[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 106 (Friday, July 31, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                               IN TRIBUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 28, 1998

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the people of the 
37th Congressional District of California, my family, my staff and the 
American people, I wish to express our most heartfelt condolences and 
sympathy to the wives, children and extended families of United States 
Capitol Police Detective John Gibson and Officer Jacob ``J.J.'' 
Chestnut as we pay homage to the nobility of service they rendered and 
their ultimate sacrifice: their lives. I was deeply saddened to learn 
of the turn of events that led to this tragedy. Their sacrifice is a 
terrible reminder of the risk the men and women of the United States 
Capitol Police and all law enforcement personnel face on a daily basis 
in order to protect us and our ability to serve the American people.
  Words are unable to capture the breadth and depth of the sorrow I and 
the members of my staff feel.
  Yet, Friday's event is a reminder to those of us whose lives are 
consumed in the work of this building that real bonds of friendship, 
camaraderie and a sense of family can and do, indeed, develop. And, as 
in most families, sometimes we take one another for granted. The simple 
pleasantries we extend to one another can become all too routine and 
oftentimes, distracted by the burdens of the work we perform. 
Unfortunately, a tragedy like this one makes us aware of both the 
significance and the fragility of our relationships, our 
responsibilities and our friendships. Let their sacrifice not only 
serve as a reminder of the costs associated with duty, service and 
commitment, but let it also serve as a reminder of our own mortality 
and humanity.
  I hope the circumstances surrounding the events on Friday, July 24, 
1998 will serve as a reflection in our having known these fine 
officers, who were dedicated and committed, and the reality that much 
too often their ultimate form of service could be their lives. Their 
heroism and their duty to the People's House and to all of us is the 
epitome of patriotism. May God grant the families the strength to 
endure!




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