 |
| Senator Earle McCormick and Representative Craig Hickman present a sentiment to Sharon Wise of Winthrop |
REMARKS
OF REPRESENTATIVE CRAIG HICKMAN ON THE SENTIMENT TO HONOR THE HEROISM OF SHARON
WISE OF WINTHROP – MARCH 17, 2015
Mr. Speaker, women and men of the House, I rise to honor the heroism of
Ms. Sharon Wise of Winthrop, who, back in December, was ready to fight to keep
a young girl from being abducted, but first, I would like to read from the Posting
Guidance for Federal Agencies as presented by the U.S. General Services
Administration Missing Child Notice Program. And I quote:
- At the beginning
of each month, all notices from the previous month should be removed and
replaced with new notices. It is important that new notices are not added
to existing notices. Listing more than ten at a time reduces the impact of
the program.
- When selecting a
site within your building to display notices, choose wisely. Ensure that
notices are posted in public areas and offer maximum exposure to the
public.
- Missing child
notices present a powerful and emotional message, therefore, keep all
hardcopy displays tasteful and modest in size out of respect for employees
who may see the pictures repeatedly.
End quote.
The compassion on display in this guidance
underscores an alarming statistic:
Every 40 seconds in the United States, a child goes
missing or is abducted. Every 40 seconds.
And so, yes, missing child notices present a powerful
and emotional message. I’m sure we’ve all seen them. Children’s faces plastered
on the walls of the post office or the grocery store.
Every 40 seconds.
According to the most recent published statistics here
in Maine, since 1971, seven children reported missing have not been found. Their
families have no closure. There is a grief that knows no outlet. Can you
imagine the emotional turmoil of mother who goes every single day to the last
place her son was seen hoping to find him right there calling out for her? Can
you imagine the desperation of a father, who, every time he hears the wind blow
open the gate to the back yard, runs to a window hoping to see his daughter
walking up to the back door. Can you imagine?
Later today or tomorrow or the next, I say go hug
your children or grandchildren, your young nieces and nephews and godchildren.
Embrace them as often as you can. Let them know that they are special little
angels and that you love them from the bottom of your heart. For in the blink
of an eye, any one of them could go missing. We wouldn’t wish that
heart-shattering tragedy on any parent or grandparent or uncle or aunt. And so
when you hold your children close and tell them how special they are, think of
those whose vigilance, responsiveness and bravery have kept families whole.
And so, Mr. Speaker, women and men of the House, I
rise also to say this:
Let us honor Ms. Sharon Wise of Winthrop, who, as far
as our research could take us, prevented the first abduction of a child by a
stranger in the State of Maine.
I’m going to say it again:
Because of the vigilance, responsiveness and bravery
of Ms. Sharon Wise of Winthrop, the first abduction of a child by a stranger in
the State of Maine was stopped, while it was happening. The man could have
drawn a weapon on her as she pulled the child back from his grip, and even if
that crossed her mind, she was undeterred and kept a 2-year-old girl from being
taken from her grandmother in plain daylight. And she did it all on a bad knee.
Talk about going above and beyond.
“Generations,” wrote James Baldwin, “do not cease to
be born and we are responsible to them because we are the only witnesses they
have.”
Today, we thank Ms. Wise for bearing witness. Today,
we honor her for her heroism. Today, we are most grateful to Sharon Wise for
her brave act of love. Her example is a blessing. Her example is an
inspiration.
May we all be so vigilant, so responsive, and so brave.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
