[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 24, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E48-E49]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING THE OXFORD, MICHIGAN COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELISSA SLOTKIN

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 24, 2023

  Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the 
strength, resilience, and heart of Oxford, Michigan: a small town that 
was forever changed on November 30, 2021. That day, the world watched 
in horror as news broke that a gunman had opened fire at Oxford High 
School, killing four people and injuring eight others. It was a 
community-wide tragedy the depth and breadth of which I have never 
experienced, and one that forever changed the trajectory of life for 
all those in and around Oxford.
  But before it was a headline, Oxford was a close-knit town, the kind 
of place where neighbors reach out to help neighbors, where people of 
all ages gather at the local diner sporting Wildcat blue and gold 
before packing the stands for Friday night football games.
  After the unimaginable happened, Oxford was fundamentally changed, 
clothed from head to toe in profound and overwhelming grief. While that 
grief will never completely lift, I have seen this community transform 
yet again through countless acts of kindness and bravery--both from 
around the world and from right within this community--because Oxford 
is a place where neighbors reach out to help neighbors.
  The examples would fill a library, but to share just a few: the 
legions of Oxford businesses like Meijer, Sick Pizza, and Legacy Center 
that opened their doors to provide a safe haven for students and 
families and raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support 
victims. Their contributions, both financial and emotional, are too 
numerous to count and will never be forgotten.
  Oxford Township President Jack Curtis and Oxford Village President 
Joe Madore responded immediately to the crisis, and worked tirelessly 
to provide anything and everything they could. They led their boards to 
channel grief into action, banding together to bring every available 
resource--local, state, and federal--into this community. And dedicated 
public servant C.J. Carnacchio used his skill and stalwart 
determination to tell Oxford's story, playing a pivotal role in 
bringing meaningful benefits and resources into the community.
  More than 30 emergency service agencies--police, fire, and EMS--
rushed into the school that day, and today they continue to

[[Page E49]]

show up to address the ongoing challenges of public safety, mental 
health support, and other needs for their own staff, for the schools, 
and for surrounding communities.
  I continue to be amazed by the bravery and resilience of Oxford High 
School students, many of whom have become fierce advocates for gun 
safety and mental health. And I am in awe of the teachers and staff who 
define fortitude and service above self every day when, despite their 
own pain and suffering, they walk back into the building and turn their 
focus to their students.
  In the days and months since the shooting, I have watched leaders 
emerge from every corner of Oxford, and through them I have seen how 
grief can walk hand-in-hand with hope, stitched with an indestructible 
fabric of Wildcat blue and gold. Because above all, Oxford is a place 
where neighbors reach out to help neighbors.
  It has been the honor of my life to represent this community in 
Congress, and today while one tragic day broke Oxford's heart, it did 
not and it will not break this community's spirit. Through our 
collective grief, and through this declaration, may we forever honor 
the people of Oxford and the memories of Hana, Tate, Madisyn, and 
Justin.

                          ____________________