Learning an Important Lesson from Our Children
LEARNING AN IMPORTANT LESSON FROM OUR CHILDREN -- (Extensions of Remarks - November 01, 2005)
SPEECH OF
HON. BERNARD SANDERS
OF VERMONT
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2005
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, many thousands of American men and women are serving in Iraq under very dangerous conditions. Often, we at home go about our daily business and forget the deep loyalty and responsibility of our brave soldiers half a world away. And even more, we often forget what war means for the children in Iraq.
I want to tell you, today, about a community of young people who have not forgotten that our soldiers are in Iraq, or that their mission is, ultimately, to build peace. These first, second and third graders at Elmore Lake School in Vermont not only remember the larger mission of our soldiers, they have sent packages to reach out to the children of Iraq, who like themselves are students in schools.
These young students at Elmore Lake School also wrote letters to Iraqi schoolchildren, made pictures for them, and then put the letters and pictures into parcels filled with school supplies that the Elmore children packed and weighed for mailing. They were assisted by their teacher, Annamary Anderson and parent Sarah Southall, and by Vermont National Guard Captain Dave Matzo, who distributed the packages when he returned to Iraq from a home leave. The contents of the packages were provided by the school's children and their families. The Lamoille Valley Chamber of Commerce found kind sponsors who paid the cost of postage.
The letters written by the children remind us, remind us all, that war is not something abstract, but a situation which involves human beings. Here is one example, a letter from a student named Sebastian that was reprinted in the News and Citizen of Morrisville. It is remarkably eloquent, not only in its ability to reach out across oceans and continents to children elsewhere, but in its reminder to all of us of just what war may mean to those who must live in its midst:
DEAR CHILDREN IN IRAQ, I feel bad for you because you are probably scared because you have a war going on in your country. I don't think it is right for kids to have to deal with this. I don't even know why people are fighting! I would definitely be very scared if I had a war going on close by! So my class in school thought we should give you kids school supplies. I hope the war stops soon, there is already enough bad things going on in your country! I wish you good luck!
Sincerely,
SEBASTIAN L.W.
http://thomas.loc.gov