[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10188]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         REMEMBERING COLUMBINE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, Sunday night a candlelight 
vigil was held at Columbine Memorial at Clement Park in Littleton, 
Colorado. Yesterday, April 20th, marks the 10-year anniversary of the 
shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado. This 
senseless act of violence touched all Americans. As a community and 
Nation, we were in shock and disbelief that such a horrific incident 
could take place anywhere in the United States.
  The volunteer members of the Columbine Memorial Foundation have 
dedicated themselves to preserving the memories of those who were lost 
on that terrible day. I am proud to recognize their tireless efforts in 
establishing the memorial.
  The Columbine Memorial Foundation gives a description of the events 
that occurred immediately following the shootings at Columbine on April 
20, 1999, that eventually led to the establishment of the memorial:
  ``At first, there was an outpouring of flowers, notes, poems, 
ribbons, stuffed animals, pictures and other objects that were brought 
to Clement Park to pay tribute to those who had died, were injured or 
traumatized. From the initial outpouring of emotions and disbelief came 
the concept of establishing a permanent public memorial near the high 
school. This memorial should serve to honor those innocent victims, but 
also provide an historic record of this tragedy and to deliver a 
message of hope for many generations to come. This memorial is 
dedicated to honor and remember the victims of the April 20th, 1999, 
shootings at Columbine High School.
  ``The Columbine Memorial consists of an inner ring of Remembrance 
with unique personal remembrances submitted from the families of those 
who were murdered. The outer ring of Healing is for all those who were 
injured on April 20th, 1999, and for the larger community who was 
touched by the tragic events at Columbine. A variety of general text 
gathered from interviews of students, teachers, the injured and their 
families and other community members tell diverse stories of healing, 
changes in the community and hopes of the future.
  ``There are overlooks along and on top of Rebel Hill providing 
panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, the eastern plains and the 
Columbine community.''
  The candlelight vigil was a moving tribute to the memories of the 
students and the teacher who had fallen and to their families and to 
the members of this community who have suffered so much from their 
loss.
  We will never be able to thank the members of the Columbine Memorial 
Foundation enough for their leadership in making the memorial a 
reality. Through their extraordinary personal contributions to preserve 
the memories of the lives lost that day, we will never forget the 
tragic events of April 20th, 1999, at Columbine High School.

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