[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E379-E380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       TRIBUTE TO LINDSEY NICHOLS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JOHN SHIMKUS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 10, 1999

  Mr. SHIMKUS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my constituent, 
Lindsey Nichols for placing third in the 1999 Voice of Democracy 
contest. Lindsey is a junior at Collinsville High School in 
Collinsville, IL. This statewide contest was sponsored by the Veterans 
of Foreign Wars and Kahokian Memorial Post 5691 and held in 
Springfield, IL. I insert her entry for the Record:

       I sat patiently while Dad attempted to reason with the 
     sales manager over a recently purchased, yet non-functioning, 
     vacuum cleaner. Thirty minutes later I watched as he walked 
     away from the counter, shaking his head in dismay and 
     muttering, ``No one believes in service anymore!''
       Unfortunately, I'd heard him speak these words on other 
     occasions--while pulling away from fast food drive-ups, 
     standing in a long line at a single open check-out lane or 
     listening to automated voice instructions on the phone.
       So I asked, ``Dad, what do you expect that you aren't 
     getting . . . what exactly is good service?'' He was ready 
     with an answer; for he'd obviously been giving thought to 
     this all his years as a consumer. He replied, ``Excellent 
     service is when pride is priority and there is a willingness 
     to go beyond what is necessary, to seek no excuses and to 
     accept responsibility for the outcome.''
       Wow! That was a lot to think about. For the next couple of 
     days that's exactly what I did. I let those words roll around 
     my head, sort of free-floating, and a funny thing happened. 
     They triggered a memory of the voice of President John F. 
     Kennedy saying, ``Ask not what your country can do for you, 
     ask what you can do for your country.'' Then, another memory, 
     the voice of President George Bush calling for service in the 
     form of ``a thousand points of light.''
       Wait a minute--what was happening here? Well, my brain was 
     telling me that what my Dad had said was tied to a bigger 
     picture. Service to customers was merely a model for a much 
     more important concept that we all need to act on, service to 
     country.
       However, excuses seem to get in the way of service and 
     there are as many of them as there are people in the world. 
     We sometimes want to do what's easy, to look for a back door, 
     a reason not to ``go the extra mile.''
       During W.W. II the female pilots who flew supply planes 
     never said, ``What can I do? I'm just a woman.'' Nor did the 
     countless women who kept the factories producing for the war 
     effort or the six nurses who won medals of valor for their 
     actions in the Corregidor.
       The Native American servicemen, known as the Navajo Code 
     Talkers never said, ``Why should I help? I don't owe them a 
     thing.'' They didn't let racial issues get in the way when 
     their country needed their unique abilities. The Japanese-
     American soldiers of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team didn't 
     either when they fought for their country even though their 
     families were being held in internment camps.
       Nine-year old Melissa Poe never said, ``They can't expect 
     anything from me, I'm just a kid.'' Instead she founded Kid's 
     FACE in 1989, a national organization of youth united for a 
     clean environment.
       Instead of excuses all these people said, ``I'm an 
     American! I believe in the value of my service and in my 
     ability to make a difference.'' So you see, everyone can 
     support their country through service--regardless of race, 
     gender, or age.
       How can I let my point of light shine? School and community 
     programs offer me opportunities for service through 
     volunteerism. I can take part in community clean-up days, 
     recycling efforts, holiday projects for the underprivileged, 
     and the list goes on. I do realize, however, that as I grow 
     what is expected of me will also grow proportionately. Will I 
     show initiative, help my community, and be a positive example 
     to others?
       I think of the word ``service'' as an acronym, each of the 
     letters representing a philosophy to guide me. ``S'' is for 
     selflessness; ``E'' is for effort; ``R'' is for 
     responsibility; ``V'' is for volunteerism; ``I'' is for 
     initiative; ``C'' is for community; and ``E'' is for example.
       So I've come to modify my dad's definition of service and I 
     hope each day to let this

[[Page E380]]

     motto remind me of my duty--``Proud service to my country is 
     a priority and I will go beyond what is necessary. I will 
     seek no excuses and will accept responsibilities.''

     

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