[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 138 (Wednesday, October 13, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S12562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           SET A GOOD EXAMPLE

 Mr. CLELAND. Mr. President, these are difficult times for our 
nation's children as they watch their peers turn to violence, drugs, 
truancy and gang membership. If one were to believe the evening news, 
there appears to be little good news coming from our schools. But I 
rise before my colleagues today to share with them some good news. 
Thunderbolt Elementary School in Savannah, Georgia, has been recognized 
by the Concerned Businessmen's Association of America as violence-free 
and the ``Best Example in America'' of what a safe and drug-free school 
should be.
  Thunderbolt Elementary is the only school out of the 10,600 which 
enrolled in the national ``Children's Set a Good Example'' Competition 
during the past 12 years to win the national award three times in a 
row. Additionally, Thunderbolt has also been chosen this year by the 
judges of the first ``Best of the Best'' competition, which will be 
held just once every ten years, as the best of the best elementary 
schools in America.
  The war against drug abuse, violent crime, illiteracy and intolerance 
is a multifaceted battle being fought in every sector of our community. 
It is a war that ravages our streets and has kids killing other kids. 
Too many of our children have become casualties of this epidemic. We as 
a society must apply proven, workable methods if we are to salvage our 
youth and rid our cities of those social ills. Positive counter peer 
pressure could be more effective than authoritarian efforts when it 
comes to influencing youth away from drug abuse and gang involvement 
and I am so proud of Thunderbolt Elementary for showing this to be 
true.
  The work that the students at Thunderbolt have done is inspiring and 
I hope that they will be an example to other students around the 
country.

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