[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 130 (Friday, October 7, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11326-S11328]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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SENATE RESOLUTION 271--DESIGNATING THE WEEK BEGINNING OCTOBER 16, 2005, 
                 AS ``NATIONAL CHARACTER COUNTS WEEK''

  Mr. DOMENICI (for himself, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Stevens, Mr. Akaka, Mr. 
Warner, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. DeWine, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. 
Johnson, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Levin, Mr. Lott, Mr. 
Biden, Mr. Allen, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Ensign, Mr. 
Rockefeller, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Burns, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Alexander, Mr. 
Talent, Mrs. Dole, Mr. Craig, and Mr. Martinez) submitted the following 
resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 271

       Whereas the well-being of the Nation requires that the 
     young people of the United States become an involved, caring 
     citizenry with good character;
       Whereas the character education of children has become more 
     urgent as violence by and against youth increasingly 
     threatens the physical and psychological well-being of the 
     people of the United States;
       Whereas more than ever, children need strong and 
     constructive guidance from their families and their 
     communities, including schools, youth organizations, 
     religious institutions, and civic groups;
       Whereas the character of a nation is only as strong as the 
     character of its individual citizens;
       Whereas the public good is advanced when young people are 
     taught the importance of good character and the positive 
     effects that good character can have in personal 
     relationships, in school, and in the workplace;
       Whereas scholars and educators agree that people do not 
     automatically develop good character and that, therefore, 
     conscientious efforts must be made by institutions and 
     individuals that influence youth, to help young people 
     develop the essential traits and characteristics that 
     comprise good character;
       Whereas, although character development is, first and 
     foremost, an obligation of families, the efforts of faith 
     communities, schools, and youth, civic, and human service 
     organizations also play an important role in fostering and 
     promoting good character;
       Whereas Congress encourages students, teachers, parents, 
     youth, and community leaders to recognize the importance of 
     character education in preparing young people to play a role 
     in determining the future of the Nation;
       Whereas effective character education is based on core 
     ethical values, which form the foundation of democratic 
     society;
       Whereas examples of character are trustworthiness, respect, 
     responsibility, fairness, caring, citizenship, and honesty;
       Whereas elements of character transcend cultural, 
     religious, and socioeconomic differences;
       Whereas the character and conduct of our youth reflect the 
     character and conduct of society, and, therefore, every adult 
     has the responsibility to teach and model ethical values and 
     every social institution has the responsibility to promote 
     the development of good character;
       Whereas Congress encourages individuals and organizations, 
     especially those who have an interest in the education and 
     training of the young people of the United States, to adopt 
     the elements of character as intrinsic to the well-being of 
     individuals, communities, and society;
       Whereas many schools in the United States recognize the 
     need, and have taken steps, to integrate the values of their 
     communities into their teaching activities; and
       Whereas the establishment of National Character Counts 
     Week, during which individuals, families, schools, youth 
     organizations, religious institutions, civic groups, and 
     other organizations would focus on character education, would 
     be of great benefit to the Nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--

[[Page S11327]]

       (1) designates the week beginning October 16, 2005, as 
     ``National Character Counts Week''; and
       (2) calls upon the people of the United States and 
     interested groups to--
       (A) embrace the elements of character identified by local 
     schools and communities, such as trustworthiness, respect, 
     responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship; and
       (B) observe the week with appropriate ceremonies, programs, 
     and activities.

  Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today with my friend Senator Dodd 
to introduce a resolution regarding National Character Counts Week. Our 
resolution says the week of October 16 through 22 of this year will be 
known across the country as National Character Counts Week.
  I have risen many times on this Senate floor to speak about the 
importance of character in our everyday lives. Over this past year, 
there have been many instances when our individual and our country's 
character have been challenged. These situations have compelled us to 
evaluate our core beliefs, our ethics, but most of all our character. I 
ask that everyone take some time during October 16-22 to stop and 
reflect upon their individual core character beliefs.
  The Character Counts program identifies the following values as the 
Six Pillars of Character. They are: trustworthiness, respect, 
responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Character Counts 
includes support from forty States and 500 municipalities, school 
districts, and business groups. But not only is this program promoting 
the six tenants nationwide, it is becoming utilized on an international 
level as well. Last year in 2004, celebrations for Character Counts 
Week included Bangkok, Thailand; Busan, Korea; and Cholutecta, 
Honduras.
  Since my initial involvement with Character Counts in 1993, I have 
always had a specific interest in the programs run in my home State of 
New Mexico, especially how these programs have influenced students. 
From its start in Albuquerque, it has expanded statewide to areas such 
as Grants, Shiprock, Roswell, Laguna, Portales, Farmington, Carlsbad, 
Ramah, and Los Alamos. I am proud to say that many of the staffers in 
my personal office are graduates of the initial chartering program of 
Character Counts New Mexico. It is extremely rewarding to hear how this 
program impacted their lives growing up and I look forward to continual 
development of this program not only in my home State but nationally 
and internationally.
  I believe we can all learn a lot from the Character Counts program. 
While the Character Counts program specifically focuses on youth, I 
would like to share some of the simple lessons that are taught under 
the Six Pillars of Character. These words might be simple but they 
speak with magnitude.
  Trustworthiness: Be honest. Don't deceive, cheat or steal. Be 
reliable--do what you say you'll do. Have the courage to do the right 
thing. Build a good reputation. Be loyal--stand by your family, friends 
and country.
  Respect: Treat others with respect; follow the Golden Rule. Be 
tolerant of differences. Use good manners, not bad language. Be 
considerate of the feelings of others. Don't threaten, hit or hurt 
anyone. Deal peacefully with anger, insults and disagreements.
  Responsibility: Do what you are supposed to do. Persevere: keep on 
trying. Always do your best. Use self-control. Be self-disciplined. 
Think before you act--consider the consequences. Be accountable for 
your choices.
  Fairness: Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open-minded; 
listen to others. Don't take advantage of others. Don't blame others 
carelessly.
  Caring: Be kind. Be compassionate and show you care. Express 
gratitude. Forgive others. Help people in need.
  Citizenship: Do your share to make your school and community better. 
Cooperate. Get involved in community affairs. Stay informed; vote. Be a 
good neighbor. Obey laws and rules. Respect authority. Protect the 
environment.
  The bottom line is that I believe the Character Counts program is 
working in New Mexico and other parts of the country. Today, we salute 
the efforts already underway and encourage even more character 
education across our country.
  So today, Senator Dodd and I are here to introduce a resolution to 
accomplish just that and hopefully our renewed effort will bring 
together even more communities to ensure that character education is a 
part of every child's life.
  I hope that my colleagues will support this effort.
  Mr. DODD. Mr. President, today I join my friend and colleague from 
New Mexico, Senator Domenici, in submitting a resolution declaring the 
week of October 16th ``National Character Counts Week.'' Senator 
Domenici and I have worked together for many years on the issue of 
character education and hope that by designating a special week to this 
cause, students and teachers will come together to participate in 
character building activities in their schools. In 1994, Senator 
Domenici and I established the Partnerships in Character Education 
Pilot Project and have worked regularly since then to commemorate 
National Character Counts Week. I am pleased that we are continuing our 
efforts today to help expand States' and schools' abilities to make 
character education a central part of every child's education.
  Our schools may be built with the bricks of English, math and 
science, but character education certainly is the mortar. Character 
education means teaching students about such qualities as caring, 
citizenship, fairness, respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, and 
other qualities that their community values. It isn't a separate 
subject, but part of a seamless garment of learning providing students 
with a context within which to learn.
  Earlier this week I was in Connecticut attending an event that 
honored the fundamentals of character education, especially those of 
caring, responsibility and citizenship. In response to the devastation 
caused by the tsunami last December, Connecticut schoolchildren across 
the State came together to raise money for tsunami relief. 
Collectively, 350 schools rose over $300,000 in hopes of building a 
school in Sri Lanka. Knowing that it would take approximately a half 
million dollars to rebuild one, the students also worked to find a 
nonprofit willing to match their donation. They did. The Brother's 
Brother Foundation, a nonprofit that seeks to improve international 
health and education, brought the final contribution amount to 
$600,000.
  These collective dollars will be used to build a 1,500-pupil school 
consisting of four buildings, including science and computer labs, in 
Sri Lanka. But that's not all. Dedicated to their cause, these students 
plan to continue to donate money for the next five years to fill the 
Sri Lankan students' library with books and to make sure that they have 
necessary school supplies. Since the initial fundraising effort, these 
same students have begun collecting small change and checks for Katrina 
relief efforts. These efforts, efforts to help students, hundreds and 
some times hundreds of thousands of miles away, demonstrate character 
at its best.
  Schools across the country that have adopted formal character 
education programs report better student performance, fewer discipline 
problems, and increased student involvement within the community. 
Children want direction--they want to be taught right from wrong. The 
American public wants character education in our schools, too. Studies 
show that about 90 percent of Americans support schools teaching 
character education.
  As all education policy should be, character education is bi-
partisan. This year we have 26 cosponsors to our resolution, cosponsors 
on both sides of the aisle. Character education not only cultivates 
minds, it nurtures hearts. While our children may be one-quarter of our 
population, they are 100 percent of our future.
  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of a resolution 
offered by my colleague from New Mexico, Senator Pete Domenici. For 
many years, I have supported his efforts to identify a week in October 
as National Character Counts Week. The important aspect of this 
legislation is its focus on children. Children growing up in these 
times often face much more difficult experiences and must mature more 
quickly than when I was young. One of fastest growing problems in 
Montana is the rate of methamphetamine use and addiction by teens. All 
it takes is one try--teens get hooked trying to recreate that first 
rush. It is vitally important to encourage young people to have 
positive role models in their lives in

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order to develop a strong, positive character to avoid the temptation 
to try meth or engage in other dangerous behaviors. I urge my 
colleagues to support this resolution, and I thank Senator Domenici for 
his leadership.

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