May 10, 2002 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E773 IN HONOR OF THE UNITY FELLOW- the alert, he noticed a girl’s book bag and shirt It seems that my colleagues once again SHIP CHURCH MOVEMENT OF caught in a car’s rear tire, and saw that she have dropped a quarter in their rhetorical juke- NEW YORK was being pulled under the car before the box that plays music that they want us to driver knew what was happening. Chris dance to. HON. EDOLPHUS TOWNS jumped in front of the moving car and stopped But this time, I hope all of America listens OF NEW YORK it. His bravery saved the young girl from seri- closely to the beat and is not fooled by the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ous harm. words of the song or its rhetoric. Because if Students like Chris Haas report for duty on you listen closely you will hear: Thursday, May 9, 2002 Safety Patrol every school day at North Harts- LOWER THE COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS NOW Mr. TOWNS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in honor of ville Elementary School. Dressed in orange Translation. Take credit for minimal dis- a vital community organization that has af- safety hats and belts and silver badges, they counts that are already available. fected real change in its short history. can be found helping students get safely GUARANTEE ALL SENIOR CITIZENS PRESCRIPTION DRUG On May 10, 1992, Reverend Zachary G. across the street, and in and out of cars. COVERAGE Jones held its first worship service in the I want to salute Chris Haas for his courage Translation. Promise seniors an inadequate Charles Angel room of the New York City Les- and recognize all the other members of the drug benefit offered by private insurance com- bian and Gay Community Center. On that his- Safety Patrol for helping make North Hartsville panies. toric Sunday afternoon, Reverend Jones min- Elementary School a safe place to learn. IMPROVE MEDICARE WITH MORE CHOICES AND MORE istered to approximately 15 people. The group f SAVINGS heard what continues to be the core message Translation: Shift costs to seniors and limit PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFIT of the church to this day, ‘‘God is Love and choice of providers. Love is for everyone’’ and ‘‘Let nothing or no STRENGTHEN MEDICARE FOR THE FUTURE one separate you from the Love of God’’. Dur- HON. STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES Translation: Undermine Medicare by forcing ing that time many people with alternative life- OF OHIO seniors into private insurance and HMOs for styles felt that they were turned away from IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES drug coverage. their traditional houses of worship because of Thursday, May 9, 2002 Stop the dancing! Stop the music! their orientation and the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rep- f Since that first service, now Bishop Zachary resent the great City of Cleveland Ohio, which PERSONAL EXPLANATION G. Jones has built a congregation of more is home to the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame and than 600 members and over 200,000 people also music legends such as the singing group of faith from New York City and around the the O’Jays. HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA world have attended his services. In addition, The O’Jays had legendary hits in the 1970s OF CALIFORNIA today, Unity Fellowship Church Movement of like ‘‘Climbing the Stairway to Heaven,’’ ‘‘Back IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES New York has a permanent location at 230 Stabbers,’’ and ‘‘For the Love of Money’’. Thursday, May 9, 2002 Classon Avenue in Brooklyn. Clearly, this Just like in the 1970s when these songs of Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. church has filled a void. conscience were the rallying cry for so many 130, I was unavoidably detained with other Unity Fellowship Church Movement of New around the country, they still have relevance matters. Had I been present, I would have York’s mission states that it is a social justice today when you consider how we in Congress voted ‘‘yes.’’ ministry that teaches freedom on all levels of have yet to pass a true and comprehensive f racial, sexual, religious and social-economic prescription drug benefit for our greatest treas- oppression. They carry out their mission ure—Senior Citizens. OUR SERVICEWOMEN FIGHTING through a variety of programs designed to I hope people remember the titles of these FOR FREEDOM DESERVE FREE- meet the needs of the community and their songs when trying to figure out why we in DOM parishioners, such as, their hunger program Congress have yet to pass what we promised which has fed over 5,000 homeless individuals you sometime ago—Medicare Prescription HON. SAM FARR and families; their creation of the ‘‘Unity in Drug Coverage. OF CALIFORNIA Community Week’’ to publicly address Yes, my colleagues on the other side of the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES homophobia, health education, racism, and vi- aisle have touted a new Medicare reform Thursday, May 9, 2002 olence based on sexual orientation; ‘‘Unity fel- package that is suppose to address the ills of lowship breaking ground’’ an organization those Americans who are forced to decide be- Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, earlier dedicated to providing social services to sup- tween eating or taking their medicine—Senior today, the House denied itself the opportunity port gay and lesbian youth in Brooklyn. This is Citizens. to address a discriminatory practice affecting the first organization of color in New York I don’t know a song title that would address the women serving in our military. An amend- dedicated to the needs of the Lesbian and this concern but I believe one of the three ment which would have required equal treat- Gay community on a regular basis. songs, I mentioned is appropriate and believe ment of servicewomen overseas was pre- Mr. Speaker, Bishop Zachary G. Jones ful- if you listen very closely to the tone my col- vented from coming to the floor. I consider this fills his mission every day as he reaches out leagues on the other side of the aisle are a great loss to all those who serve in our mili- to people outside of the regular church setting humming it just might be one of these songs— tary and all Members of Congress who wished who share a commitment to God but have like ‘‘Back Stabbers’’ or ‘‘Climbing the Stair- to express their conviction that our military can lacked the opportunity to practice their faith way to Heaven’’. and must treat its members fairly. The military currently requires or strongly freely because of their sexual orientation. As My personal favorite is ‘‘For the Love of encourages servicewomen to wear abayas such, I urge my colleagues to join me in hon- Money’’ which was one of the O’Jays greatest and headscarves, complete coverings of their oring this unique and vital organization on its hits. In one stanza in the song, the lead singer bodies, while off-base in Saudi Arabia. The 10th Anniversary. states, ‘‘For the love of money, a person would steal from his own mother.’’ military makes no such recommendations to f This is what is happening in many cases servicemen to dramatically alter their appear- TRIBUTE TO CHRIS HAAS because I know many of my colleagues are ance. The government of Saudi Arabia does not listening to their conscience but rather not require non-Muslim women to wear HON. JOHN M. SPRATT, JR. House Leadership—Leadership which does abayas, and the U.S. State Department does OF SOUTH CAROLINA not want to see a true comprehensive pre- not encourage its female embassy employees IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES scription drug benefit this Congress but would nor tourists to wear abayas. rather wait. I believe it is important to remember that the Thursday, May 9, 2002 Waiting is an indication that many more women who have served in our military have Mr. SPRATT. Mr. Speaker, I want to call to people will continue to suffer because of inac- not always responded to a call. For many, the attention of the House the bravery of Chris tion on our part. they proudly volunteered long before a call Haas, a sixth grader who is captain of the I was raised to believe that a broken prom- was ever sounded. Safety Patrol at North Hartsville Elementary ise is equivalent to stealing. During the American Revolution, wives fol- School in Hartsville, South Carolina. But House leadership wants us to keep lowed their husbands into war, mothers fol- Last December, Chris saved a fellow stu- dancing. I pose the question to all—What are lowed their sons. They brought water and sup- dent from serious injury. Because he was on we dancing to? plies, they tended the wounds of those who
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