[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 55 (Thursday, April 5, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E401]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF SHANTHI VISWANATHAN

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                        HON. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 5, 2018

  Mr. KRISHNAMOORTHI. Mr. Speaker, like so many Americans, I was deeply 
moved by the school shooting in Parkland, Florida. The tragic loss of 
17 lives to a gunman was another devastating reminder of the danger of 
too many guns being readily available in our culture.
  In the face of the Parkland shooting, I would like to pay special 
recognition to Mrs. Shanthi Viswanathan, an Algebra teacher at Marjory 
Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
  Known as ``Mrs. V'' to her students, Mrs. Viswanathan's quick 
thinking and firm and resolute actions very likely helped save the 
lives of her students.
  As the Miami Herald reported, Mrs. Viswanathan knew something wasn't 
right when she heard the second fire alarm of the day sounding shortly 
before classes were to end on February 14th.
  Mrs. Viswanathan immediately put paper over the window so no one 
could see inside. She then told her students to take cover and get on 
the floor in the corner of the room.
  When the SWAT team came to the outside of Mrs. Viswanathan's 
classroom and told her to open the door, she opted not to take any 
chance that it could have been a trick by the gunman.
  ``Knock it down or open it with a key. I'm not opening the door,'' 
Mrs. Viswanathan said.
  It was indeed the SWAT team, and they knocked down the door and 
ushered the students to safety.
  When Mrs. Viswanathan knew there was danger, she exemplified the 
truest form of the Hindu concept of dharma, or duty, in protecting 
those she was responsible for. These actions were brought to my 
attention by the Hindu American Foundation which continues to support 
the victims as part of its broader commitment to Ahimsa, the Hindu 
concept of nonviolence.
  I recently visited Broward County where I had the honor to speak at 
the Hindu American Foundation's annual gala. The Hindu American 
Foundation, or HAF, has stood up during the ongoing public debate over 
guns in our society and has supported legislation to, among other 
things, repeal the ban on allowing the Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention from conducting research into gun violence in the United 
States. In taking its policy positions, HAF is guided by both public 
policy concerns and ethics, along with Hindu scripture.
  It is my sincere hope that the days and weeks ahead, Congress shows 
the same commitment to dealing with gun violence that Mrs. Viswanathan 
and the Hindu American Foundation already have.

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