[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 120 (Wednesday, July 20, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H6889]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          NATIONAL HEROES DAY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Colorado (Mr. Perlmutter) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PERLMUTTER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to remember the 
devastating events of July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado.
  I represented Aurora, Colorado, on this day 10 years ago when in an 
Aurora theater 12 lives were taken and 70 were wounded, and an entire 
community was scarred and traumatized.
  Today marks a very painful day for our community, and my heart aches 
with those who lost a loved one that day and will forever carry a hole 
in their heart.
  Yet, in this tragedy we saw incredible heroism--those who carried the 
wounded to safety and the first responders and medical teams whose 
tireless efforts saved lives.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to recognize the 12 who lost their lives 
that night:
  AJ Boik, 18;
  Jesse Childress, 29;
  Gordon Cowden, 51, whose two teenage children were in the theater 
when he was killed;
  Jessica Ghawi, 24;
  Micayla Medek, 23;
  Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6, whose mother was shot in the chest and 
miscarried a week after the attack;
  Rebecca Wingo, 32; and
  Alex Sullivan, who was celebrating his 27th birthday and was one week 
away from his first wedding anniversary.
  This also includes the four men who died that night while saving 
others:
  Jonathan Blunk, 26;
  John Larimer, 27;
  Matt McQuinn, 27; and
  Alex Teves, 24.
  In the face of unspeakable violence and tragedy, these men proved to 
be everyday heroes, sacrificing their own lives to save others.
  Gun violence rips through our community, leaves trauma with families 
and friends of victims, the medical staff and first responders, and the 
entire community for a lifetime. It is a trauma and a scar too many 
communities in Colorado and too many communities across the country 
have faced.
  As our country grapples with incidents of violence, chaos, and 
tragedy, it is the courageous acts and selfless spirit of the helpers 
and heroes among us that we remember.
  During our darkest days, there are always everyday heroes who answer 
the call to save lives and help their community. They provide light and 
hope for the future. The same heroic acts we saw in Aurora, Colorado, 
10 years ago have been reflected in other tragedies as gun violence 
continues in our communities, including in the recent tragedies in 
Highland Park, Illinois; Uvalde, Texas; and Buffalo, New York.
  Heroes can come in many different forms. During the COVID-19 
pandemic, we saw heroes in medical professionals, frontline workers and 
essential personnel, such as truck drivers, letter carriers, food and 
grocery workers, teachers, small business owners, and researchers.
  That is why I am, once again, introducing a resolution, alongside my 
friend and colleague Congressman Jason Crow, to designate today, July 
20, as National Heroes Day.
  As Mr. Rogers famously said: ``You will always find people who are 
helping.''
  In the midst of our dark days, let's focus on lifting up and 
recognizing the helpers and the heroes whose actions, big and small, 
make a difference in the lives of friends, coworkers, neighbors, and 
the larger community.

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