Rep. Cotter offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 304. 

            A resolution to recognize and honor all of the athletes from around the country who will represent the United States at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.

            Whereas, The Paralympics are a global showcase for elite athletes with disabilities to participate in 20 different events that test speed, strength, endurance, and dexterity. More than just an athletic competition, the Paralympics serve as a vehicle to change societal perceptions of individuals with disabilities and to inspire the world with stories of courage, perseverance, determination, and triumph; and

            Whereas, The Paralympics have a long and distinguished history, beginning in 1948, when a group of 16 British World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries participated in the Stoke Mandeville Games in England. Four years later, in 1952, Dutch veterans joined the competition, and the International Stoke Mandeville Games were founded.  These games would eventually become the Paralympics, and in 1960, the inaugural Paralympic Games took place in Rome, Italy, with 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in 13 different events; and

Whereas, Since 1960, the Paralympic Games have taken place every four years, and the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games in London will be the fourteenth Paralympics, and the largest in the history of the games, with an estimated 4,200 athletes from 160 nations participating in 20 sports; and

            Whereas, The athletes who compete in the Paralympics represent an indomitable spirit and incredible stories that move, inspire, and improve society, teaching the values of acceptance and appreciation for people with disabilities. By linking sport with social awareness, the Paralympics contribute to the development of a more equitable society that respects all individuals and breaks down barriers; and        

            Whereas, Through persistence and perseverance, Paralympic athletes achieve sporting excellence, thereby allowing individuals the world over to see that people with disabilities possess tremendous sporting skill and are capable of elite athletic performances.  Thus, by pushing their physical abilities to the absolute limit and embodying the Paralympic values of courage and determination, these amazing athletes help contribute to a better, more inclusive world for all people; and

            Whereas, It is with great pride that the people of Michigan recognize the exceptional athletes who will represent our great nation in the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games; now, therefore, be it

            Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body recognize and honor all of the athletes from around the country who will represent the United States at the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.  They, through their commitment to athletic excellence, courage, and determination, have proved themselves to be among the greatest athletes in the world, and, in so doing, have shown themselves worthy of representing the United States in the 2012 Summer Paralympic Games.