[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 25, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1613-E1614]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




COMMENDING DAVID RAY RITCHESON AND RECOGNIZING HIS EFFORTS IN PROMOTING 
               FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO COMBAT HATE CRIMES

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. AL GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2007

  Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to support this 
resolution honoring the life and courage of the late David Ray 
Ritcheson.
  David was a popular, friendly and cheerful student at Klein Collins 
High School in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas. After a dispute at 
a party in Spring on April 23, 2006, two avowed white supremacists 
viciously attacked David because he was Mexican-American. David's 
attackers attempted to burn a swastika into his chest, poured bleach on 
his face and body, and used a jagged pipe to brutally assault him. One 
of his attackers was a skinhead with Nazi tattoos, and both of his 
attackers yelled ``White Power!'' during their assault on David.
  After this attack, David was left for dead, but, after being sent to 
the hospital the next morning, he fought bravely on. After 3\1/2\ 
months in an intensive care hospital bed, David was able to leave the 
hospital and attempt to return to a life of normalcy. David 
courageously decided to use his tragedy to create something positive 
and became an outspoken advocate of federal hate crimes legislation 
that would help ensure that local police departments would be able to 
prosecute cases like his as hate crimes in the future.
  This past April, David testified before a subcommittee of the House 
of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary in favor of the

[[Page E1614]]

Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act. His passionate, 
moving and eloquent testimony helped spur this House to act on that 
important legislation, which passed this House in May.
  Unfortunately, David passed away on July 1, after fighting to 
overcome the physical and mental wounds left by his attackers for over 
a year. In this difficult time for David's family and friends, it is 
important to remember David's admirable courage, warmth and strength.
  I would like to give my condolences to all of David Ray Ritcheson's 
family, friends and loved ones. I also would like to recognize David's 
life and everything that he accomplished. I commend my friend and 
colleague, the gentlewoman from Texas, Ms. Jackson-Lee, for introducing 
this resolution.

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