[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 72 (Thursday, June 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1059]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               CALL TO ACTION FOR THE CHILDREN OF KATRINA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CHARLES B. RANGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 7, 2006

  Mr. RANGEL. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to enter into the Record 
``Witness for Justice #269'' entitled Invisible People, published May 
22, 2006 by the United Church of Christ of Cleveland, Ohio. The 
statement, one of a series of observations on the state of justice in 
the U.S. today, eloquently written by Carl P. Wallace, Executive 
Associate of this Church on 700 Prospect Ave. in Cleveland, criticizes 
the ineffectiveness of the current administration in contending with 
the devastating impacts of Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Wallace warns us, 
``Right before our eyes we are losing our children'' as they continue 
to remain invisible in the eyes of the relief and aid workers in the 
Gulf Coast. Katrina orphaned thousands of children whose ordeal is 
prolonged due to inadequate health care, public education and housing 
services. ``One in three sheltered children in the Gulf Coast region 
has some type of chronic illness.'' Almost none of them have health 
care coverage. Highlighting the fact that one-fourth to one-fifth of 
the children in America are growing up in poverty, Mr. Wallace 
suggests, and I concur, that the 1.9 trillion dollars of tax cuts would 
be better employed to provide health care for 9 million uninsured 
children and mitigate child poverty.
  I also join Mr. Wallace in questioning the reason behind this 
invisibility of our children. Are they invisible because ``they do not 
vote, lobby or pay taxes?'' Is it acceptable to allow these children to 
be neglected, even abused? What happened to compassion and human 
kindness? Mr. Wallace ends on the hopeful note that through prayer and 
action ``the invisible can be made visible.'' The Children's Defense 
fund has already released a ``Call to Action for Katrina's Children,'' 
that focuses on providing immediate health and health services and 
quality public education, as well as, creating an enduring support base 
for such endeavors.
  I join Mr. Wallace in all his concerns and call upon my colleagues in 
the Congress to alleviate the suffering of children affected by 
Hurricane Katrina.

                    [From Witness for Justice #269,

                             May 22, 2006.]

                            Invisible People

                          (By Carl P. Wallace)

       Ever wonder what it would be like to be invisible? You 
     could go around and nobody would see you. Nobody would know 
     you existed. Do you remember playing hide and seek? Wow. If 
     you were invisible you could always win the game because no 
     one would be able to find you. ``Ollie Ollie ump fee. I'm 
     coming to find you.'' What a game. Those who could hide the 
     best always won the game. It was great being invisible until 
     you discovered that if no one cared to find you, you really 
     did not win. Regrettably, there is a similar game being 
     played in the Gulf Coast. Our children appear to be 
     invisible. But it is no game. It is a situation of life and 
     death. And right before our eyes we are witnessing the most 
     devastating reality of what it means to be invisible in the 
     richest country in the world. Right before our eyes we are 
     losing our children.
       We are literally losing our children due to the lack of 
     adequate health care, public education and housing. There are 
     over 125,000 displaced families in the Gulf Coast. In a Red 
     Cross shelter north of Birmingham, Alabama there are over 
     2,000 children who have lost their parents. In a FEMA trailer 
     park outside of Baton Rouge 700 of the 1,670 residents are 
     children. In the richest nation in the world one-fifth to 
     one-fourth of our children are growing up in poverty. Of the 
     1.9 trillion dollars of tax cuts, which will give the richest 
     1 percent of all tax payers $57 billion each year, we could 
     instead provide health care for all 9 million uninsured 
     children and end child poverty in America. Wow! Centuries ago 
     Jesus said, ``Let the little children come to me, and do 
     nothing to hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to 
     such as these.'' (Matthew 19:14). Maybe we missed Jesus' 
     request.
       Sometimes I wonder where our priorities are. A wise man 
     once said: ``Where your heart is there also is your 
     treasure.'' Are our children our treasure? It is extremely 
     painful to note that one-in-three sheltered children in the 
     Gulf Coast region has some type of chronic illness. Are our 
     children our treasure? In the Gulf Coast region one-half of 
     the children who had some level of health coverage do not 
     have any now. Are our children our treasure? Did the need for 
     health care coverage just disappear? Have a heart. I guess 
     invisible people don't need health care.
       Let's think about it. Perhaps our children are invisible 
     because they do not vote, lobby or pay taxes. Let's think 
     about another point. Can you imagine what it must be like to 
     be undocumented and in this situation? Is there such a thing 
     as double invisibility?
       The Children's Defense fund released a ``Call to Action for 
     Katrina's Children.'' It calls in part for: immediate 
     emergency mental health and health services for children and 
     their families; quality public education and after-school and 
     summer education; as much attention focused on constructing 
     levees of support for strong health care, family and public 
     education as they will for the construction of the physical 
     levies that will hold back the water in future storms; and, 
     prayer for Katrina children and families and for leaders who 
     work for justice. Prayer and action will make a difference. 
     Our children must be made visible.
       Maybe, just maybe, if we lift our voices to make their 
     needs known our children will not disappear right before our 
     eyes. Maybe, just maybe if we take action we will not lose 
     the least of these. Maybe, just maybe we will find our 
     treasure. The invisible can be made visible.
       ``Ollie, Ollie ump fee. We're coming to find you!''

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