[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 6010]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




LETTER TO THE EDITOR AS OFFERED BY WILLIAM T. WALKER, THEODORE, ALABAMA

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                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 25, 2006

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, recently one of my constituents, William T. 
Walker, submitted a letter to the Mobile Register providing an 
interesting perspective on the recent peace march that started in 
Mobile, Alabama, and traveled throughout the Gulf Coast.
  Many people across the Gulf Coast are still working hard to rebuild 
their homes, businesses and lives following last year's hurricanes. 
While the freedom to protest is one of the foundations of American 
democracy, it is important to see the effect that it can have. Today, I 
rise to ask that this letter be entered into the Congressional Record 
in its entirety:

                    Marchers Hurt Spirit, Good Will

       ``It does not take a majority to prevail . . . but rather 
     an irate, tireless minority, keen on setting brush fires of 
     freedom in the minds of men.''--Samuel Adams
       I like to think of myself as part of that minority to whom 
     Adams was referring. I know that some grow tired of my 
     constant rant about freedom, about supporting this country 
     and our leaders. Yet, I continue. Why?
       Things like the peace march that left Mobile recently is 
     one reason. When I heard about that march, I was in Gulfport, 
     Miss., helping a man put his ceiling back in his house after 
     it was hit by a pine tree during Hurricane Katrina.
       A 60-foot pine tree will break any roof on the Gulf Coast. 
     Sixty misguided, self-serving marchers were trying to break 
     the good will and spirit of a people who have been through 
     tragedy.
       As I held the piece of drywall up for my friend to nail in, 
     he asked me this: ``I wonder what those marchers have done to 
     help people rebuild here on the Gulf Coast.'' That struck me. 
     What have they done?
       As they marched along the road, being photographed and 
     reveling in their notoriety, thousands of people were out 
     there, rebuilding the Gulf Coast. And those soft-headed 
     fabricators of veracity marched on.
       As those people marched along the road, having their 
     pictures taken by news photographers, all us old dumb guys 
     were in the background. Black and white, Democrat and 
     Republican, religious and not, we were repairing things, 
     cleaning up, and making this a better place to live.
       And those foot soldiers of fabrication marched on, planting 
     their perfidious propaganda with each step. I pray that their 
     crop will fail.--William T. Walker, Theodore, Alabama

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