Reporting on Missing Black Children

Floor Speech

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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, this first speech that I am going to give today is, as we used to say in church, something that the Lord spoke on my heart. He speaks to me, just not in an audible voice. This is something that has kind of been a burden with me for quite some time.

Madam Speaker, today, I rise to express my great concern for the disproportionate number of missing Black children in our country and the way they are treated by our national media.

Every child is precious, Madam Speaker, and it is a tragedy whenever a child goes missing. The sad truth is that it happens to Black kids far more often. Missing Black children made up over one-third of the missing child cases in 2019--over one-third. Yet, it has also been shown these children receive much less media coverage than their counterparts from other demographics.

The media dedicates an enormous amount of time to discuss racism in Congress, schools, police departments, and various other American institutions, so why is it acceptable for the media to dedicate less attention to missing Black kids?

We all know this is not okay, Madam Speaker, but the American public doesn't know this is happening because our media is failing to cover this story.

Every child is made in the image of God and legally equal under the U.S. Constitution. We need to dedicate all the time and resources we can to recover missing kids, regardless of the color of their skin. Honoring Technical Sergeant Durward B. Swanson

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Mr. BURCHETT. Madam Speaker, I rise to honor Technical Sergeant Durward B. Swanson, a World War II veteran and survivor of the Pearl Harbor attacks, as the Tennessee Second District's Veteran of the Month.

Swanson joined the Army Air Corps in 1939 and was sent to Hickam Field, adjacent to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base. He originally signed up to do bomber maintenance, but a sergeant noticed he had skills on a Harley-Davidson and asked if he would head the air police motorcycle unit instead. He accepted that position, Madam Speaker.

On December 7, 1941, when Japanese bombers attacked the airbase, Swanson jumped onto his motorcycle to search for his best friend, Albert Jackson ``Stud'' Lloyd, who was standing in the middle of a ballfield shooting at the planes and cussing up a storm. Swanson drove onto the field and brought his friend back to safety.

After the attack, Swanson and Lloyd removed the damaged flag from the Hickam Field flagpole and folded it to prevent it from being flown overnight.

Following his service, Swanson played guitar for country music legend Hank Williams before deciding the music business wasn't for him. That would be Hank Williams, Sr., if anyone is wondering.

He went on to speak to schools across the United States and travel with groups to Pearl Harbor and the World War II Memorial in Washington.

In June, he celebrated his 100th birthday at the Ben Atchley veterans' home.

There are true heroes in our country, and they aren't famous athletes or movie stars. They are the brave men and women of our Armed Forces, like Durward Swanson.

Madam Speaker, I thank Durward for his service.

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