27528 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS November 18, 2005 Why, we must ask, does the policy leader- fessor Roberge has taught a variety of college Ottoman Empire. To guarantee the arrange- ship of our Department of Justice not agree? science and technology courses. Professor ment, the Sultan took Gjon’s youngest son, Consider, also, this revealing fact. The De- Roberge’s expertise and skills aided him in Gjergj, hostage to Adrianople, the European partment of Justice’s own statistics confirm capital of the Ottoman Empire. Here, Gjergj also designing and teaching online educational was sent to the Ottoman military academy that prosecutions for the racial and gender dis- courses. where he excelled in all ways and adopted crimination crimes traditionally handled by the During his tenure as chair of the Science the Moslem alias ‘‘Iskender Bey,’’ or Lord Civil Rights Division have declined by 40 per- Department at Goodwin College, Professor Alexander after Alexander the Great. cent over the past 5 years. Roberge developed multi-media and com- Skenderbeg’s excellent academic and mili- The Department has vigorously disputed puter-based teaching tools to aid in the devel- tary record caught the eye of the Sultan, both the significance of the policy disagree- opment and training of the Science Depart- who gave him the rank of general even be- ments within its Civil Rights Division and the ment teaching staff. In addition, Professor fore reaching twenty years of age. exodus of so many career attorneys. Roberge was responsible for designing the Skenderbeg’s military successes against the enemies of the Ottoman Empire became leg- However, the facts indicate that Attorney science curriculum and labs for the nursing endary, as were the decorations and gifts be- General Gonzales faces some very real obsta- program. Professor Roberge was an inspira- stowed on him after each incredible triumph. cles to his promise about renewed civil rights tion in the classroom while he taught courses An important turning point in Sk- priority. in chemistry, anatomy and physiology, and en- Mr. Speaker, we know from history that the microbiology. derbeg’s life came when, in 1443, he received legitimacy of any government rests upon the The Council for Advancement and Support the sad news from Kruja of his father’s fairness of its laws and willingness to vigor- of Education and the Carnegie Foundation for death. Gjon had defied and frustrated the the Advancement of Teaching award four uni- Ottomans for more than fifty years and the ously uphold the rule of law. Sultan grew suspicious of Skenderbeg’s po- We cannot overlook patterns of systematic versity and college professors as national win- tential to take his father’s place in trying to neglect within the agency entrusted to enforce ners and also recognize a State Professor of perpetuate a free Albania even after Greece, our laws. the Year in 40 States, the District of Columbia Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia had been con- These failures threaten our most funda- and Guam. These professors are recognized quered. Skenderbeg sensed the danger to him mental legal guarantees. for their outstanding commitment to teaching and to his father’s people and decided to That is why we must not be hesitant to seek undergraduate students and their influence on seize the moment in November 1443, when he the answers to the hard questions, the ques- fellow colleagues. was sent on a military excursion to defeat Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join the Hungarians led by another great freedom tions that the people we represent are asking. fighter (and thorn in the side of the Sultan), Why have civil rights cases declined so pre- me today in congratulating Professor Law- Janos Hunyadi. Rather than do the Sultan’s cipitously in recent years? rence F. Roberge for receiving this prestigious dirty work at Nish (in Serbia today), he Why have career attorneys in the Civil award. As a former educator, I am honored to fooled his fellow Ottoman commanders and Rights Division been reassigned to other du- recognize Professor Roberge for his excep- fled the battlefield to Kruja with three hun- ties? tional commitment and service to teaching un- dred of his loyal Albanian horsemen. Two Why are so many career lawyers leaving dergraduate students in the State of Con- weeks after triumphantly entering Albania the Department of Justice? necticut. at Dibra, he stormed the White Castle at What must Congress do to better support Kruja on November 28, 1443 and deposed the f Ottoman governor there. The next twenty- America’s chief law enforcement officer in ful- five years would see some of the greatest filling his commitment to make enforcement of GJERGJ KASTRIOTI ‘‘SKENDERBEG’’ military feats against the ever powerful and our civil rights laws a priority? growing Ottoman Empire. It was only after Mr. Speaker, let the discord within the De- Skenderbeg’s death in 1468 that the Otto- partment of Justice serve as a bellwether to all HON. DANA ROHRABACHER mans were able to get a foothold in Albania. Americans who believe in the principles of civil OF CALIFORNIA Without their great leader, the struggle rights. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES against the Ottomans faltered, leading to a A renewed vigor and more certain direction complete occupation of Albanian lands in Friday, November 18, 2005 1488. This lasted 425 years until Ismail are desperately needed in the enforcement of Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, I wish Qemali raised Skenderbeg’s double-headed civil rights. to place in today’s CONGRESSIONAL RECORD eagle banner at Vlora on November 28, 1912. We must remain vigilant. We must move It is one thing for Albanians today to this excellent speech by Congressman Joseph forward with a sense of urgency. praise and honor Gjergj Kastrioti. But let’s If America is to serve as the beacon of de- J. DioGuardi on Gjergj Kastrioti ‘‘Skenderbeg.’’ now take some time to hear about this saint- mocracy for the rest of the world, it is the im- GJERGJ KASTRIOTI ‘‘SKENDERBEG’’ ly knight, his incredible military genius, and perative that we enforce justice, equality and (By Joseph J. DioGuardi) our Albanian national hero from those who the rule of law within our own country. From 1443, when he returned in triumph to knew him well. Having now read a great deal the White Castle in Kruja to his deathbed at about Skenderbeg, it became evident that a f Lezha in 1468, Skenderbeg left an unforget- Roman Catholic priest from Shkodra, Marin HONORING PROFESSOR LAWRENCE table legacy of great heroism in the defense Barletius, wrote the most comprehensive and vivid account of Skenderbeg’s life and deeds. F. ROBERGE of freedom. Gjergj Kastrioti lived and died for what he firmly believed were the sacred His twelve-volume work included Kastrioti’s values of faith, virtue, honor, freedom, cour- letters, speeches, and his philosophy of life, HON. JOHN B. LARSON age, and love of country. These universal religion, and nation. Since Barletius was a contemporary of Skenderbeg, he had access OF CONNECTICUT values are clearly displayed in his cor- respondence and speeches, along with his to firsthand information from the battle- IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES deep philosophy of life and his incredible fields, the archives in Rome, and many other Friday, November 18, 2005 deeds. Who was Gjergj Kastrioti? Why is he personal firsthand accounts from witnesses of Kastrioti’s phenomenal accomplishments, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I an important historical figure? What can Al- banians today learn from his life and deeds? character, and charisma. The scholarly work rise today to congratulate Professor Lawrence Why is he not better known around the of Barletius, originally written in Latin, was F. Roberge for being awarded the 2005 U.S. world? translated widely, including French and Professor of the Year for the State of Con- Kastrioti was the son of an Albanian English, which allowed many to know about necticut by the Carnegie Foundation for the prince, Gjon Kastrioti, who ruled the Alba- the legendary feats of Skenderbeg. Advancement of Teaching and the Council for nian lands in the Balkan Peninsula at the The nineteenth-century American poet end of the 14th century and the beginning of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow had been mes- Advancement and Support of Education, merized reading about the incredible life and CASE. the fifteenth century. Gjon had kept the in- vading Ottoman Turks at bay for more than deeds of Gjergj Kastrioti. His epic poem Professor Roberge earned this award for his twenty years when he was forced into a de- ‘‘Scanderbeg’’ gave a vivid account of work as the associate professor and chair of ceptive peace treaty in 1422 with Sultan Kastrioti triumphant in Kruja on November the Science Department at Goodwin College Murad II to secure the rear of the Turkish 28, 1443: located in East Hartford, CT in my district. As army in Southeast Europe and spare the . . . Anon from the castle walls a dedicated educator for nearly 20 years, Pro- lives of his people from the wrath of the The crescent banner falls,

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