and orating the best patriotic script in Kansas entitled ``My Voice in 
Our Democracy'' for this nationwide competition. Her insight into the 
importance of each individual's role in our democracy and the eloquence 
with which she states her ideas, exemplifies the principles this 
country was founded upon. I am proud to announce that as a result of 
her hard work, Ms. Baccus has been awarded $3,500.
  The men and women of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and its Ladies 
Auxiliary deserve recognition for their generous sponsorship of this 
scholarship program. I especially commend VFW Post 3201 and its Ladies 
Auxiliary in Minneapolis, Kansas for their local sponsorship. This year 
fifty-six young leaders from across the nation received scholarships 
totaling $128,500.
  I am proud that the VFW have honored Ms. Mindy Baccus with this 
year's award. I wish Ms. Baccus all the best in her chosen career path 
and in her studies at William Jewell College.

                     ``My Voice in Our Democracy''

       Ballots! Ballots! Get'em while they're hot! Here sir, have 
     a ballot! What!? You don't want one! You're a US citizen 18 
     or over, aren't you? Well, then take a ballot. Oh, you think 
     one person can't make a difference? What about you ma'am. You 
     want one, right? After all, women fought for the right to 
     vote for over a century. You'll take advantage of that 
     privilege, won't you? What, you think your opinion doesn't 
     matter. Well, you're wrong. You need to sit down and let me 
     tell you about my voice in our democracy. In fact, all of you 
     need to listen because anyone can have a voice in our 
     democracy as long as they remember what voice truly stands 
     for. My voice is vibrant, overcoming, insightful, confident, 
     and educated.
       Never half-hearted, my voice is pulsing with life, energy, 
     and vigor. No one can resist being drawn to my enthusiasm. 
     Whether writing letters to public officials, discussing 
     policy decisions with those around me, or encouraging my 
     peers to become more active in government; I always convey my 
     beliefs with energy and vitality. By doing so, I set an 
     example that others are compelled to follow because everyone 
     can see that I truly believe in what I'm saying. However, 
     regardless of how vibrant my voice is, someone is usually 
     waiting to stifle it.
       For that reason, my voice must be overcoming. I know that I 
     must never let others make me compromise what I truly 
     believe. Because so many policies in our society today are 
     controversial, viewpoints often encounter strong opposition, 
     but in order to be as close to a democracy as possible, many 
     diverse opinions must be heard. Obviously, without a voice 
     that's overcoming, having any voice in our democracy would be 
     extremely difficult. Often, fully understanding a situation 
     will help me overcome obstacles.
       As a result, I must be insightful. By looking deeply into a 
     situation, I can find details which support my opinion and by 
     pointing out aspects of an argument that others may have 
     missed, I can gain more support for my view. Additionally, 
     thoroughly exploring a policy helps me to make the right 
     decision from the beginning. Soon, others will recognize me 
     as a strong analyst and will gain more respect for my views, 
     even if they don't agree with them. Although my peers may not 
     agree with me, I will never stop believing in myself.
       That's why my voice must be confident. If I don't believe 
     in myself, no one else will believe in me either. Regardless 
     of the opposition I face or whether I feel like I'm alone in 
     my views, I can never let myself feel defeated. As long as I 
     know I am right and tenaciously defend my opinions, I will 
     never be conquered. Even if I have to write a letter daily 
     for years, make thousands of signs, or vote year after year 
     for the same proposal, I will eventually make a difference as 
     long as I believe in myself. Still, it's hard to be confident 
     if I don't know about the issue.
       In order to have a strong voice in our democracy, I must be 
     educated. First, without being informed, I cannot know enough 
     about issues to find the position I want to fight for, and 
     without fully understanding my views, I cannot adequately 
     defend them. Finally, since affairs in a democracy are 
     constantly changing, education can never stop; it must be 
     ongoing. Overall, knowledge is power especially when it comes 
     to democracy.
       Vibrant, overcoming, insightful, confident, and educated. 
     Although the use of the acronym V.O.I.C.E. is clever, this 
     actually is what voice truly stands for. I know my voice in 
     our democracy embodies all of these traits and will as I 
     continue to enter adulthood. Everyone has a voice in our 
     democracy; they must simply learn to use it. One person can 
     truly make a difference, and that one person could be me * * 
     * or you. Ballots! Ballots! Get'em while they're hot. Here, 
     would you like a ballot? Of course you would.

     

                          ____________________