[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 59 (Tuesday, April 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2273-H2274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         THE WASHINGTON ELITES

  (Mr. POE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, the Washington elites are trying to rule the 
land like a monarchy, claiming they know

[[Page H2274]]

best for what they consider the peasants in the vast rural areas.
  Those elitists grew up in privilege and look down on the rest of the 
country. The elitists in the imperial kingdom of Washington, DC feel 
it's their privileged right and obligation to make the peasants happier 
because those rural Americans don't know how to take care of 
themselves.
  Well, let me tell you the truth about those peasants. These great 
Americans don't look to Washington or the elites or the monarchy for 
their happiness. They find their happiness in their individuality. The 
folks that I represent in southeast Texas are patriotic citizens, many 
from small-town rural America.
  They love their families and are proud of America. They are honest, 
hard-working independent citizens who, when duty calls, go off to war 
to defend this Nation. They attend church on Sunday, and if they don't 
attend, they still feel strongly about their religion.
  They believe they have the personal right to bear arms. They are not 
bitter about life, but they are generally happy. They are not in need 
of big government coming in in the name of hope and change to control 
more of their lives.
  Those in Washington would do well to remember that the salt of the 
Earth lives in small-town America. Government should keep out of their 
way, instead of interfering with their lives, their faith, and their 
right to bear arms.
  And that's just the way it is.

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