[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 30, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H3298-H3299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            TURNING DARKNESS INTO LIGHT AND HATRED INTO LOVE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Kansas (Mr. Yoder) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. YODER. Mr. Speaker, on the afternoon of Sunday, April 13--Palm 
Sunday and the eve of Passover--it was a beautiful spring day in 
Overland Park, Kansas. Many families were gathering across the 
community to be close and to celebrate these meaningful and important 
religious holidays; yet on that day of great beauty, tremendous evil 
was arriving in my community. On that day, hatred, combined with 
bigotry, would spur a tragedy of horrific proportions in Overland Park.
  That afternoon, a singing competition for the best high school 
singers in the metropolitan area was occurring at the Jewish Community 
Center just down the street from where my family lives.
  The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City has been in 
operation since 1914 and is a bustling center for events, meetings, 
discussions, exercise, and service of a diverse community where all 
people and all faiths are welcomed.
  That day, two members of my church, the United Methodist Church of 
the Resurrection, were driving into the parking lot of the Jewish 
Community Center to participate in this competition--a grandfather and 
his grandson--when, out of nowhere, a man driven by hatred, anti-
Semitism, and a life of racism decided to take their innocent lives.
  Reat Underwood, one of the victims, a 14-year-old boy and freshman at 
Blue Valley High School, had an amazing voice. Reat's love of theater 
came naturally to him. With that training, Reat began his theater 
career at age 4 in Camelot Academy.
  Reat was heavily involved with volunteering, and he cared about his 
community and was very active in Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts. Carrying on 
the traditions of his grandfather and uncles, Reat was a Cub Scout with 
Pack 3097 at Blue Valley Middle School and then a Boy Scout with Troop 
37, the Red-Tailed Hawk District, where he had reached Life Scout. He 
was preparing for his Eagle Scout boards with Troop 92, to be held in 
May.
  Reat will be missed by his family, especially his younger brother, 
Lucas, who gave a beautiful tribute at Reat's services.
  Reat's grandfather, Bill Corporan, who was taking Reat to this 
singing contest, also was a victim. Reat's family all lived in Overland 
Park, and his grandparents had moved there from Oklahoma, so they could 
live near their grandchildren.
  Dr. Corporan had met and married his wife, Melinda, in Ponca City, 
Oklahoma, and they were married in 1965. He graduated with a doctorate 
of medicine from the University of Oklahoma in 1972, and the whole 
family became very big Sooner fans.
  He operated family medicine practices throughout Oklahoma before 
finally moving with his wife to Overland Park to be close to their 
family. He continued serving his community as a physician and a medical 
director to the very last days.
  A third victim, Terri Lamano, was arriving at Village Shalom, a 
retirement community almost a mile down the street to visit her mother. 
She too became a victim of vile bigotry and hatred from that violence 
that afternoon.
  Terri worked as an occupational therapist at the Children's Center 
for the Visually Impaired in Kansas City. She spent her time working 
with children and families of those in need.
  Her daughter, Alissa, described Terri as ``a beautiful soul who 
always thought of everyone else before herself. She was the best 
mother, wife, sister, and friend that anyone could ask for.''

  Sadly, Terri was taken from us just 2 days before her 25th 
anniversary with her husband.
  Today, I rise to pay tribute to these victims. We will never forget 
them. Our hearts break for them, and this Congress honors them for 
their beautiful lives and legacies.
  Although the events which transpired are evil and will have long-
lasting effects in our community, they have also brought us together 
and strengthened the bonds between all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, my district is a diverse one, demographically. It is a 
strong community with a strong community spirit. With urban, suburban, 
and rural

[[Page H3299]]

areas, the Third District of Kansas is a microcosm of the United 
States.
  Mr. Speaker, these hate crimes were shocking to our community as 
these types of actions were so foreign to us. The days following the 
horrendous act, though, were filled with love, community, and comfort 
as members of our entire community came together to support one 
another.
  Hundreds and hundreds of community members gathered together for an 
interfaith unity service at the Jewish Community Center. Vigils were 
held. Thousands turned out for memorial services.
  Mr. Speaker, this type of hate and violence has no place in our 
society, and our Kansas community, as many often do, rallied and 
demonstrated in unified voice and spirit that one act of violence 
cannot break our bonds and tear us apart.
  Mindy Corporan, a friend of mine and the woman who tragically lost 
both her son and father that day, stated something profound after these 
events. She said:

       We want something good to come out of this. We don't know 
     what that's going to be, so we want people to let us know if 
     they think something good has come out of it.

  Mr. Speaker, I was there for the week following the shooting. I saw 
the reaction of the entire community and the support and comfort our 
community has shown each other.
  Mr. Speaker, the entire Third District of Kansas honors Reat, Bill, 
and Terri and every single other human being who has been the victim of 
racism, discrimination, hatred, and evil. We honor them, each and every 
one of us, by doing our part to turn darkness into light and to turn 
hatred into love.

                          ____________________