[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 71 (Wednesday, June 7, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H3481]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      RECOGNIZING MORGAN D. SWEERE

  (Mr. SNYDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SNYDER. Mr. Speaker, the winner in my district of ``What Rosa 
Parks Means To Me'' essay contest at the elementary school level was 
Morgan Sweere in the fourth grade, age 9, at Ida Burns Elementary 
School in Conway, Arkansas. This is her essay:
  ``Rosa Parks means incredible courage to me. She had the courage to 
stay in her seat even though society demanded that she give it up to a 
white person. She was tired and worn out from working. She also knew 
the consequences of her actions, but she refused to give up her seat on 
the bus. I can't even imagine the taunts, rude comments, and hostile 
behavior that she had to go through. She had the courage to stand up to 
society and the discrimination that was against her. She knew and felt 
that her having to give up her seat was wrong, and she made a decision 
that changed her life and the world. Her one decision made the fight 
for equal rights more powerful. She had the courage to make that 
decision and then face the consequences for making that decision even 
though it made her life very hard.
  ``Courage is a hard thing to teach. You may think that you have 
courage only to realize you don't when faced with a tough situation or 
a situation that goes against your family and friends. Courage means 
taking a stand and treating people fairly no matter how they are 
different from you. Courage means standing up for your beliefs.''
  Mr. Speaker, that is the winner of the ``What Rosa Parks Means To 
Me'' essay contest at the elementary school level, Morgan Sweere from 
Ida Burns Elementary School in Conway, Arkansas.

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