[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 14676]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




          PAYING TRIBUTE TO SLAIN OFFICER STEPHEN TYRONE JOHNS

  (Mr. ENGEL asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, the horrible events today at the Holocaust 
Memorial Museum, where Officer Stephen Tyrone Johns was fatally shot 
and killed, is something that should give us all pause for reflection. 
First of all, our hearts go out to the officer's family. He's truly a 
first defender and is someone who was protecting all of us.
  Mr. Speaker, it reminded me of an incident just a few years ago where 
Officer Chestnut and Detective Gibson were shot right here at the 
Capitol by someone who was deranged. But the person who killed Officer 
Johns today was a hatemonger, hating Jews, hating blacks, hating 
everybody. And it's time for us to pause and say that all people of 
goodwill will not tolerate that kind of hatred.
  There's another thing that we really need to take into account as 
well. And that is, when deranged people can get hold of guns, we really 
have a serious problem in this country. We need to do something about 
guns that are out there in the hands of deranged people, people who 
should never own guns. This person who fired that fatal shot was a 
known hatemonger, a white supremacist who served time in jail. How in 
God's name was he ever able to get a gun? We really need to think about 
this. It has nothing to do with Second Amendment rights. It has to do 
with sensible Second Amendment rights and sensible feelings and 
thinking about who should be allowed to have a gun. Certainly not a 
deranged person.
  I would ask for a moment of silence for Officer Johns and let his 
family understand that the United States Congress appreciates his great 
service to our country. There are many, many more out there like him. 
We thank God that we have our first defenders and the people who are 
there to protect all of us.
  I would ask for a moment of silence.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Members will rise for a moment of silence.

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