Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize my mother, Freda Flansburg. My mom was born on March 5, 1944, and peacefully passed away last week, last Monday, January 2, 2023, at 12:20 a.m. She was truly a fighter. She lost a child, my older sister, Kimberly, just after birth. She fought the loneliness of being a mom of two boys while my dad was away on multiple deployments to Vietnam. When the weariness of war destroyed our family, she started a new journey in life that traversed many unplanned hardships. Life was truly tough as we grew up. My siblings, Jeff, John, Jayme, and Kia, knew from an early age that our life was different from those around us. We had no running water, no indoor plumbing. Times were tough. My mom worked to do the best she could to provide for us. She never backed down from the challenges that came before her. She never cared much for us using our life lessons as excuses. Rather, she pushed us to use our experiences to become better and to keep moving on. Like all moms, she was an encourager. As the oldest child, she looked to me to set the example for my brothers and sisters. She wasn't sympathetic when things weren't going my way. The world is full of opportunities, she would say. The challenge was always: go to school, make good grades, work hard, treat people with respect, and see where life takes you. The government will never make you wealthy, she said. You will have to do that on your own, she would always tell me.…”