Political Quotes

“my purpose in coming to the floor today is to tell you about an extraordinary Alaskan family. And to pay tribute to a mother who took from her immigrant heritage and from her adopted Alaskan home, the courage and tenacity to excel at a time when successful women were not the norm and too often uncelebrated. Her name is Mary Mikami Rouse. She died August 7th at the age of 87. Her story begins in Japan with the arrival of a fifth son in the Mikami family in 1864. Shortly after the birth of Mary's father, Goro Mikami, Japan began a period of social and political revolution and tempestuous change. The Shogunate lost power and Japan's imperial house was restored to a position of prestige and authority. The feudal system was eroding and there was a remarkable degree of westernization in all areas of Japanese life. Goro Mikami's father was a vassal of the Shogun, an admiral who was ultimately responsible for a navy failure that contributed to the subsequent loss of power by the Shogun. His sense of honor demanded he commit seppuku, or suicide for that loss. Fortuitously, the emperor stopped him from that action, pardoned him and made him the head of the country's new naval academy. In that position he got to know a number of American naval officers. As the fifth son to a family that was Samurai, or part of the aristocracy, Goro Mikami made a decision that reflected the changing times in which he found himself.…”