[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E779-E780]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO REENA JASANI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share these with my House colleagues.
  Reena Jasani is a junior at Travis High School in Fort Bend County, 
Texas. Her essay topic is: Select an important event that has occurred 
in the past 50 years and explain how that event has changed our 
country.

                     The Consequences of Columbine

       For every student waking up that morning on April 20, 1999 
     it was just another regular day, full of the usual tests, 
     lectures, lessons,

[[Page E780]]

     and homework. However, for the students of Columbine High 
     School that day became much more. The seemingly normal school 
     day abruptly transformed into a day full of terror, pain, 
     confusion, and shock, as two senior students tried to bomb 
     the school and shoot anyone and everyone in the way, 
     resulting in the deadliest mass murder America had ever seen 
     in one of its high school campuses. This event led to changes 
     in school policy, intensified concern over gun control, and 
     fear among Americans.
       After the shooting, schools nationwide have strengthened 
     their security and made improvements to prevent such an 
     event. Schools instituted new security measures like metal 
     detectors and see-through backpacks. Additionally, they 
     numbered doors and rooms for an easier public safety response 
     if this were to ever happen again. Most schools renewed anti-
     bullying and adopted a zero tolerance system for students in 
     possession of weapons or students threatening others. 
     Analysis of the common factors in perpetrators by the United 
     States Secret Service concluded that schools should pay more 
     attention to the behaviors of students, noticing potential 
     attackers and being especially aware of them. Most attackers 
     tended to feel bullied, reverting to shooting as some sort of 
     revenge. If teachers paid close attention to students being 
     bullied, they could try and put an end to it. Without the 
     bullying present, the student would most likely be happier 
     and not try to avenge.
       The shooting also affected the way in which the police 
     force handled situations with an active shooter. Instead of 
     surrounding buildings, setting up perimeters, and containing 
     the damage, a new tactic designed for the presence of an 
     active shooter interested in killing hostages rather than 
     taking them has been utilized. Now, police officers are 
     trained to move toward the sound of gunfire and stop the 
     shooter. The goal is to prevent the shooter from killing or 
     injuring more victims, meaning police officers have to walk 
     past injured victims until they have stopped the shooter. 
     This tactic has helped tremendously at the later shootings in 
     school campuses.
       The Columbine shooting also aroused fear among Americans, 
     for now schools, places that nearly every child went to every 
     weekday across the nation, seemed unsafe. Schools became 
     potential targets, with the perpetrators walking along side 
     by side other students. The idea of spending nearly seven 
     hours a day, five times a week, for about ten months a year 
     with someone who may pull out a gun one day and start 
     shooting terrified both kids and their parents. However, time 
     and improved security and safety helped allay these fears.
       April 20, 1999 will forever remain a day marked by alarm, 
     fright, trepidation, and hurt. The mass murder at Columbine 
     High School has not only affected the security of schools and 
     the tactic of the police, but also the hearts and minds of 
     Americans, for before, it was hard to imagine that such a 
     terrible thing would ever happen.

EXPRESSING CONCERN FOR THE HEALTH OF ATHLETES IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL 
                                 LEAGUE

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE GARCIA

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. GARCIA. Mr. Speaker, like most Americans, there are few things 
that I enjoy more than a Sunday tailgate with friends and family. 
Football and the NFL are an intricate part of our nation's cultural and 
social fabric.
  Football is America's favorite sport because it is exciting to watch, 
but that excitement--the clashing of helmets and tackles--takes a 
terrible toll on the bodies of our nation's athletes and on their 
families.
  A recent study from the American Academy of Neurology found that NFL 
players are four times more likely than the general U.S. population to 
die from Alzheimer's or ALS.1 This is only the latest piece in a body 
of evidence showing that the risks of repetitive head impacts, if not 
properly treated, can be severe and irreversible.
  The scientific research, which shows a link between concussions and 
long-term injury to NFL athletes--is incontrovertible. And so, I call 
upon the NFL to do everything in its power to protect its athletes and 
warn them of long-term dangers to their mental and neurological well-
being.
  Far too many of our nation's favorite athletes have paid a terrible 
price for the brain trauma they sustained while playing in the NFL.
  After taking his own life last May, Junior Seau, a former Miami 
Dolphin and one of the top linebackers in NFL history, was diagnosed 
with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive and 
debilitating disease associated with repeated head trauma. When asked 
whether the game the whole family loved was worth it, Seau's oldest son 
Tyler tearfully replied: ``I'm not sure. But it's not worth it for me 
to not have a dad. So to me, it's not worth it.''
  While the NFL has taken some positive steps regarding the safety of 
current players, we need it to take the necessary action to mitigate 
the risks of debilitating brain injury. Last season we saw high-profile 
players being sent back onto the field immediately after sustaining 
concussions. This is unsustainable and unfair to athletes and their 
families. It is also unfair to taxpayers. As a 2008 congressional 
research services report revealed, when our athletes cannot afford to 
address their injuries, the cost falls upon the taxpayers.
  The NFL has the power not only to give these former players and their 
families the care and support they deserve, but also to ensure that the 
game is safer for future generations. As a Member of Congress, and most 
importantly, as a football fan, I ask that the NFL make use of that 
power.

                          ____________________