[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 147 (Monday, October 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2033]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          ESTABLISHING A MEMORIAL TO ALL VICTIMS OF TERRORISM

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                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 1, 2007

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Madam Speaker I rise to introduce a bill that 
would designate a permanent location in Washington, DC, for a memorial 
known as Dark Elegy, dedicated to all victims of terrorism. Pursuant to 
the Commemorative Works Act, my legislation authorizes Dark Elegy as a 
commemorative work, making it eligible to be located in the Washington, 
DC, area on land owned by the National Park Service or Government 
Services Agency.
  Dark Elegy is currently located in Montauk, New York--in my home 
district of eastern Long Island--and has been exhibited around the 
Northeast for the past 16 years. The memorial was created by one of my 
constituents, the artist Suse Lowenstein, and consists of larger-than-
life sculptures depicting the reaction of 76 mothers, sisters, 
daughters, wives, and relatives as they responded with shock and grief 
upon learning of the death of their loved ones after the 1988 terrorist 
bombing of Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland. Mrs. 
Lowenstein's son, Alexander, was one of 35 Syracuse University students 
aboard that flight.
  Sadly, the creation of Dark Elegy spanned a growing number of 
terrorist attacks around the world. It is a striking and solemn 
coincidence that this work of art was dedicated on September 11, 1991--
exactly one decade before the terrorist attacks against the United 
States on September 11, 2001. If you are not familiar with Dark Elegy, 
I ask you to view ``Remembering the Moment,'' which will tell you more 
about the legacy of Dark Elegy than any written statement could ever 
convey and can be accessed at the following website: 
www.darkelegy103.com.
 Dark Elegy was created to remind the world of the devastation that 
terrorism leaves in its wake. It will serve as a lasting testament to 
the victims of terrorism worldwide in the unending struggle to 
eradicate this menace from the globe. In addition, it is intended to 
stand as a beacon for all peace-loving people throughout the world to 
unite.
  Madam Speaker, it is my goal to help find a permanent home for Dark 
Elegy that can be visited by as many people from as many nations as 
possible. From its current display in my district, this memorial has 
assumed a unique role in both healing and remembrance for many 
individuals and families. It has been visited by families affected by 
terrorism including families of the victims of the September 11th 
attacks and by families of murdered children whose loss, while not 
terrorism-related, was equally painful. It is through their voices that 
the Lowensteins repeatedly heard, and continue to hear, the expressed 
belief that Dark Elegy should be placed somewhere prominent where 
people from all over the world can visit and experience it themselves.
  It is important to note that establishing this memorial would not 
cost taxpayers any additional public funds. Once a permanent location 
is found, the artist and her family will donate the memorial to the 
public. Also, the artist and her family will personally finance the 
casting of each figure in bronze assuring the longevity of the 
sculptures that make up the memorial. It is their strong belief that 
this is an appropriate use of the money paid to them from the Libyan 
Government following the Pan Am 103 tragedy in 1988.
  Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to please join me in cosponsoring 
this legislation, and I call upon the committees of jurisdiction and 
our leadership to consider it pursuant to the Commemorative Works Act 
and related legislation in order to secure a permanent location for 
this worthy and poignant memorial to all victims of terrorism.

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