[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 64 (Tuesday, April 22, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H2491-H2492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE ASHE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL ``CANS AND PANS'' STEEL DRUM BAND
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from
North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) for 5 minutes.
Ms. FOXX. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Yesterday, I was honored to join the Ashe County High School ``Cans
and Pans'' Steel Drum Band at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center where
these fine young people performed for our Nation's wounded warriors. It
was a true privilege to give these student musicians, their committed
parents and their band director, Scott Turnmyre, a tour of the Capitol
before they played for our brave men and women in uniform.
Earlier in the morning while we shared breakfast together, I was
struck with how unique this group of young people is. Their desire to
perform for our Nation's brave men and women in uniform illustrated the
depth of their character and the caliber of their families and of the
communities that have raised them. Their music, no doubt, lifted the
spirits of our troops at Walter Reed Medical Center. The fact that they
would travel hundreds of miles was nothing short of inspiring for all
who were in attendance.
I want to thank Band Director Scott Turnmyre for the long hours and
hard work he put into getting this trip together and for rallying the
people of Ashe County to this very worthy cause. Their generous
donations helped make this trip a reality.
The people at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel also deserve praise.
When they learned about the band's plans to play for the troops at
Walter Reed, they graciously reduced the band's room rates during peak
tourist season. Kenny Lincoln, Monica Rao and Lisa Schmitt at the hotel
went the extra mile to help make this trip possible for the Ashe County
Steel Drum Band.
Mike Asgedom at the Union Station parking garage also generously
reduced the parking rate for the band's charter bus. Here on Capitol
Hill, Stefan Bieret and Ted Daniel in the Sergeant at Arms Office
provided on-site parking for the bus while Scott, the students and
their parents joined me for breakfast in the Capitol and for a tour.
Of course, I don't want to forget the fine people serving at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center. They took care of every detail from parking
to setup to greeting the students. Nancy Popejoy, Dayna Jamison and
Latanya Torrence dotted every ``I'' and crossed every ``T,'' and I
applaud them for a job well done.
I also want to thank Walter Reed Health Care System Commander,
Colonel Patricia Horoho. Colonel Horoho took time out of her very busy
schedule to thank personally each of the students, and she presented
them each with her commander's coin in recognition of their outstanding
performance. Colonel Horoho, who also is an Appalachian State
University alumna, is a fine example of a dedicated leader who went
above and beyond to welcome and to congratulate the students.
Yesterday's performance was an illustration of the generosity and
kindness of the people of the Fifth District. It was a proud moment for
Ashe County High School. The band members' director, Scott Turnmyre,
and the parents are to be commended for their service to our wounded
warriors at Walter Reed.
Mr. Speaker, the remarks made by President Bush and by Pope Benedict
during the Pope's visit to the United States last week were profound
and should be available widely. So I am offering them today to be
included in the Record.
With that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back.
Remarks of President Bush and His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI at the
White House, April 16, 2008
President Bush: Holy Father, Laura and I are privileged to
have you here at the White House. We welcome you with the
ancient words commended by Saint Augustine: ``Pax Tecum.''
Peace be with you.
You've chosen to visit America on your birthday. Well,
birthdays are traditionally spent with close friends, so our
entire nation is moved and honored that you've decided to
share this special day with us. We wish you much health and
happiness--today and for many years to come.
This is your first trip to the United States since you
ascended to the Chair of Saint Peter. You will visit two of
our greatest cities and meet countless Americans, including
many who have traveled from across the country to see with
you and to share in the joy of this visit. Here in America
you'll find a nation of prayer. Each day millions of our
citizens approach our Maker on bended knee, seeking His grace
and giving thanks for the many blessings He bestows upon us.
Millions of Americans have been praying for your visit, and
millions look forward to praying with you this week.
[[Page H2492]]
Here in America you'll find a nation of compassion.
Americans believe that the measure of a free society is how
we treat the weakest and most vulnerable among us. So each
day citizens across America answer the universal call to feed
the hungry and comfort the sick and care for the infirm. Each
day across the world the United States is working to
eradicate disease, alleviate poverty, promote peace and bring
the light of hope to places still mired in the darkness of
tyranny and despair.
Here in America you'll find a nation that welcomes the role
of faith in the public square. When our Founders declared our
nation's independence, they rested their case on an appeal to
the ``laws of nature, and of nature's God.'' We believe in
religious liberty. We also believe that a love for freedom
and a common moral law are written into every human heart,
and that these constitute the firm foundation on which any
successful free society must be built.
Here in America, you'll find a nation that is fully modern,
yet guided by ancient and eternal truths. The United States
is the most innovative, creative and dynamic country on
earth--it is also among the most religious. In our nation,
faith and reason coexist in harmony. This is one of our
country's greatest strengths, and one of the reasons that our
land remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for millions
across the world.
Most of all, Holy Father, you will find in America people
whose hearts are open to your message of hope. And America
and the world need this message. In a world where some invoke
the name of God to justify acts of terror and murder and
hate, we need your message that ``God is love.'' And
embracing this love is the surest way to save men from
``falling prey to the teaching of fanaticism and terrorism.''
In a world where some treat life as something to be debased
and discarded, we need your message that all human life is
sacred, and that ``each of us is willed, each of us is
loved''--and your message that ``each of us is willed, each
of us is loved, and each of us is necessary.''
In a world where some no longer believe that we can
distinguish between simple right and wrong, we need your
message to reject this ``dictatorship of relativism,'' and
embrace a culture of justice and truth.
In a world where some see freedom as simply the right to do
as they wish, we need your message that true liberty requires
us to live our freedom not just for ourselves, but ``in a
spirit of mutual support.''
Holy Father, thank you for making this journey to America.
Our nation welcomes you. We appreciate the example you set
for the world, and we ask that you always keep us in your
prayers.
Pope Benedict XVI: Mr. President, thank you for your
gracious words of welcome on behalf of the people of the
United States of America. I deeply appreciate your invitation
to visit this great country. My visit coincides with an
important moment in the life of the Catholic community in
America: the celebration of the 200th anniversary of
elevation of the country's first Diocese--Baltimore--to a
metropolitan Archdiocese and the establishment of the Sees of
New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.
Yet I am happy to be here as a guest of all Americans. I
come as a friend, a preacher of the Gospel, and one with
great respect for this vast pluralistic society. America's
Catholics have made, and continue to make, an excellent
contribution to the life of their country. As I begin my
visit, I trust that my presence will be a source of renewal
and hope for the Church in the United States, and strengthen
the resolve of Catholics to contribute ever more responsibly
to the life of this nation, of which they are proud to be
citizens.
From the dawn of the Republic, America's quest for freedom
has been guided by the conviction that the principles
governing political and social life are intimately linked to
a moral order based on the dominion of God the Creator. The
framers of this nation's founding documents drew upon this
conviction when they proclaimed the self-evident truth that
all men are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights
grounded in the laws of nature and of nature's God.
The course of American history demonstrates the
difficulties, the struggles, and the great intellectual and
moral resolve which were demanded to shape a society which
faithfully embodied these noble principles. In that process,
which forged the soul of the nation, religious beliefs were a
constant inspiration and driving force, as for example in the
struggle against slavery and in the civil rights movement. In
our time, too, particularly in moments of crisis, Americans
continue to find their strength in a commitment to this
patrimony of shared ideas and aspirations.
In the next few days, I look forward to meeting not only
with America's Catholic community, but with other Christian
communities and representatives of the many religious
traditions present in this country. Historically, not only
Catholics, but all believers have found here the freedom to
worship God in accordance with the dictates of their
conscience, while at the same time being accepted as part of
a commonwealth in which each individual group can make its
voice heard.
As the nation faces the increasingly complex political and
ethical issues of our time, I am confident that the American
people will find in their religious beliefs a precious source
of insight and an inspiration to pursue reasoned, responsible
and respectful dialogue in the effort to build a more human
and free society.
Freedom is not only a gift, but also a summons to personal
responsibility. Americans know this from experience--almost
every town in this country has its monuments honoring those
who sacrificed their lives in defense of freedom, both at
home and abroad. The preservation of freedom calls for the
cultivation of virtue, self-discipline, sacrifice for the
common good, and a sense of responsibility towards the less
fortunate. It also demands the courage to engage in civic
life and to bring one's deepest beliefs and values to
reasoned public debate.
In a word, freedom is ever new. It is a challenge held out
to each generation, and it must constantly be won over for
the cause of good. Few have understood this as clearly as the
late Pope John Paul II. In reflecting on the spiritual
victory of freedom over totalitarianism in his native Poland
and in Eastern Europe, he reminded us that history shows time
and again that ``in a world without truth, freedom loses its
foundation,'' and a democracy without values can lose its
very soul. Those prophetic words in some sense echo the
conviction of President Washington, expressed in his Farewell
Address, that religion and morality represent ``indispensable
supports'' of political prosperity.
The Church, for her part, wishes to contribute to building
a world ever more worthy of the human person, created in the
image and likeness of God. She is convinced that faith sheds
new light on all things, and that the Gospel reveals the
noble vocation and sublime destiny of every man and woman.
Faith also gives us the strength to respond to our high
calling and to hope that inspires us to work for an ever more
just and fraternal society. Democracy can only flourish, as
your founding fathers realized, when political leaders and
those whom they represent are guided by truth and bring the
wisdom born of firm moral principle to decisions affecting
the life and future of the nation.
For well over a century, the United States of America has
played an important role in the international community. On
Friday, God willing, I will have the honor of addressing the
United Nations organization, where I hope to encourage the
efforts underway to make that institution an ever more
effective voice for the legitimate aspirations of all the
world's peoples.
On this, the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the need for global solidarity is as urgent
as ever, if all people are to live in a way worthy of their
dignity--as brothers and sisters dwelling in the same house
and around that table which God's bounty has set for all his
children. America has traditionally shown herself generous in
meeting immediate human needs, fostering development and
offering relief to the victims of natural catastrophes. I am
confident that this concern for the greater human family will
continue to find expression in support for the patient
efforts of international diplomacy to resolve conflicts and
promote progress. In this way, coming generations will be
able to live in a world where truth, freedom and justice can
flourish--a world where the God-given dignity and the rights
of every man, woman and child are cherished, protected and
effectively advanced.
Mr. President, dear friends, as I begin my visit to the
United States, I express once more my gratitude for your
invitation, my joy to be in your midst, and my fervent
prayers that Almighty God will confirm this nation and its
people in the ways of justice, prosperity and peace. God
bless America.
____________________