[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 142 (Saturday, October 10, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H10509-H10511]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           NOT ABOUT POLITICS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 7, 1997, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Bob Schaffer) is 
recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, as Congress approaches the 
conclusion of what history will surely judge among the most solemn week 
in the history of Congress, I rise to address my colleagues tonight in 
this special order and in this great Chamber. For it was on this very 
floor that we all swore allegiance by the same oath, to the same 
Constitution, to one mighty Nation before the one true God.

[[Page H10510]]

  In the hallways and passages beyond, this Congress has found itself 
consumed by the events leading up to a regrettable decision. 
Speculation of impending elections, national budgets, the economy, and 
the fate of legislation have all been proffered and examined through 
the prism of the President's uncertain fate.
  Today, my remarks are not about politics. They concern things having 
nothing to do with party, power, or influence. Today I would like to 
send a strong message to my daughters, Jennifer, Emily, and Sara. They 
do not care about politics, they do not care about it any way. And at 
their young ages, they should not have to.
  In fact, I am troubled as a father that they are now asking as many 
questions as they do about our President, broaching subjects that young 
girls should not have to consider, and about which no father in America 
should ever have to endure. But I want them to care very much about 
what I am about to say.
  Tonight, I speak as much as I can, no matter whether I am in 
Washington or in Colorado, no matter if I am too busy or not, no matter 
how many fund-raising calls I have to return, I try to teach them 
everything I know about what is important in life; and I try to show 
them by words and by my actions what I believe to be from the bottom of 
my heart what I am telling them. It is a huge responsibility, bigger 
than I ever imagined, because I know that they look up to me.
  Jennifer and Emily and Sara, I would never want to let you down. I 
think about that a lot. And whenever I think about the difficulties of 
setting a good example, I wonder if I am up to the challenge, but then 
I think about the example of my own father and the one he set for me. I 
feel guilty for even thinking about taking the easy way out.
  I am so proud of my father, and I want you to be proud of me. 
Although I talk to you often, I know that words rarely have the same 
impact that actions have, but today, all I have are words.
  I have always taught my children that America is a great country; in 
fact, the greatest country in the world. I know that they understand 
that, because they know that what their mother and I feel about the 
American flag and what we think about the Star Spangled Banner, the 
Pledge of Allegiance and what the word patriotism means are of 
paramount importance.
  I think they also know that I love America not because I happen to be 
born in America and because I am an American, but because America 
stands for certain things. To be proud to be an American also means to 
be proud of what America stands for, and I want them to be proud as 
Americans. I want them to stand for what America stands for.
  For the last several months, they have been becoming more and more 
aware of various controversies concerning the President, questions 
about the truth and words that they have never heard before, like 
impeachment.
  My daughters, this controversy matters. It matters a lot. And it 
affects you and it will affect everyone in America.
  America faces a moral crisis today, and as of this very moment, no 
one knows what the outcome will be. Americans are confused and divided 
about moral issues as they have rarely been before, and our moral 
confusion affects almost every aspect of our life, even if one does not 
care about politics. Even the word ``moral'' is confusing to people, 
and ``values'' is a word used endlessly by politicians, its meaning 
lost among the other slogans and buzzwords of the day.
  ``Moral'' means it is about right and wrong. ``Moral'' means it is 
about good and bad. I try to teach my children about right and wrong 
every day, and their mother does too. It is the most important thing we 
teach. I want them to grow up with a clear sense of right and wrong. I 
do not want them to suffer from the same confusion that many others are 
suffering right at this moment.
  Many people say that I have no right to tell anyone what is right and 
what is wrong, even though I am a father. Given the many times I have 
tried to teach my children right from wrong, they might find that to be 
pretty strange. But many people do not even believe that there is right 
and wrong anymore.
  Jenny, Emily and Sara, in time, you will come to your own conclusions 
about all this, but in the meantime you will hear us talk about right 
and wrong more than you would like. Again, because it is the most 
important thing we can give you, and because it is a sign that we care 
about what kind of people you grow up to be. It is a sign that we love 
you very, very much.
  One thing we teach you is that it is wrong to lie. When we ask you a 
question, we expect you to tell the truth, no matter how much it hurts. 
Even if it means that you might get in big trouble, we know that 
telling the truth is habit forming.
  People who get in the habit of lying just seem to have a hard time 
telling the truth about anything. Some people are such habitual liars 
that they never break out of the habit, and when you do not tell the 
truth, people no longer believe you. They will not trust you, and 
people you respect will not want to have anything to do with you.
  My wife and I try to teach our children many other things, in 
addition to telling the truth, that are very important. Kindness to 
those who are suffering, or who are in need is another thing that we 
want our children to learn.

                              {time}  1830

  Taking advantage of a person who is weaker than you is wrong. Failing 
to extend kindness to a person in need is in the same category. Loyalty 
to your family and friends is right. Betrayal of those you love is 
wrong.
  Loyalty is important because it is about trust. Your friends, your 
family know you and come to trust you. When you break that trust, you 
hurt the people you have been counting on and who have been counting on 
your loyalty and your trust.
  Many of these simple things are not more than common decency. The 
kinds of qualities you find in people whom you admire because they are 
honest, good-hearted souls that make life a truly special gift.
  It is true that life is not always so simple and there are times when 
anyone will find themselves torn between two terrible choices. But the 
basics of right and wrong should never be in doubt. And one's 
integrity, one's worth as an honorable person is always something that 
everyone should care a lot about. It is also something that no one can 
ever take away. Only you can abandon it. You can lose your house, your 
job, your loved ones, but only you decide whether or not you will be 
able to keep your integrity.
  Mr. Speaker, if my daughters were here in front of me today, I would 
tell them that only you can decide whether or not you will be able to 
keep your integrity. To my daughters I would say my message to you 
today concerns not only you, but the people you will meet in life, the 
people in our neighborhood, the families you will marry into, the State 
in which you live and the country that we all love.
  I want you to care about the honesty and integrity of our country. I 
want you to care about other people in your lives, and I want those 
people to care about you too. I want you to cherish other people who 
care about honesty and integrity. I want you to avoid those who do not. 
That means you must judge. You must be able to say with firm conviction 
what is right and what is wrong. You must not be afraid to ever do so, 
no matter what anyone else says.
  I do not want to live in a country where people are afraid to make 
judgments or who could not even make them if they wanted to. I do not 
want to live in a country where people are indifferent to the truth, 
where lies are told and accepted as easily as the truth is. I do not 
want to live in a country where people are so morally confused that 
they have to ask why it all matters. I do not want to live in a country 
where wrongdoing, lies, deceit and betrayal are dismissed with the 
comment that ``everyone else does it.''
  My daughters, I want you to know that, by God, everyone else does not 
do it. Everyone else does not do it. I do not care what the polls say. 
I do not care what sophisticated people living in New York or 
Washington, D.C. think. I do not care if the people who belong to 
exclusive clubs have something to say about it.
  To each of my daughters, I do not care if you are the last person on 
this

[[Page H10511]]

planet. I want you to be a person of honesty and integrity who knows 
right from wrong and who is not afraid to say so. I want you to think 
that honoring the promises you make to other people are promises that 
must not be broken. I want you to think that the promises you make to 
God are promises that matter even more.
  Most of all, I want you to know that these are the things that matter 
most. And that is my message today from your father who loves you very, 
very much.

                          ____________________