[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4798]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          HONORING DREW LISCUM

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, April 16, 2012

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share these with my House colleagues.
  Drew Liscum is a senior at Kempner High School in Fort Bend County, 
Texas. His essay topic is: In your opinion, what role should government 
play in our lives?

       People as a whole seem to receive adequate information 
     about what the government actually does in a very unique way. 
     The reason being is that the government, in about every 
     country, controls what is seen and what is not seen. They 
     control key aspects to people's lives. I believe in the truth 
     . . . whether it hurts me or not.
       For instance, why is it said nationwide and even worldwide, 
     that politicians are ``liars.'' Well maybe it's because they 
     are simply talented at hiding the blunt truth. When a friend 
     asks for an opinion about their hair or if they look good, 
     it's ok to throw in a white lie to not hurt their feelings. 
     But when you lie to your country, it's different on so many 
     levels. I'm not saying that our government lies, but I'm not 
     saying that they tell the truth either. People refer to 
     government as a system for the way it works. If you're in the 
     government, your punishments are much less crucial than that 
     of an average citizen. For example, a man named Michael Lund 
     was arrested on October 28th, 2011 for driving while 
     intoxicated. He was trying to cut through a blocked off 
     accident scene a little after eleven-thirty. Michael Lund is 
     the captain of the Sugar Land Police Department. The men that 
     arrested him were Stafford Policemen. The same types of 
     charges were also given to a dear friend of mine. His charges 
     were not withheld or cut back. The point is that the 
     government should be equal in every aspect. Whether it's a 
     case or the truth being put forward, everyone should know the 
     same and be treated the same.
       In the documentary, ``Dear Zachary,'' a man, Andrew Bagby, 
     was killed in 2001 after breaking up with his girlfriend. 
     After she denied murdering him to several cops and people, 
     she moved to Canada. Bagby's family still pressed charges 
     against her, but now it was a little more difficult. Shortly 
     after living in Canada, she announced herself to be Pregnant. 
     Andrews parents now became a bigger part of the picture. They 
     wanted to gain custody of Zachary. On August 18th, Shirley 
     Turner takes her son, Zacahary, far out into the middle of 
     the ocean and drowns the both of them. On December 15th, 
     2010, Governor General David Johnston gave Royal Assent to 
     Bill C-464: An Act To Amend the Criminal Code, making it law 
     in Canada. The bill has added an amendment to Canada's 
     criminal code giving courts the right to refuse bail to 
     someone charged with a serious crime who is deemed a 
     potential danger to children under the age of 18.
       The argument on what role the government should play in our 
     lives will go on forever. The problem is that they need to be 
     there for us when we need them, and also know when to step 
     down and let us live our own lives. People such as Shirley 
     Turner should be taken care of here in America while she is 
     extremely dangerous and all evidence is pointing towards her. 
     The government needs to understand to play their own role 
     before they decide to play it in ours.

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