Political Quotes

“It is a pleasure being here today. As we say in east Tennessee, you class up the joint. Thank you for allowing me to be here. Today, I rise to celebrate the 90th birthday of one of my dearest friends, Julia Tucker, 90 years old. Julia has served the Knoxville community in many different ways over the years. Julia was the first woman to chair the Knoxville City School Board, where she served with my daddy. Julia is a force to be reckoned with, and she fights for things that are important to her. Julia once saved her unconscious neighbors' lives during a gas leak by dragging them out of their house. Since Julia's son, Bill, lost his tragic battle with AIDS in 1991, Julia has dedicated her life to raising money and awareness to combat the disease and also to fight the bigotry. I still have his minibike, a ``Lil'' Indian, in my collection, and I treasure it very much. Julia also honored her son by building Williamswood Castle, which is a castle modeled after a Scottish hunting lodge, in Knoxville, Tennessee, Madam Speaker. Bill was a historic preservationist way before his time. People weren't doing things like that, and Bill kind of set the mark for it. Bill was incredibly proud of his family's Scottish heritage, and this castle is a unique way for Julia to preserve her son's memory. Julia allowed my sweet little girl, Isabelle, to have her birthday party there, and it was magical. Julia also serves on committees and boards for local organizations.…”