Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the ninth annual Cowboy Poetry Week, which will be celebrated from April 18 to 24, 2010. Across the Western States, in public libraries, museums, and over the airwaves, cowboy poets and cowboy poetry enthusiasts will come together to celebrate the spirit of the West through this unique art form. What began as storytelling over the campfire has evolved into both a way to preserve the history and culture of the West, as well as a modern art form that embraces the cowboy way of life. The National Cowboy Poetry Gathering, in Elko, NV, celebrated its 26th anniversary this January. Through events like this, cowboy poetry has experienced a resurgence in recent years, at once preserving recitation traditions that are a central form of artistry in communities throughout the West and promoting popular poetry and literature to the general public. At cowboy poetry gatherings, urban populations are able to glimpse a way of life that continues to exist on rangelands across the West. As someone from a small town in Nevada, I have seen firsthand how the West has changed since I was young, but thanks to cowboy poets, among others, we will never lose the true spirit of the West. For this reason, I would like to thank the thousands of people out there in a few short weeks celebrating Cowboy Poetry Week, and I wish them all an enjoyable and successful week. ____________________”