[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 196 (Monday, December 19, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2309]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE DEATH OF VACLAV HAVEL, FORMER PRESIDENT OF CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND THE 
                             CZECH REPUBLIC

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL R. TURNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Monday, December 19, 2011

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, history is often made by Generals 
and politicians; rarely has the course of history been forever altered 
by a playwright. We are saddened that we have lost Vaclav Havel, former 
President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic, but we must 
remember that this man lived his life with courage and a fundamental 
sense for what was right. His was a life well-lived, which he used to 
change our world for the better no matter the personal cost.
   Americans will never forget this man or the role he played in the 
peaceful dissolution of the Evil Empire and the unification of Europe 
and the expansion of NATO. The support of the American people for our 
Czech allies and their commitment to the U.S.-Czech alliance as well as 
a shared belief in the rights and dignity of man continues today. 
Havel's life is a testament to his observation that ``words can prove 
mightier than ten military divisions.'' The thoughts of all Americans 
are with Havel's family and the Czech people. We are immeasurably 
better off for his life and his example.

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