[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 68 (Thursday, April 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E554-E555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       RECOGNIZING DEANNE HAENKE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. SANDER M. LEVIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 26, 2018

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give special recognition to 
Deanne Haenke from Royal Oak. I met Deanne and her family last week at 
a rally in Royal Oak as part of the student led National School 
Walkout. Deanne is a mother and a parent ally who felt compelled to 
speak up and let the students in her community know that there are 
adults who will stand with them.
  I was so impressed with her courage and the passion with which she 
delivered her remarks that I wanted to share her speech with my 
colleagues. Therefore, I include in the Record the remarks of Deanne 
Haenke:

       Hello. My name is Deanne Haenke and I am a parent ally.
       I was asked to speak because I attended a PTA meeting at 
     the high school where there was a discussion about school 
     safety and the walkouts. Much to my own shock, I stood up to 
     say a few things. After the meeting, the student leaders 
     thanked me for what I said and that was that. But, a few days 
     later, I got a text that they wanted me to speak at today's 
     rally. I was flattered but very hesitant because I am not a 
     public speaker and I wasn't sure what more I could bring to 
     this conversation. As I was talking to my husband about it, 
     my eldest son came running into the house saying he had 
     gotten a text from Jonah asking if I would speak at the 
     rally. I was looking at my husband, who I knew would 
     understand if I said no, and then looking at my sons who 
     seemed so eager for me to say yes. And as we talked about it, 
     I realized, there was no way I would not speak. How could I 
     tell my sons, whose childhood reality is so completely 
     different than what mine was and what I wanted theirs to be, 
     that I am too afraid to speak at a rally when they are scared 
     to walk into school, yet they do it anyway? When there was a 
     rumor a few months ago that a kid was planning something at 
     the high school, I asked my son if he wanted to stay home. He 
     emphatically said, ``Yes, I want to stay home. I want to stay 
     home every day! But if I stay home today, I won't go tomorrow 
     and they win.'' So even though I didn't want him to go and as 
     his parent I had the right to make him stay home, I listened 
     to him, I said ok, told him I love him and, with terror in my 
     heart, watched him walk out the door.
       People who try to dismiss him because he is young are 
     extremely ignorant to what this generation is facing and what 
     courage they are capable of. You have all been forced to grow 
     up far too quickly and you have every right to be heard.
       This is not going to be easy. It is not going to be quick. 
     As we see on a daily basis, common sense falls on deaf ears. 
     I know how hard it is to listen to the adults who are not 
     listening to you. But if you do listen to them, you will hear 
     what they are really saying. Every dismissive comment, every 
     immature insult is screaming that they are afraid of you. 
     They are afraid of your determination, they are afraid of 
     your numbers and they are most definitely afraid of your 
     intellect because the reform you are demanding makes sense. 
     And when they can't argue the sensible gun reform that is 
     being proposed, they resort to personal attacks, name 
     calling, fear mongering by shouting ``Those people'' want to 
     take ALL the guns away or they try to place the blame 
     anywhere else they can .  .  .
       Yes there is a bullying problem.
       Yes there are mental health issues.
       Yes, for numerous reasons, there are some kids who don't 
     have a good support system at home.
       And of course it would be great if we could solve all of 
     those problems and we must continue to strive to do so.
       But there was bullying when I was kid. There were mental 
     issues (and that was in a time when people didn't dare talk 
     about mental issues so it was much harder to find help) and 
     there were kids who didn't have a great support system at 
     home.
       Yet, we weren't dying in school.
       Today, kids are the ones doing the dying. To those opposing 
     any sensible gun reform .  .  . how is it possible those 
     words do not shake

[[Page E555]]

     them to their core? Kids are the ones doing the dying. Sadly, 
     we know that has not affected the NRA, or the politicians 
     they have bought and paid for. And that is only because they 
     are not the ones doing the dying. Their ability to turn a 
     blind eye is indefensible.
       At the board meeting last week, as students and parents 
     asked the board repeatedly, passionately and eventually 
     pleadingly to simply state for the record that they support 
     the students and the march today to call for sensible gun 
     reform .  .  . the board sat there stone faced and silent. It 
     is said that it is hard to speak truth to power, but as I sat 
     there watching 14 to 17 year old kids speak, I was stunned 
     and embarrassed by every member of that board, as it became 
     crystal clear that it is much harder for power to speak 
     truth.
       No matter what they tell themselves, there is no excuse 
     that they would not stand up with their community and say 
     ``we proclaim that we are with you, that enough is enough and 
     we will not stop until sensible gun reform is passed.''
       Unfortunately, everyone is not on your side. But a lot of 
     people are. So keep doing what you're doing. Keep showing up. 
     Keep speaking out and as soon as you can, vote for the people 
     who will speak truth to power and will not continue to repeat 
     the same generic rhetoric that too many elected officials 
     spew.
       If you do that, you are going to save this country and I 
     want to take this opportunity to say thank you. I have felt 
     despair for far too long and I couldn't find solace anywhere, 
     most certainly not from our leaders. And then you stood up. 
     And now I have hope.
       I look forward to voting with you in November and voting 
     for you in the years to come.
       Thank you.

  Mr. Speaker, we must stand with mothers like Deanne Haenke and show 
our students that we support them in their efforts. We as leaders must 
do better by our young people. We as a Congress must act now.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Deanne Haenke and to 
thank her for her compelling remarks.

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