[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 18889-18890]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                              TOWN MEETING

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 30, 1999

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have printed in the Record 
this statement by a high school student from my home State of Vermont, 
who was speaking at my recent town meeting on issues facing young 
people today. I am asking that you please insert this statement in the 
Congressional Record as I believe that the views of this young person 
will benefit my colleagues.

                              [June, 1999]

                    Regarding: The War in Yugoslavia

           (On behalf of: Brendan Hurlbut and Anthony Blair)

       Anthony Blair: American involvement in the war in 
     Yugoslavia is morally defensible on one level: It is the 
     right thing to do to stop atrocities. But are there not other 
     options for America than to conduct a war against Yugoslavia 
     in which many innocent civilians and American soldiers may be 
     killed? Is it America's duty to be a police force all around 
     the world, even when an action is morally right? Do we want 
     America to be playing the role of international policeman all 
     over the world?
       Many reasons have been put forward as to why the United 
     States should avoid being the world's police force in Kosovo. 
     There are reasons, such as the cost. We are spending tens of 
     million of dollars a day. The United States is carrying out 
     about 90 percent of the bombings, while our other allies 
     should be carrying a heavier load than they are carrying 
     right now. Numbers of civilians are being killed by misguided 
     cruise missiles, hitting large groups of innocent people 
     instead of their targeted locations.
       Brendan Hurlbut: The U.S. has few strategic or economic 
     interests in Yugoslavia.
       And are we really willing to damage our long-term relations 
     with Russia over this issue? Communist and Russian 
     nationalist groups are gaining support for their anti-
     American message due to this war. Hostile anti-American 
     groups may be aided in their efforts to gain control of 
     Russia due to this war. The threat of force did not stop 
     Milosevic. In fact, some say it has strengthened his position 
     among the patriotic people of Serbia.
       Morally, our actions in Yugoslavia are right, but are they 
     in the best interests of our country, and are we not in a way 
     also committing atrocities against innocent people? Can't the 
     U.S. find other ways to stop Milosevic? Obviously, the 
     bombings have not worked. The U.S. could declare Milosevic a 
     war criminal and pay $1 billion to whoever captures him. The 
     captors could be also granted citizenship in any one of the 
     NATO countries. This would save lives, money, and maybe a 
     country from poverty.
       Current U.S. policy is not consistent. We respond to 
     atrocities in one nation, such as Yugoslavia, but ignore 
     atrocities in other regions, such as Ruwanda. If the U.S. now 
     takes the role of worldwide policeman, the U.S. will have to 
     respond to every tribal or ethnic war worldwide. Do we really 
     want the U.S. to be like a puppet on a string that must 
     respond to every problem around the world?


                              [June, 1999]

                           Regarding: Tobacco

(On behalf of: Andy Tyson, Carey Levine, Zach Pratt, Tina Reed and Doug 
                                 Lane)

       Carey Levine: People who smoke are at increased risk of 
     heart disease, cancer, emphysema and other smoking-related 
     illnesses that contribute to over 420,000 deaths per year. 
     These people dying from cigarettes are our mothers, fathers, 
     aunts, uncles, sisters, brothers, colleagues, peers, and 
     friends. Smoking is no longer just a problem, it is an

[[Page 18890]]

     epidemic that is expanding nationally and globally.
       Zach Pratt: In the wake of the recent landmark tobacco 
     settlement, which awarded $206 billion over the course of the 
     next 25 years to fund programs aimed at aiding smoking 
     victims, debate regarding the most appropriate use of the 
     funds has been fierce. The current proposals very drastically 
     by state.
       According to a recent USA Today poll, popular opinion 
     favors utilizing the appropriated money in an effort to 
     improve public health care systems. Most Americans believe 
     that the tobacco cash should be returned to those most 
     affected by smoking and not split towards expanding health 
     coverage for impoverished or uninsured families. The same 
     poll reports that 27 percent of Americans would like to see 
     the money spent on antismoking education. However, many 
     governors would prefer to see the funds utilized in existing 
     state education programs, feeling that the development of new 
     programs would raise state expenditures to dangerous levels.
       Doug Lane: I believe that the money would best be spent in 
     educational programs. The risk of getting addicted to 
     nicotine are reduced through a national educational program 
     targeting preteenagers, and highlighting the negative effects 
     of smoking. The money the government has obtained through 
     cigarette taxes and lawsuits of tobacco companies should be 
     used for preventative measures, to stop this addiction before 
     it starts.
       Recently, President Clinton has publicly announced that he 
     is making it part of his agenda to reduce the amount of 
     teenage smoking that goes on in America.
       Tina Reed: The ``Stop Teenage Addiction to Tobacco'' on 
     Oklahoma's Teenage Facts sheets states that, every day, 3,000 
     teens smoke their first cigarette, and approximately one-
     third of these children will eventually die due to smoking-
     related illness. These are serious enough statistics that 
     they demand a more intensive and proactive stance from 
     schools to encourage students not to smoke.
       The new program would take a fresh new approach in 
     informing students about the negative effects of smoking, 
     through hands-on projects such as seeing a healthy lung 
     compared to a smoker's lung, science projects breaking down 
     the actual contents of the cigarette, and guest speakers. 
     Through these types of activities, students will see the 
     devastating effects of smoking by guest speakers that have 
     lived to regret ever taking a puff of a cigarette, and 
     touching a lung that is black and distorted due to smoking.
       Andy Tyson: There are many possibilities as to where the 
     tobacco money can be spent. The money could help everything, 
     from preventative measures to improving health and funding 
     education. The truth is, all of these are worthwhile causes. 
     The only thing that we must be especially careful of is the 
     possibility of spreading the money too thin. Wherever this 
     money goes, there must be enough of it to make a difference. 
     Smoking should stop, and this is our opportunity to do so.
       Congressman Sanders: Good job.