[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 120 (Friday, September 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H5636-H5637]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WHAT WE CAN DO AS AMERICANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Ohio (Ms. Kaptur) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, every time that I have the privilege of 
addressing this House, I am reminded of indeed what a privilege it is 
to represent constituents from my own State of Ohio and to vote on laws 
affecting our Nation and the world.
  This week in particular the magnitude of this privilege has come home 
to me again. I rise as a free citizen in the freest Nation on Earth, 
given the opportunity under our freedom of speech to speak my peace, 
but in a representative government.
  As I think about what happened to America this week, I think about 
the forces of the world that are outside of governments and have no 
representative decision-making in the way that the civilized world 
understands. I am reminded of what happens to the world when that kind 
of force is allowed to work its evil in our country and other places.
  As Members of Congress, we are given the privilege of traveling to 
many places. A few years ago, I remember going to one of the newly 
emerging nations of the world. During a session with the citizenry, I 
was asked, ``Congresswoman Kaptur, what makes you feel like a nation?'' 
And I remember stepping back from the microphone for a moment and 
pondering that, and trying to answer the question that I was asked, why 
do your people feel like a nation?
  This week, we have had many indicators of how deep our nationhood 
runs: the enormity of the valor that we have seen coast-to-coast, the 
thousands of acts of kindness and of decency that have accompanied this 
great tragedy that our entire Nation has suffered, and so many families 
have suffered so personally.
  This morning as we sat at the prayer service and then stood for the 
posting of our colors, and I looked at all the battle-flag ribbons that 
walked into the church, and I thought about all the blood that had been 
shed, all the families, including ours, that had been affected by prior 
wars and prior engagements, I thought about the red in our flag, and I 
thought about the enormity of sacrifice that has maintained this 
Republic over our existence.
  So many Americans have been writing me, my own constituents and 
others. We have been receiving letters from all over the world 
yesterday. I wish to enter into the record a letter of condolence and 
support from the Nation of Ukraine through the Ambassador from Ukraine.
  I hope the American people, through us, can understand the weight of 
public opinion and the weight of support that is on the side of justice 
as we move forward and try to eliminate and bring to justice those who 
would have caused such horror on our shores.
  I had one senior citizen who wrote me: ``Congresswoman Kaptur, I am 
elderly, I am disabled. I am too weak, I cannot give blood. What can I 
do?'' I wrote her back, ``You certainly can put a little flag in your 
front window.'' I am sure she does not have much money, but I suggested 
she might make a small donation to the scholarship fund that the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer) and the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Weldon) have put in the form of a bill for all the families in New 
York and Pennsylvania, other places in our country, and Virginia, that 
have been affected, for their children.
  I was thinking, during World War II, we had a massive savings bond 
campaign. I think every American can buy a savings bond. Every American 
can strengthen our country even more in meeting what lies ahead. So I 
would urge the President, in the additional funds the Congress has 
appropriated, to consider expanding some of the savings bond operations 
across this country; to work with our banks, our private institutions, 
the Internet, and allow the American people, at whatever level of 
support they might be able to give, to strengthen our Nation as we seek 
to meet the enemy.
  Let me also say that I would encourage many of our young people as 
they are considering their futures to think about enlistment in our 
Armed Forces, in our Reserves, in our guard forces across this country. 
Each of us in our own hearts, I know the Members of Congress, we know 
we are soldiers of freedom, too. We ask the American people to lend the 
kind of support that we will need to carry out the activities of a free 
people under a representative government.

                              {time}  1500

  I ask people to consider joining our intelligence services.
  And, finally, let me say to the American people and to our youth in 
particular, study in your classes the roots of rage and the roots of 
those who would seek to harm the harbingers of

[[Page H5637]]

freedom not just here at home but abroad. Take the time to learn 
America, indeed, will surmount this latest crisis.

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