[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 5]
[House]
[Page 6674]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        NATIONAL DAY OF SILENCE

  (Mr. FARR asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FARR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in observance of a National Day 
of Silence, and in strong support of House Concurrent Resolution 328.
  This Friday marks the 12th National Day of Silence, a day in which 
students remain silent for a day to highlight the discrimination some 
of their peers endure when they speak out about their sexual 
orientation and their personal gender identity.
  Though the United States has made great progress toward ensuring 
civil rights for all of its citizens, lesbian, gay, bisexual and 
transgender individuals still face persecution, often violent, from 
teachers, school officials, and their classmates in our schools.
  This year the National Day of Silence will be held in memory of 
Lawrence King, an 8th-grade student in California who was shot and 
killed by one of his classmates because of his sexual orientation.
  Our country was founded on the ideal of equality for all, with the 
self-evident right of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We 
must always be mindful that our Nation's history is a chronicle of the 
blending of many formerly separate cultures and languages, ideas and 
lifestyles, into one American identity that celebrates its diversity. I 
look forward to a day when we can all be tolerant.
  The National Day of Silence recognizes that diversity is a 
cornerstone of American democracy--that all people are individuals and 
have a right to be treated with dignity and respect.
  I look forward to a time where anti-GLBT harassment is no longer a 
problem in our schools. But until that happens, I am pleased to 
celebrate those students who recognize and appreciate the diversity of 
their classmates. I urge my colleagues to do the same and support H. 
Con. Res. 328.

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