[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 5 (Tuesday, January 29, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E42-E43]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            KAHLI RIES: A YOUNG PATRIOT FOR A BETTER FUTURE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JAMES A. BARCIA

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 29, 2002

  Mr. BARCIA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Kahli Ries of 
Mayville, Michigan, upon the occasion of her winning the 2001-02 
statewide Voice of Democracy Program speech-writing contest sponsored 
by the Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United 
States and its Ladies Auxiliary.
  At a time when our country is engaged in a war against terrorists who 
threaten our American way of life, it is especially gratifying to honor 
Kahlia for displaying in the words she has written a brand of 
patriotism to which all citizens should aspire. In her award-winning 
essay, Kahli expresses the hopes and dreams of our nation's younger 
generation and she calls on her peers to take the responsibility to 
shape a better future. Her simple yet powerful words are reassuring to 
those of us in older generations that the future is in good hands.
  Kahli, a ninth-grade student at Mayville High School, stands as a 
shining example of why America has time and again come together in 
times of crisis and risen to even the most difficult challenges. In her 
speech, Kahli has reached back in our history to capture the same sense 
of freedom and responsibility that our forefathers and many patriots 
since our founding have relied upon to build a better future for their 
descendants and others who followed.
  Let me share an excerpt of her assay: ``I hope America will be a 
place where not only we will be physically safe and morally safe, but 
our freedoms will be preserved as well. I see a place where people 
won't be afraid to walk down the streets or open their mail. I believe 
in our country and our dedication to our

[[Page E43]]

rights and values. And I believe that we, as a people, will never give 
those up.''
  Kahli's parents, Dave and Tammy, must swell with pride to have such a 
talented daughter exhibit her deep and sincere love of her country in a 
public forum. While it is certainly heartwarming to see that displays 
of patriotism have become more common since September 11, we should all 
join Kahli in hoping that ``this feeling of patriotism that has been 
reborn in this country will last and stay in our hearts forever.''
  Finally, Mr. Speaker, I am proud that young people such as Kahli Ries 
and her family reside in the Fifth Congressional District of Michigan. 
The recognition that Kahli has received from the Veterans of Foreign 
Wars Post 10884 and its Ladies Auxiliary of Mayville and from the 
Department of Michigan Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is 
indeed a fine honor for this outstanding young woman. I ask my 
colleagues to join me in congratulating Kahli Ries and in wishing her 
continued success in spreading her patriotic message to our fellow 
citizens.

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