Frank Lautenberg

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I object.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I am sorry. Please continue.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. We object.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, my colleague from Ohio is going to speak. I will give him 4 minutes to make his remarks.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I yield to the Senator from West Virginia 15 minutes.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I yield myself such time as I require to respond to my friend from Colorado. He talks, as he said, with experience, having seen alcohol addiction and the devastation it inflicts. But I want to respond specifically to the question the Senator from Colorado raises about dilution of message. We think that when a campaign is directed toward young people and it says ``Say no to drugs,'' the omission of alcohol sends the wrong message. That's like saying, ``Drugs are bad for you, but alcohol is not so bad.'' So when we look at the statistics, and we see alcohol kills six times as many young people ages 12 to 20 than all of the illegal drugs combined, that tells us that the media campaign cannot deliver a thorough message unless it includes alcohol. Without including alcohol, the media campaign is a mere wink at underage drinking. The drug czar is going to have $1 billion, we hope, over the next 5 years to deliver a message. Mr. President, $1 billion is a lot of money. So if the media campaign says ``Say no to drugs,'' and it also says ``Say no to alcohol,'' I see nothing wrong with that. And if there are ads portraying the horrific things that illegal drugs can do to kids, there should be ads portraying the same horrific things that alcohol can do to kids. With the budget surpluses we have, we will keep on looking for additional funding for this campaign. One of the things that touches everybody in this Chamber, regardless of party, is interest in children, interest in protecting them from violence, interest in protecting them from disease, and interest in protecting them from addiction. So I think it is quite appropriate we combine the message on addiction to include all of the products that would be addictive, including alcohol. With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, on our time, I thank the Senator from West Virginia. He shows an interest in this subject that calls up our knowledge of experience with alcohol that none of us should ever have-- the loss of a family member. When you see the devastation of alcohol, you do not understand why it is a different class addiction than that which is drugs. It is easier to get into. It is less stigmatic. People do not say: Oh, look, he's an alcoholic. A friend of mine has a granddaughter, 14 years old--14 years old--who started sniffing glue, drank alcohol. Now it is drugs. She is in an institution. It is the most heartbreaking thing one can imagine. Mr. President, how much time do we have?

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, New York state legislature exempted New York state residents from paying the New York City commuter tax. But out-of-state residents--including people who live in New Jersey-- are not exempt. They're supposed to keep paying the tax. Commuting between states is an inescapable reality of modern life. As our population grows, the physical boundaries that used to divide one city from another are breaking down. More and more everyday, our country is becoming a collection of regions. And that's especially true on the east coast, where urban populations are already closer together than they are anywhere else. Should we punish people for this? Is it fair to single people out for harsher tax treatment just because they live in one state and work in another? Of course not. It's economic discrimination. And even worse, it's unconstitutional. It's especially unfair in the case of New Jersey residents who work in New York City. Those people work hard. And their work brings real, tangible benefits to New York--benefits that translate into a stronger economy for New York City and the rest of the state. New York needs those commuters. But that fact seems to escape the state's lawmakers. Their message to New Jersey residents is this-- ``You're second-class citizens. You don't live on our side of the state line, so you don't count.'' In 1996 alone, nearly 240,000 New Jersey residents paid $75 million in commuter taxes to New York. I'm sure they didn't like paying it, but at least in 1996 the tax was applied with a sense of fair play. Not anymore. Those commuters are plenty mad. And who can blame them? Commuting to work is a necessity for millions of people. Often, it's an economic necessity. Or a desire to be close to family members. When you tax people just for driving across state lines to work, you're essentially telling them they shouldn't have a choice about where they live. That is wrong, Mr. President. I ask my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I appreciate that. I don't know whether the Senator is further aware that since the Brady bill was put into place in March of 1994, over 400,000 illegal gun sales have been blocked--over 400,000 illegal gun sales have been blocked as a result of the Brady bill being in place.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I know the Senator keeps abreast of things, especially affecting justice, especially affecting juveniles. I inquire of the Senator as to whether or not he knows that where more than 1,700 guns, gun purchases, were denied to prohibited buyers, unstable felons and criminals have been allowed to buy guns because they were unable to thoroughly check the backgrounds before the guns were sold. Is the Senator aware of that?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I wonder if the Senator is aware of the fact that we had a long struggle, which the Senator from Vermont and I participated in, to get the Brady law into place and to try to retain the review of applicants to buy guns, to be continued under the national instant check system. I wonder if the Senator has seen the pieces recently about the fact that the FBI, even with a 3-day business period available to them, does not have enough time to control every one of the decisions that is made to enable someone to buy a gun.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I ask the Senator this question. The Senator from Vermont has had abundant experience as a prosecutor in the law since he was able to start his profession, the distinguished career in the Senate. What will it take, in the Senator's mind, to finally say to the American public that we get your message? We understand that you want to protect your children. And while people have the right to bear arms, people have the right to bear children and send them to school hoping and believing that they are going to get home safely. When, I ask the Senator, does he think that message will get through these, I will call them ``hollow halls,'' so that people will believe that they can send their children or their loved ones to the workplace or to school or to the streets without being gunned down by someone who shouldn't have a gun?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. I know that the Senator from Vermont very much shares this view, despite the fact that gun ownership is a popular thing in the State of Vermont where a lot of people hunt and a lot of people collect guns. But I believe it is fair to say, is it not, that in the State of Vermont, despite the abundant number of guns you have there, violent crime is a relatively small factor? Is that the case?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Therefore, does Vermont have laws that require review of applications to buy guns and require people to get permits to buy guns?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. The Federal law. So they are in adherence, obviously, to the Federal law?

Mr. LAUTENBERG. The Senator is aware, I am sure, that I had the privilege of authoring the domestic violence prohibition for guns to be available to those who had been convicted of misdemeanors, in marital and home disputes. Over 13,000 gun permits have been denied under the law that I authored at the end of 1996, which kept those people from being able to buy guns. I don't know if the Senator is aware of the extent of that number, but it is 13,000. The fact of the matter is that, in conjunction with that, we know that roughly 150,000 times a year a gun is put to a woman's head in front of her children, or in the privacy of a discussion between the two of them, and the threat is made: I will blow your head off. Is the Senator aware of the fact that there are forces at play here that refuse to permit us to have sensible gun violence control? I didn't say gun control; I said gun violence control.

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Will the Senator yield for a question?

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I would like to thank Senator McConnell and Senator Leahy for including my amendment No. 1146 in the managers' package. Mr. President, I rise today to offer an amendment to ensure U.S. aid does not go to countries or regions or communities in the former Yugoslavia which continue to harbor indicted war criminals. This amendment would improve language we adopted last year with a clearer provision covering all of the former Yugoslavia. Mr. President, we have seen terrible atrocities committed in Croatia, in Bosnia, and most recently in Kosovo. The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia has publicly indicted 89 persons for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. There are almost certainly more indictments which remain sealed. Ongoing investigations in Bosnia and now in Kosovo will surely lead to more indictments. However, the justice of the War Crimes Tribunal relies on the governments of countries in the region to apprehend indicted war criminals and transfer them to The Hague to stand trial. Because the Republika Srpska authorities failed to fulfill their responsibilities, United States and other NATO armed forces in the United Nations-authorized peacekeeping force in Bosnia have arrested 7 war criminals. However, 36 publicly indicted war criminals remain at large. Mr. President, our aid programs provide important leverage to motivate governments in the former Yugoslavia to stop harboring war criminals and start arresting them. United States policy linking aid to cooperation with the war crimes tribunal is clear. Indeed, a few years ago, Secretary Albright said the following in her remarks at the Tribunal: . . . The United States has made full cooperation with the War Crimes Tribunal, especially the transfer of indictees to The Hague, a prerequisite for U.S. assistance, our support for assistance by others, and our backing for membership in international institutions. Unfortunately, the administration has resisted putting this policy into practice. Indeed, Secretary Albright has issued broad waivers of the provision included in the fiscal year 1998 and 1999 appropriations bills. The United States now provides aid to the city of Prijedor which hosts no fewer than 8 indicted war criminals. Just this month Secretary Albright signed another waiver to provide $10 million in budget support to the Republika Srpska Government--the very Government which includes the Bosnian Serb police force which should be carrying out arrest warrants and is not. Mr. President, ever more atrocities committed by Serbian police and paramilitary forces in Kosovo are coming to light: executions, torture, rape, burning of homes, expulsions on a massive scale. We must now send a strong signal that we are determined to see the perpetrators of these crimes face justice. We must end our support for so-called moderates in Republika Srpska until and unless they fulfill their obligations to arrest war criminals and cooperate with the War Crimes Tribunal. The Amendment I am offering today clearly states the policy of the United States ``to use bilateral and multilateral assistance to promote peace and respect for internationally recognized human rights by encouraging countries, entities, and communities in the territory of the former Yugoslavia,'' among other things ``by apprehending publicly indicted war criminals and transferring custody of those individuals to the Tribunal to stand trial.'' The amendment sets out mechanisms to ensure that U.S. and multilateral aid will go to areas like the Bosnian Federation, where no war criminals remain at large, while prohibiting aid to authorities and areas that harbor war criminals. Mr. President, I would urge my colleagues to join me in this effort to ensure that the perpetrators of horrible crimes in Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo will ultimately face justice. I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise to pay tribute to Sister Jane Francis Brady, who is retiring after 30 years at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Paterson, New Jersey. For 27 of those years, Sister Jane served as the hospital's President and Chief Executive Officer. This not only is a well-deserved public tribute, but also a very personal tribute. Paterson is my hometown, and St. Joseph's Hospital has been an institution both literally and figuratively for generations of Paterson families, including my own. To thousands of people in New Jersey and the region, she is ``Sister Jane'' and the hospital is ``St. Joe's.'' They are a union that has put quality and hope into so many lives. For many people in the Paterson area, Sister Jane has been the soul, the spirit and the face of healthcare. I have been privileged to work with her on a number of projects that have expanded St. Joe's to meet the continually growing needs of the surrounding community. Under Sister Jane's stewardship, St. Joseph's Hospital has become a focus of wellness care and training--the source for preventive, primary and emergency health services, and for more general education and counseling. Sister Jane's curriculum vitae is stellar. She has held the highest advisory positions on healthcare, serving as Vice-Chair of the New Jersey Commission on Legal and Ethical Problems in the Delivery of Health Care; on New Jersey's Health Care Administration Board; on the SEEDCO Board of Trustees of New York; on the Leadership Task Force on Health Policy Reform of the Catholic Health Association of the United States; and on the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the U.S. She has been recognized for her contributions by numerous organizations, receiving, among others, the Paterson Community Service Award; the Citation of Merit from the NJ Association of Nonprofit Homes for the Aging; the Paterson Community Support Fund Humanitarian Award; ``Woman of the Year'' awards from the American Legion, the Paterson Boys and Girls Club, the NJ State Organization of Cystic Fibrosis, the American Cancer Society, and Passaic County Community College; the Felician College Founders Day Award; the Paterson Historic Preservation Commission's Heritage Award; and the Palestinian Heritage Foundation Humanitarian Award. Sister Jane's retirement presents a huge challenge. We have the legacy of her intellect and passion; we have the solid foundation of her three decades of guidance; we have her enduring vision; but we will need an extraordinary talent to fill the void she leaves. The best tribute we can give, the tribute we owe to Sister Jane, is the promise and commitment to find the best way to give the best healthcare to the most people. That was what she did. That was her gift of faith and strength.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to designate the Lower Delaware River as a National Wild and Scenic River. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Torricelli and Santorum in sponsoring this legislation. Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, designation as a Wild and Scenic River is reserved for free flowing rivers with at least one ``outstandingly remarkable'' resource value such as exceptional scenery, recreational opportunities, fisheries and wildlife, historic site, or cultural resources. Mr. President, the Lower Delaware River has several ``outstandingly remarkable'' resources of national significance and will make a fine addition to the National Wild and Scenic River System. Henry Hudson called the Delaware River ``one of the best, finest, and pleasantest rivers of the world.'' The river begins in the Catskill Mountains and flows south some 300 miles through forested mountains, farmlands, historic towns, suburban and urban communities, industrial complexes and extensive wetlands as it nears the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is one of the largest rivers in the densely populated Northeast, the river retains much of its natural beauty. Woodlands still cover many of the river's islands, the coast's steeply sloping hills and cliffs, and much of its floodplain along both sides of the river. Threatened and endangered species, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons, are found in forests within the river's watershed and rare fish species like striped bass, shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon are found in its waters. The Lower Delaware is the natural boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania and this magnificent part of the river flows through rolling hills, broad valleys, and cliffs carved and shaped by the river's floods. On these cliffs are a startling variety of plant life. Cactus are found on the cliff shelves on the south-facing New Jersey side of the river, while shelves on the north-facing Pennsylvania side support arctic-alpine plants. The Nature Conservancy has identified over forty ``critical habitats'' along the river corridor. The Lower Delaware is also rich in cultural history. The river corridor contains 29 national historic districts and eight national historic landmarks. On Christmas Day in 1776, George Washington crossed the Lower Delaware with his rag-tag Continental Army at present-day Washington Crossing State Park, New Jersey, on his way to a victory over the British and their Hessian mercenaries near Trenton, New Jersey. Villages founded at 18th and 19th century crossroads are located on both sides of the Lower Delaware. Historic canals such as the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Delaware Canal still parallel portions of the river, and their surviving towpaths provide hiking and bicycling opportunities. The Delaware Valley hosts a population of more than 5 million people and the river is within close proximity to major population centers. This proximity provides recreational opportunities for thousands of individuals who use the Lower Delaware for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, birdwatching and fishing. In 1978, both the Upper Delaware and the Middle Delaware River portions were designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Upon the designation of the Lower Delaware, the entire length of the Delaware River from Trenton north, with the exception of a few short sections, would have national designation as a Wild and Scenic River, while the portion of the river from Trenton south is already included in the National Estuary Program. Designation of the Lower Delaware would make the Delaware River the only river system in the eastern United States to have this distinctive status. Lastly, Mr. President, I just wanted to note that designation of a river as Wild and Scenic does not mean that private lands will suddenly be open to public access. Nor does it mean that existing uses of private property will be restricted. Designated rivers do receive permanent protection from federally licensed or assisted dams and other water resource projects that would have direct and adverse effects on the river's free-flowing condition or ``outstandingly remarkable'' resources. A major factor in determining suitability for designation as a Wild and Scenic River is whether or not there is strong support for designation among the localities that border the river. In fact, the Department of the Interior will support designation of a river as Wild and Scenic only if the localities that adjoin the eligible river pass resolutions in support of designation of their individual segments as Wild and Scenic. Although designation has received overwhelming support from the great majority of the localities along the river, a handful of localities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey did not pass the necessary resolutions supporting the designation of their river segments as Wild and Scenic. Therefore, although the river segments adjoining these townships are eligible for designation in the future, the legislation that I propose would not designate these river segments as Wild and Scenic River segments under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Organizations that support designation of this part of the Lower Delaware River as Wild and Scenic include: The Heritage Conservancy, American Rivers, the Delaware River Greenway Partnership, Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Tinicum Conservancy, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Delaware River Mill Society and the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Many individuals have worked hard to ensure that designation of this portion of the river becomes a reality including William Sharp of the National Park Service, the members of the Lower Delaware River Wild and Scenic Management Committee and the Lower Delaware Advisory Committee including New Jersey residents Richard Albert, Jim Amon, Maya Vanrossum, Thomas Dallessio, Linda Mead, Christian R. Nielson, Tisha Petrushka, Joseph M. Pylka, Chris Robert, William Rockafellow, Jean Shaddow, Robert Stokes, Caroline Armstrong, Ron Tindall, Celeste Tracy, Pamela Vinicombe, Lori Hixon, Kenneth G. Zinis, Dan Longhi, Patricia McIlvaine, and John Brunner. I invite my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation to recognize the recreational, scenic and cultural resources of national significance that the Lower Delaware River has to offer both to the citizens of New Jersey and the nation. I ask that a copy of the bill be printed in the Record. The bill follows:

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to designate the Lower Delaware River as a National Wild and Scenic River. I am pleased to be joined by Senators Torricelli and Santorum in sponsoring this legislation. Under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, designation as a Wild and Scenic River is reserved for free flowing rivers with at least one ``outstandingly remarkable'' resource value such as exceptional scenery, recreational opportunities, fisheries and wildlife, historic site, or cultural resources. Mr. President, the Lower Delaware River has several ``outstandingly remarkable'' resources of national significance and will make a fine addition to the National Wild and Scenic River System. Henry Hudson called the Delaware River ``one of the best, finest, and pleasantest rivers of the world.'' The river begins in the Catskill Mountains and flows south some 300 miles through forested mountains, farmlands, historic towns, suburban and urban communities, industrial complexes and extensive wetlands as it nears the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is one of the largest rivers in the densely populated Northeast, the river retains much of its natural beauty. Woodlands still cover many of the river's islands, the coast's steeply sloping hills and cliffs, and much of its floodplain along both sides of the river. Threatened and endangered species, such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons, are found in forests within the river's watershed and rare fish species like striped bass, shortnose sturgeon and Atlantic sturgeon are found in its waters. The Lower Delaware is the natural boundary between New Jersey and Pennsylvania and this magnificent part of the river flows through rolling hills, broad valleys, and cliffs carved and shaped by the river's floods. On these cliffs are a startling variety of plant life. Cactus are found on the cliff shelves on the south-facing New Jersey side of the river, while shelves on the north-facing Pennsylvania side support arctic-alpine plants. The Nature Conservancy has identified over forty ``critical habitats'' along the river corridor. The Lower Delaware is also rich in cultural history. The river corridor contains 29 national historic districts and eight national historic landmarks. On Christmas Day in 1776, George Washington crossed the Lower Delaware with his rag-tag Continental Army at present-day Washington Crossing State Park, New Jersey, on his way to a victory over the British and their Hessian mercenaries near Trenton, New Jersey. Villages founded at 18th and 19th century crossroads are located on both sides of the Lower Delaware. Historic canals such as the Delaware and Raritan Canal and the Delaware Canal still parallel portions of the river, and their surviving towpaths provide hiking and bicycling opportunities. The Delaware Valley hosts a population of more than 5 million people and the river is within close proximity to major population centers. This proximity provides recreational opportunities for thousands of individuals who use the Lower Delaware for canoeing, kayaking, tubing, birdwatching and fishing. In 1978, both the Upper Delaware and the Middle Delaware River portions were designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Upon the designation of the Lower Delaware, the entire length of the Delaware River from Trenton north, with the exception of a few short sections, would have national designation as a Wild and Scenic River, while the portion of the river from Trenton south is already included in the National Estuary Program. Designation of the Lower Delaware would make the Delaware River the only river system in the eastern United States to have this distinctive status. Lastly, Mr. President, I just wanted to note that designation of a river as Wild and Scenic does not mean that private lands will suddenly be open to public access. Nor does it mean that existing uses of private property will be restricted. Designated rivers do receive permanent protection from federally licensed or assisted dams and other water resource projects that would have direct and adverse effects on the river's free-flowing condition or ``outstandingly remarkable'' resources. A major factor in determining suitability for designation as a Wild and Scenic River is whether or not there is strong support for designation among the localities that border the river. In fact, the Department of the Interior will support designation of a river as Wild and Scenic only if the localities that adjoin the eligible river pass resolutions in support of designation of their individual segments as Wild and Scenic. Although designation has received overwhelming support from the great majority of the localities along the river, a handful of localities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey did not pass the necessary resolutions supporting the designation of their river segments as Wild and Scenic. Therefore, although the river segments adjoining these townships are eligible for designation in the future, the legislation that I propose would not designate these river segments as Wild and Scenic River segments under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. Organizations that support designation of this part of the Lower Delaware River as Wild and Scenic include: The Heritage Conservancy, American Rivers, the Delaware River Greenway Partnership, Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce, Lehigh Valley Planning Commission, Tinicum Conservancy, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Delaware River Mill Society and the Delaware and Raritan Canal Commission. Many individuals have worked hard to ensure that designation of this portion of the river becomes a reality including William Sharp of the National Park Service, the members of the Lower Delaware River Wild and Scenic Management Committee and the Lower Delaware Advisory Committee including New Jersey residents Richard Albert, Jim Amon, Maya Vanrossum, Thomas Dallessio, Linda Mead, Christian R. Nielson, Tisha Petrushka, Joseph M. Pylka, Chris Robert, William Rockafellow, Jean Shaddow, Robert Stokes, Caroline Armstrong, Ron Tindall, Celeste Tracy, Pamela Vinicombe, Lori Hixon, Kenneth G. Zinis, Dan Longhi, Patricia McIlvaine, and John Brunner. I invite my colleagues to join me in support of this legislation to recognize the recreational, scenic and cultural resources of national significance that the Lower Delaware River has to offer both to the citizens of New Jersey and the nation. I ask that a copy of the bill be printed in the Record. The bill follows:

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move to lay that motion on the table. The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

Mr. LAUTENBERG

Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated Beta Alpha Omega Chapter, commemorating 65 years of service to the people of Newark. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated was founded in 1908 at Howard University by 16 dynamic women. It is the oldest and largest Greek- letter sorority established by and for African-American women. Today, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is an international network of professional women, with over 150,000 members and 900 chapters located in the United States, West Africa, Bahamas, the Virgin Islands, and Europe. The ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority have dedicated themselves to the spirit behind their motto ``service to all mankind.'' After 91 years of service to the community, they continue to send college- trained women into the world to improve the social and economic conditions throughout the Unites States and abroad. Beta Alpha Omega became an affiliate chapter in January of 1934 and now holds the honor of being New Jersey's oldest affiliate chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. The women of the Beta Alpha Omega Chapter have contributed immeasurably to the city of Newark and its surrounding areas. In 1998 alone, the chapter awarded $15,000 in scholarships to graduating seniors from high schools in Newark and Irvington; co- sponsored the Kwanza Celebration at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center; sponsored continuous voter registration events and provided ``Share Baskets'' for the needy at Thanksgiving. The theme for the chapter over the next four years will be ``Blazing New Trails'' in the 21st century. This initiative will focus the chapter's community efforts on improving programs in the arts, education, health and economic empowerment, as well as in strengthening the African-American family. The women of Beta Alpha Omega have faithfully served the people of Newark and its surrounding areas for over six decades. Their ability to respond to the challenges of our society is demonstrated through their active service in outreach programs. Moreover, these women represent an integral part of American history. As stated by the sorority's historian, Marjorie Parker: ``History is of small worth unless its gifts nourish the seeds from which tomorrow's great achievements blossom.'' The women of Beta Alpha Omega are the seed of hope for the next generation of African-American women.