Congressional Record—House H1918
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H1918 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE April 18, 2012 ranked number one in the country all menians by Ottoman-era Turkish au- the level of tracking we use for air- season long, going undefeated and be- thorities is an undeniable fact of his- plane tickets or cold medicine? coming the first NCAA basketball tory. In 1915, the Armenian nation The American people want our law team, men’s or women’s, to ever win 40 which had resided in Anatolia for thou- enforcement officers to have the tools games in a season. sands of years was subjected to an or- they need to catch the bad guys. The Lady Bears recorded some im- ganized barbarity that included death Eighty-one percent of gun owners sup- pressive team and individual accom- marches, drowning, and executions. port requiring a background check on plishments on their way to their sec- Those who managed to survive these all firearm purchases. Ninety percent ond Final Four in 3 years and winning horrors scattered to the four corners of of all Americans favor strengthening their second national championship in the Earth. Today, survivors of the Ar- databases to prevent the mentally ill 7 years. menian genocide and their children and from buying guns. Sixty-nine percent The Lady Bear senior class, Terran grandchildren bear witness to this mas- of NRA members—that’s NRA mem- Condrey, Ashley Field, and Lindsay sacre. Each year, Armenian Americans, bers—support closing the gun show Palmer, finished their 4-year careers supported by others who readily accept loophole. with a record of 131 wins and 19 losses, the teachings of history, renew their So why aren’t we acting on these one national championship, two Final plea that the United States Govern- areas where there is such over- Four appearances, four NCAA tour- ment formally recognize the Armenian whelming public support? Well, the nament trips, two regular season Big 12 genocide, and every year that responsi- majority has to rally its base, and the titles, and three Big 12 tournament ti- bility of recognition remains NRA has to send more urgent appeals tles. unfulfilled. for support based on imagined threats. Ashley Field, Lindsay Palmer, and So, this week, we’re courageously pro- b 1010 Makenzie Robertson were all chosen as tecting bullets from harmful regula- first team 2012 Academic All-Big 12 When faced with the deeply compel- tion by the EPA, because a little lead honorees. Odyssey Sims, Destiny Wil- ling research and scholarship sur- in the water never hurt anyone, right? liams, and Brittney Griner were named rounding the Armenian genocide, it is The bill also gives sportsmen the to the 2011–2012 All-American team. wholly untenable to assert that the right to stand their ground against After dominating opponents on both genocide did not occur. Instead, many polar bears. Anyone who opposes vigi- ends of the court all season long, in Congress offer the protest that rec- lante justice against this arctic men- Griner was chosen as the NCAA tour- ognition would harm our relationship ace is clearly a gun-grabbing Com- nament MVP, and became the third with Turkey and undermine our broad- munist. All of this would be funny if women’s basketball player to ever win er geostrategic interests. Others sug- the same mentality weren’t being used all four National Player of the Year gest weakly that it is just not the right by the NRA against our Nation’s awards. time to push the issue of recognition. youth. Twenty-five States have passed The Lady Bears are led by the re- The result is the same—the continued Stand Your Ground laws, declaring markable Head Coach Kim Mulkey, failure on the part of the United States open season on anyone considered whose resume and accomplishments to do the right thing. This failure puts threatening to anyone at any time. have already cemented her place salt on the wounds of the Armenian These laws were not passed because among the best women’s basketball people. But it does more than that. It of a public demand for them. They were coaches of all time. As a player, Coach corrodes the moral standing of our Na- passed because the NRA teamed up Mulkey was a member of the 1984 gold tion as a whole. with some of the largest soft drink medal winning U.S. women’s basket- I join those who once again, at this manufacturing and retailing corpora- ball team. She was inducted into the time of annual remembrance, implore tions to push for these laws. Why soda Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in my fellow Members of Congress and companies would support the efforts to 2000 and has been named Big 12 Coach President Obama to formally recognize pass these laws is beyond me; but the of the Year three times. This year Kim the Armenian genocide. impact is that a 17-year-old who is buy- was named National Coach of the Year. f ing one of their sodas is now under a much greater threat. Let’s have a re- Coach Mulkey is the fastest women’s GUN VIOLENCE basketball coach to ever reach 300 wins ality check. Let’s take action on one of and is the fifth coach in the NCAA to The SPEAKER pro tempore. The these areas where there is clear, over- win multiple national championships. Chair recognizes the gentleman from whelming support. She has led the Lady Bears to the Illinois (Mr. QUIGLEY) for 5 minutes. I sat in this Chamber and listened to NCAA tournament in 11 of her last 12 Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, the Mexican President Felipe Calderon seasons at Baylor. number one fear of Chicago elementary plead with Congress to close this loop- The Lady Bears return their top six schoolchildren is not braces or book re- hole that fuels violence between the scorers and rebounders next season, so ports or the dentist. It is getting shot. cartels in his country; but as the NRA there is more to come from this out- More than 500 Chicago students were president, himself, has pointed out, standing group of young women. involved in gun violence in the last 2 Congress has done nothing. We hold I am privileged to represent the city years, and 34 were killed by guns last hearings to point out that the ATF of Waco, McLennan County, and Baylor year. In a single week in June, there lacks leadership but continue to block University in my district, and I wish were 60 shootings in Chicago. the appointment of a director. We talk best wishes to Baylor President Ken The Chicago police traced many of about the need to enforce the laws on Starr, Athletic Director Ian McCaw, the guns used in these types of shoot- the books but look the other way as and everyone else at the Baylor Nation ings to gun shows in neighboring those laws are ignored at gun shows. as they continue to show that a Chris- States. You can go to a gun show in We stop suspected terrorists from tian institution of higher learning can, neighboring State Indiana and buy any boarding airplanes but not from buying indeed, compete and win in college ath- weapon you want without a single 30-round clips. All of this is based on letics as well. background check. You can be a con- the fantasy that denying terrorists as- 2011–2012 has truly been the year of victed felon or a domestic abuser who sault rifles is the first step to national the Bear. Sic ’em, Bears. is under a restraining order or a sus- gun confiscation. f pected terrorist, and you can walk The Supreme Court answered that in right in to a gun show and walk out the D.C. and Chicago handgun cases. THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE with an assault weapon. The Court found that there is an indi- The SPEAKER pro tempore. The A member of Hezbollah purchased vidual right to bear arms. It is a lim- Chair recognizes the gentleman from weapons at an American gun show the ited right, subject to local control, but Maryland (Mr. SARBANES) for 5 min- day before 9/11. Is this what the Amer- it is a right. That is now settled law, so utes. ican people want? Do the American the people who make their livings scar- Mr. SARBANES. Mr. Speaker, the people approve of a situation in which ing gun owners have to resort to con- genocide of more than 11⁄2 million Ar- terrorists can buy guns without even spiracy theories to keep the donations VerDate Mar 15 2010 02:18 Apr 19, 2012 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\K18AP7.003 H18APPT1 jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with HOUSE April 18, 2012 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H1919 coming. Now is the time to move past giving the family a path to their America has moved by means of laws the beltway extremists and listen to dream. A few weeks ago, the Hasans to overcome these prejudices of hu- the American people. Are these tough took the oath of U.S. citizenship in our mans and the impersonal forces of soci- votes? Maybe, but that’s what we were New Jersey congressional office. These ety to create an opportunity and to sent here to do. five remarkable women had endured a create fairness. I want to mention Blair Holt, a Chi- long, arduous pathway from tragedy to We must lift our lamp by the golden cago high school student, son of two citizenship.