[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 18]
[House]
[Page 23752]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE STATUE OF HELEN KELLER

  (Mr. BONNER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, in a few minutes over in the Rotunda of the 
United States Capitol, America will be introduced to the newest statue 
to grace this historic old building. The statue is unlike any other. 
It's not of a man or a woman, of a general or a President, but it's a 
statue of a little girl and how one person helped change the world for 
the better.
  Left deaf and blind from an illness in her infancy, many saw Helen 
Keller as a wild and disorderly little girl. For Helen, she would see 
it very differently. Fueled by a passion for interaction and a hunger 
for knowledge, Helen Keller's life is a tremendous example of 
overcoming even the most disabling of situations.
  Her determination soon overpowered her deafness, and her belief in 
herself prevailed over her blindness. Her intellectual cravings were 
but slightly inhibited by her disabilities. Helen learned to 
communicate and interact in a world that she would never see nor hear; 
yet through her works, wisdom and passion, Helen Keller still stands 
not only as a symbol of hope and determination for the deaf and blind, 
but for all of us who seek a more just and peaceful world.
  Mr. Speaker, the people of Alabama are proud to bring one of our most 
beloved, favorite daughters to this grand old building for the world to 
see and know and hear.

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