CONGRESSIONAL RECORD— Extensions of Remarks E621 HON
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May 8, 2013 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E621 being inducted into the Maine Franco-Amer- vocate to three Presidents and six Secretaries testimony and counsel to Congress and the ican Hall of Fame this year. Father Jacques of State, America might not have understood Executive Branch, Mark published in 2003 his LaPointe of Madawaska, Dr. Lisa Marrache´ of how the promotion of human rights, democ- groundbreaking Breaking the Real Axis of Evil: Waterville, Cindy Larouck of Lewiston, and racy and American values strategically tracks How to Oust the World’s Last Dictators by Judge Michael Cantara of Biddeford are rep- with the promotion of American national secu- 2025. In it, he argued for a revamping of U.S. resentative of the enduring strength and influ- rity interests. foreign policy to make worldwide promotion of ence of Maine’s French heritage. There are many examples of how history democracy a primary goal. Legislation based This year’s inductees join the ranks of was made by the man once described by The on the book was sponsored by Senator JOHN Maine’s finest Franco-American leaders. Each New York Times ‘‘as the most active Western MCCAIN and my late colleague and fellow of these honorees have made enormous con- booster for economic and political liberaliza- Palmer admirer Tom Lantos, and was signed tributions to the preservation and advance- tion’’ of Communist dictatorships. They are ex- into law by President George W. Bush on Au- ment of our state’s unique history and culture. amples of why, at the celebration of the 20th gust 3, 2007. Entitled ‘‘ADVANCE Democracy Father Jacques LaPointe is a key member anniversary of Hungary’s liberation from com- Act of 2007’’, it was described by a scholar at of the greater Madawaska community and a munist dictatorship, Mark was awarded a the Carnegie Endowment for International respected author on the history of the St. John Commander’s Cross of Hungary’s Order of Peace as ‘‘. the most important bill . on Valley. Merit because, as ‘‘the right man at the right democracy promotion since the 1983 initiative Lisa Marrache´ is an accomplished physician time at the right place . he rose to the oc- to establish the National Endowment for De- and legislator who has long worked to pre- casion [of] shepherding democratic opposition mocracy . .’’ serve French culture in Maine, including as a . through . turbulent times by giving [it] Mark’s business career was as successful founder of the Franco-American Heritage Soci- legitimacy.’’ They are reasons why Mark re- as his diplomatic career and was often fo- ety of the Kennebec Valley. ceived three Presidential Awards and two Su- cused on the same objectives. Knowing the Cindy Larouck is well-known across her perior Honor Awards from the Department of critical value of free and unmonitored informa- hometown of Lewiston and the state of Maine State during a 26 year career as a Foreign tion in dictatorial and post-dictatorial countries, for her efforts to share and revive her love of Service officer. he founded Central European Media Enter- A great moment in Mark Palmer’s career— traditional Franco-American dance and music. prises Ltd. which, with local partners, estab- and proof of how his ideas have shaped Michael Cantara is a highly regarded public lished, owned and operated the first politically events—was his role while in the Foreign servant, having previously served as Mayor of independent national television stations in the Service as co-drafter of President Ronald his hometown of Biddeford, York County Dis- Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, Reagan’s great 1982 Westminster Hall ‘‘De- Ukraine and Poland. He was a co-founder of trict Attorney, Maine Public Safety Commis- mocracy Crusade’’ speech on democracy and Television Development Partners and Signal sioner, and now as a District Court Judge. He human rights. The speech, whose every word One Media Corporation—ventures for the es- has long been an unyielding force for the had to be fought through a resistant bureauc- tablishment of independent, commercial sat- preservation of Maine’s Franco-American her- racy, was a critical step in moving the United ellite TV channels in the Middle East. He itage. States from a policy of accepting and con- chaired the advisory board of New Tang Dy- The Franco-American Hall of Fame will also taining communism to what became the suc- posthumously honor five Mainers for their out- cessful policy of peacefully challenging it. nasty Television, and strongly backed the standing contributions to the State of Maine: Thanks to Mark, the speech also led to the es- launch of the first uncensored satellite TV Leon Albert Guimond, Adolphe and Napoleon tablishment of the National Endowment for broadcasts into China. In what may prove as great a contribution to Gingras, Louis Phillipe Gagne, and Camille Democracy—which he had proposed and later 21st century world freedom as those Mark Bolduc. served as a key board member. Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring After his Foreign Service career, Mark made during the 20th century, he led the effort these outstanding individuals as they are per- served for nearly twenty years as Vice Chair to establish a robust U.S. initiative to over- manently and fittingly recognized for their tre- of Freedom House, one of America’s primary come the Internet firewalls of China, Iran and mendous contributions to the state of Maine human rights organizations. He was honorary other closed society regimes. Mark knew what and Franco-American culture. chair and co-founder of the International Man- the world’s dictators know—that Internet fire- f agement Center in Budapest, Hungary and walls are present day equivalents of the brick and barbed wire walls he helped bring down TRIBUTE TO MARK PALMER served on the boards of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, the in the 20th century. He knew what China’s Georgetown University Institute for the Study former Premier Hu Jintao has openly acknowl- HON. FRANK R. WOLF of Diplomacy, the Budapest International Cen- edged—that the ability of closed society re- OF VIRGINIA tre for Democratic Transition, the American gimes to ‘‘purify’’ the Internet is critical to their IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Academy of Diplomacy, the Association for ability to remain in power. Thus, when millions of house church Christians freely and safely Wednesday, May 8, 2013 Diplomatic Studies and Training, the University of the District of Columbia, the Friends of conduct worship services over their mobile Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, there are some Falun Gong, and the Secretary of State’s Ad- phones in China, and when hundreds of thou- who argue that the world’s destinies are visory Committee on Democracy Promotion. sands of Iranians in and out of the country shaped by impersonal forces rather than by Mark was the brains and inspiration behind conduct interactive town meetings—as I be- the courage and determination of individual another great institution whose positive impact lieve will soon occur—this development will be men and women. will grow over the years. He helped to estab- a tribute to the vision that Mark inspired many I believe that historians of that persuasion lish the Community of Democracies, a global of us to share during the latter part of his pro- never met my friend, and freedom’s friend, assembly of democratic governments that now ductive life. Mark Palmer. I rise to celebrate the life of Am- meets annually in support of democracy and Mark came early to his activism in the bassador Mark Palmer, who died recently after human rights and to deepen the bonds be- cause of human rights, participating during the a characteristically brave and uncomplaining tween democratic governments. Mark served early 1960s in Freedom Bus rides and other twenty year battle against melanoma. as Vice Chair of the Community’s permanent civil rights demonstrations while a student at But for Mark’s controversial determination operating body, its Council. As but one exam- Yale University, from which he graduated while U.S. ambassador to Hungary that the ple of the Council’s work and Mark’s efforts on magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Tak- barbed wire fences between Hungary and its behalf, he initiated and helped write in- ing similar action, Mark regularly sought out Austria should be severed in order to allow creasingly influential training handbooks that and met with dissidents in Moscow and Bel- East Germans to leave the Communist orbit, guide U.S. diplomats and military officers to grade early in his career as a junior Foreign the Berlin Wall might still be standing. But for assist democratic promotion and transition. In Service Officer. As a private citizen, he re- his brave willingness to openly challenge Hun- Mark’s honor, the Council established Palmer turned to Belgrade in 1996 to march with stu- gary’s Communist government when conven- Prizes for contributions by diplomats to the ad- dents against the criminal regime of then Ser- tional thinkers at the State Department and vancement of democracy that were first bian President Slobodan Milosevic. elsewhere were worried about the ‘‘desta- awarded in 2011 to diplomats from seven Patriotism is said to be an honorable com- bilizing’’ effects of a Communist collapse, the countries for pro-human rights efforts in such petition with one’s ancestors, and Mark had Soviet Empire might still be in power. But for nations as Belarus, Cuba and Zimbabwe. many models that helped make him the man Mark’s years of incomparably influential serv- A frequent author of policy and advocacy he became. He was born on July 14, 1941 in ice as a speechwriter and pro-democracy ad- pieces to leading media outlets, and of expert Ann Arbor, Michigan to the late Captain Robie VerDate Mar 15 2010 05:02 May 09, 2013 Jkt 029060 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A08MY8.011 E08MYPT1 smartinez on DSK6TPTVN1PROD with REMARKS E622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 8, 2013 Ellis Palmer, USN and the late Katherine respect Mr.