May 5, 2005 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks E883 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES tween liberty and oppression. We must let all has experienced moments of tyranny in its AND SECRETARY RICE governments know that successful relations history, some not too long ago. with our democratic community depend on Today, our citizens share the common the dignified treatment of their people. To bond of having overcome tyranny through HON. TOM LANTOS strengthen democratic principles, all free na- all our commitment to freedom and democ- OF CALIFORNIA tions must demand that leaders who are racy. Now it is our historic duty to tell the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES elected democratically have a responsibility world that tyranny is a crime of man, not a to govern democratically. Abandoning the fact of nature. Our goal must always be the Thursday, May 5, 2005 Rule of Law for the whim of rulers only leads elimination of tyranny in our world. We, at Mr. LANTOS. Last week, the Community of to the oppression of innocent people. the Community of Democracies must use the Democracies held its third meeting of Foreign To advance our democratic consensus, all power of our shared ideals to accelerate de- free nations must insist that upholding Ministers in Santiago, Chile. This unique group mocracies movement, to ever more places democratic principles is the surest path to around the globe. We must usher in an era of of democracies from around the world met to greater international status. The Commu- democracy that thinks of tyranny as we discuss how democratic nations can cooperate nity of Democracies is one of a growing num- thought of slavery today, a moral abomina- to promote democracy around the world. ber of international organizations that make tion that could not withstand the natural de- I would like to inform my colleagues that at democracy an actual condition for member- sire of every human being for a life of liberty the opening plenary meeting of that Ministerial ship. and of dignity: This is our great purpose, to- on Thursday April 29, 2005, Secretary of State In the western hemisphere, the Organiza- gether we will succeed. Condoleezza Rice made a compelling speech tion of American States has adopted the Interamerican Democratic Charter and here f regarding United States support for those ef- in the southern cone, Mercosur is helping to KAWASAKI DISEASE AWARENESS forts. She expressed her deep seated views bolster democracy. In Europe, only democ- regarding the responsibilities of all democratic racies can belong to the European commu- nations to do so and welcomed the establish- nity, and democratic principles have always HON. HOWARD COBLE ment of a new International Center for Demo- been the cornerstone of NATO. The demo- OF NORTH CAROLINA cratic Transition to be established in my cratic character of states must become the IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES cornerstone of a new, principled hometown of Budapest, Hungary. Mr. Speak- Thursday, May 5, 2005 er, when Hungary was under the communist multilateralism. The real division in our world is between Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, an organization Boot, I would have never dreamed that such those states that are committed to freedom, a Center would become a reality. and those who are not. International organi- dedicated to the awareness of Kawasaki Dis- I am putting Secretary Rice’s speech in the zations like the Community of Democracies ease, A Kawasaki Heart, is striving to increase RECORD and I urge all my colleagues to read can help to create a balance of power that fa- public knowledge of Kawasaki Disease (KD) it in the coming days. vors freedom. One positive action that we throughout the United States and, more par- can take together is to work through the REMARKS AT THE COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES ticularly, among medical professionals. United Nations Democracy Caucus, to sup- OPENING PLENARY I recently learned of a close call suffered by port reform of the United Nations. In par- (By Secretary Condoleezza Rice) 3-year-old Bailey Buffkin, the granddaughter of ticular, we should encourage the creation of Janis Moore of Thomasville, North Carolina, Thank you very much to the Chilean gov- a legitimate human rights body within the ernment, particularly to President Lagos United Nations. Serious action on human and the daughter of Amber Brewer. Bailey be- and to Foreign Minister Walker for hosting rights can only come from countries that re- came ill this past March and her mom wasted this year’s meeting of the Community of De- spect and protect human rights. Our Demo- no time in seeking medical care. Fortunately, mocracies I think we have been all warmly cratic Community can cooperate in other her pediatrician was familiar with the symp- welcomed here in Chile. I know that I speak ways at the United Nations. The UN Democ- toms of KD. The accurate diagnosis and time- for all my distinguished colleagues when I racy Fund, which President Bush proposed ly treatment means that Bailey has a better say that we are honored to gather here to- last fall at the general assembly, is an ideal chance to live a happy and healthy life. gether in the name of democracy. way to provide tangible support to emerging According to the American Heart Associa- Every democracy in the world has shared democracies. Financial assistance is essen- the triumph of Chile’s citizens, as they have tial for all nations working to build firm tion, KD is a disease that primarily affects chil- renewed their commitment to democracy. foundations for freedom. dren under the age of 5 years. It is the leading Indeed we have all experienced the profound The world’s democracies must also help cause of acquired heart disease in children. hope of people here throughout Latin Amer- countries with their democratic transitions, There are a few thousand new cases each ica, who have transformed their continent every nation in this room has experienced a year in the U.S. If not detected and treated im- through their desire to live in liberty. democratic transition of its own, some quite mediately, it can result in permanent heart Today, all the members of the Community of recently. Hungarian Foreign Minister damage or even death. The cause of KD is Democracies declare our deep conviction Somogyi has proposed the creation of a that freedom is the universal longing of democratic transition center. This is a ter- unknown, but scientists who have studied KD every soul and democracy is the ideal path rific way, Minister, for our community to think the evidence strongly suggests it is for every nation. share with young democracies and demo- caused by an infectious agent such as a virus. The past year has brought forth a dramatic cratic movements, the important lessons Children with KD have high fever, red eyes shift in the world’s political landscape. Since that we have learned from our own tradi- and lips, strawberry tongue, a rash, swollen our last meeting in Seoul, we have seen free tions and transitions. lymph nodes, and inflamed arteries. The usual elections in Afghanistan and in Iraq, and in Democratization is after all, not an event, treatment, intravenous gamma globulin, is it is a process. It takes many years, even the Palestinian territories. We have wit- highly effective at preventing the heart com- nessed tremendous developments in places decades to realize the full promise of demo- like Georgia and Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan cratic reform. For nearly a century after the plications if administered within the first few and Lebanon. founding of the United States, millions of days of illness. That is why it is so important There comes a time when the spark of free- black Americans like me were still con- that a child who is suspected of having KD is dom flashes in the minds of all oppressed demned to the status below that of full citi- seen by a doctor quickly and diagnosed cor- people, and they raise their voices against zenship. When the founding fathers of Amer- rectly. tyranny. The Community of Democracies ica said ‘‘We the People’’, they did not mean Because there are relatively few instances must match the bravery of these men and me; many of my ancestors were thought to of KD diagnosed in the United States, it is im- women with the courage of our own convic- be only 3/5 of a man. And it is only within tions. We on the right side of freedom’s di- my lifetime that the United States has portant that parents, guardians and the med- vide have an obligation to help those on the begun to guarantee the right to vote for all ical community become familiar with the signs wrong side of that divide. of our citizens. And so we know, in the and symptoms so that other children are diag- To support democratic aspirations, all free United States, that this is a long and dif- nosed and treated as quickly as Bailey nations must clarify the moral choice be- ficult process, and every nation in this room Buffkin. ∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. Matter set in this typeface indicates words inserted or appended, rather than spoken, by a Member of the House on the floor. VerDate Aug 04 2004 03:38 May 06, 2005 Jkt 039060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0626 Sfmt 9920 E:\CR\FM\A05MY8.001 E05PT1 E884 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — Extensions of Remarks May 5, 2005 Additional information may be located on Fellow Members of Congress, please join economy and culture.