Gary Franks: “like a chain, in order to improve our Nation we must strengthen even the weakest links in our society. By doing so it…”

“like a chain, in order to improve our Nation we must strengthen even the weakest links in our society. By doing so it would make it more likely that under known or unknown pressures, we would be able to pull together rather than fall apart as a nation. Hope and opportunity are key elements. They go hand in hand with success. It is hard to have one without the other. However, for many in our inner cities, opportunities seem limited. Thus hopelessness often creeps into their lives, and the prospect of success becomes nothing more than a pipe dream. We as leaders owe our society much more, but, unlike the beliefs of many, we do not have to throw taxpayers' dollars at the problem. There are other solutions. Mr. Speaker, I will soon be offering initiatives that in a meaningful way will attempt to address these grave concerns.”