Floor Statement of the Rep. Judy Biggert (R-IL)
H. Res. 1007, Expressing the condolences of the House to those affected by the devastating shooting incident of February 14, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 1007 to pay final respects and express the condolences of the House for those affected by the devastating shooting incident on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois on February 14, 2008.
On that dark Valentine’s Day, five students lost their lives, and 17 others were injured.
Those five who were taken from their families are:
20 year old Gayle Dubowski, of Carol Stream;
20 year old Catalina 'Cati' Garcia, of Cicero;
32 year old Julianna Gehant, of Mendota;
19 year old Ryanne Mace, of Carpentersville; and
20 year old Daniel Parmenter, of Westchester.
The wounds suffered that day have been felt deeply by those families that lost loved ones, but the entire nation shares in their pain. Messages of support continue to flow in from across the country and around the world. I would like to make a special note of the extraordinary outpouring of kindness and sympathy from the students and faculty of Virginia Tech. Having endured similar tragedy just last spring, their words of wisdom and perseverance have given strength to many in the NIU community.
Our nation’s universities and colleges are places where students begin to embrace adulthood, where they begin to relish a newfound freedom, and where they begin to realize their dreams. For many, they are places that offer new beginnings and pathways to brighter futures. To have that cut short for these five young men and women by such a senseless act is almost beyond comprehension. So today, we come together to comfort one another, and pray that the Northern Illinois University community and our nation can begin to heal in the aftermath of this unspeakable tragedy.
We also come together to support the efforts of America’s higher education leaders and administrators to ensure tight security and safe conditions for all students. The recent violence on college campuses has American families concerned. As a nation, we must work to create safe yet accessible facilities and ensure that parents don’t have to fear for their children’s lives when they send them off to school. If ever there was a place where America’s youth should feel safe, it’s in institutions of learning.
Mr. Speaker, I also believe that we owe sincere and heartfelt gratitude to NIU’s administration, law enforcement officers, faculty, and students for the way they have handled this crisis. The strong, coordinated response by campus security reflected long hours of training and undoubtedly saved the lives of potential victims. And the entire DeKalb community, both on and off campus, has shown unity and courage in the face of extraordinary adversity.
Simply put, no one can ever be truly prepared to handle a tragedy like this, but the response of the Northern Illinois University family has been a credit to them and the State of Illinois.
So in the spirit of the NIU Huskie’s fight song, let us now move, “forward, together forward.” And may we all learn from the example of NIU as we tackle future challenges that face our nation.
I ask my colleagues to keep the students and families of NIU in their thoughts and prayers, and I ask for their support for this resolution.
I reserve the balance of my time. |