Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the exemplary citizenship of Gary Bates. This is recognition for a life that has been lived and is continuing to be lived well--the kind of honorable life that too often goes unrecognized. Gary's life has been defined by fighting. He began life in Henderson, NV fighting to avoid the challenges of a difficult home. He took this fighting spirit into the Marine Corps, where he served honorably until 1966 when he began an impressive career as a professional heavyweight boxer. As a regular name on the Las Vegas strip, he faced off with big names like Ken Norton, Ron Lyle and Gerry Cooney. There is nothing to idealize about many of the choices he made and paths he took in this phase of his life, but what is admirable is how he fought to turn his life around. He learned from the mistakes he made, and turned potential stumbling blocks into effective stepping stones to a productive life. Recognizing a better way of living, Gary settled down by marrying his wife Carmen and raising two daughters. But Gary did not stop fighting. Finding inspiration in his Catholic faith, he picked up the fight for the less fortunate and endangered. Some of Gary's feats border on the incredible. He once saved the life of a complete stranger, Charles H. Case. While visiting Las Vegas, Charles crashed into an off-ramp rail and his car exploded into flames.…”