[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 118 (Monday, July 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1594]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   THE COURAGE TO CARE: A TRIBUTE TO THE HEROIC ACTS OF SIR NICHOLAS 
                                 WINTON

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the remarkable 
and heroic acts of Sir Nicholas Winton, who personally and by his own 
initiative saved the lives of 669 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied 
Czechoslovakia and brought them across Hitler's Germany to his native 
Great Britain. He is an immensely compelling symbol of how the caring 
of one man can truly make a difference while confronting evil on a 
personal level. Sir Winton said it best himself in a letter he wrote in 
1939, ``. . . There is a difference between passive goodness and active 
goodness. The latter is, in my opinion, the giving of one's time and 
energy in the alleviation of pain and suffering. It entails going out, 
finding and helping those who are suffering and in danger and not 
merely in leading an exemplary life, in a purely passive way of doing 
no wrong.''
  Nicholas Winton was guided by intuition and character. He understood 
the upcoming danger and realized the importance of acting fast. Having 
made many business trips to Germany in previous years, Winton saw Jews 
being arrested, harassed and beaten. Thousands of Jews fled to as-yet 
unoccupied Czechoslovakia, especially to Prague. Many settled into 
refugee camps in appalling conditions in the midst of winter. Near 
Prague Winton visited the freezing refugee camps. His visit deeply 
affected him and he felt the need for taking action.
  He gathered information from parents who wanted their children out 
and then pleaded to countries all over the world to take them in. He 
also personally raised the funds to pay for the operation and continued 
his important struggle even though no countries except Sweden and the 
United Kingdom were willing to take the children in. Further, the media 
refused to deal with the tragedy about to unfold. The first 20 of 
``Winton's children'' left Prague of March 14, 1939 and Hitler's troops 
overran all of Czechoslovakia the very next day. By the time World War 
II broke out on September 1, 1939, the rescue effort had transported 
669 children out of the country.
  I commend Nicholas Winton for his courage, compassion and foresight, 
for his willingness to stand up for what he believed was right in the 
face of indifference and to accept responsibility for being his 
brother's keeper. He has shown remarkable leadership, courage and 
ability of taking action when facing evil. Being a humble man who kept 
quiet about his heroic achievements for over 50 years, and without 
aspirations of being called a hero, he truly has shown complete 
selflessness and devotion to others. I also congratulate Sir Nicholas' 
small group of volunteers who helped him, not only for saving hundreds 
of lives but also for saving our faith in humanity.
  As time goes by, the values for which Sir Nicholas Winton fought have 
increasingly penetrated the consciousness of the world. The children, 
grandchildren and great-grand children of those he saved will go on to 
establish a world where human rights and decency are the priorities of 
civilized society. This is the meaning of Winton's legacy to us and the 
meaning of our struggle for human rights around the world.

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