[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 12 (Wednesday, February 9, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: February 9, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                          VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

                                 ______


                          HON. LEE H. HAMILTON

                               of indiana

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, February 9, 1994

  Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to insert my Washington 
Report for Wednesday, December 15, 1993, into the Congressional Record:

                          Violence in America

       Violence is tearing at the very fabric of American society. 
     Most polls show that it ranks, with the economy, as a top 
     concern for voters. Nightly news programs are filled with 
     stories, about drug-related murders, drive-by shootings, or 
     handguns in schools. The President admonishes Hollywood about 
     the dangers of violent entertainment. Foreign countries warn 
     their citizens about the dangers of traveling in the U.S. The 
     wave of violence is spreading into rural America as well. 
     Residents of the Ninth Congressional District were shocked 
     last year by the abduction and brutal murder of a twelve year 
     old girl near Madison. Many Hoosiers tell me that they feel 
     that no place is safe anymore. They believe that government 
     is failing in its basic mission to protect its citizens.


                          Scope of the Problem

       Crime statistics underscore the magnitude of the problem. 
     Violent crime in America can take many forms, including 
     murder, robbery, rape and assault. The Justice Department 
     estimates that last year 1.9 million violent crimes were 
     committed, a 50% increase from a decade ago; 29,000 violent 
     crimes were committed in Indiana last year. Most violent 
     crime continues to be concentrated in our inner cities, even 
     as violent crime rates in urban areas have fallen slightly in 
     recent years. Rates for smaller cities and town are on the 
     increase.
       A particularly disturbing trend in recent years has been 
     the increase in violent crime among children and adolescents. 
     The FBI estimates that over 11% of all persons arrested for a 
     serious crime are under the age of 15; 29% of those persons 
     are under age 18. Gunfire is the leading cause of death among 
     young men today. It is not uncommon to read about children 
     engaging in gun fights in school hallways or playgrounds. 
     Many schools, particularly in inner cities, have responded by 
     installing metal detectors and hiring additional security 
     personnel.


                            Potential Causes

       Several possible explanations have been offered for the 
     rise in violence in our society. First, the level of violence 
     is tied to population growth. Studies have shown that younger 
     men are more likely to commit crime than older men, so as our 
     population got younger during the 1970s and 1980s because of 
     the baby boom, crime and violence increased. Second, the 
     media and Hollywood are faulted for showing too much violence 
     on television and in movies. Some contend that they have 
     glamorized violence and created a culture accepting of 
     violent behavior. Third, violence in America is linked to 
     deeper societal ills. Violent offenders are more likely to be 
     young, poor and unemployed; to be poorly educated; to have 
     come from broken homes and violent neighborhoods with limited 
     economic opportunities; and to have abused drugs. Fourth the 
     ease with which people obtain high-powered guns contributes 
     to the upsurge in violence. Guns in America are plentiful, 
     accessible, and increasingly lethal; more than 15,000 people 
     were killed last year with firearms. Other countries with 
     more restrictive gun laws have far fewer violent crimes. 
     Fifth, our criminal justice system is said to be weak and 
     ineffectual. Deterrence of crime depends primarily on the 
     swiftness and certainty of punishment, but our justice system 
     has been overwhelmed by the heavy caseload. Sixth, some 
     suggest our society is inherently violent. Our emphasis on 
     independence and freedom has historically had its darker, 
     violent side, whether on the Western frontier or in today's 
     cities.


                               Responses

       Violence is a complex problem which defies easy solutions. 
     This helps explain some of the public's frustration with the 
     government's response to violent crime. Washington 
     politicians continue to over-promise and under-deliver on the 
     crime issue. Washington has passed four major crime bills 
     over the last decade--and is poised to pass another crime 
     bill next year--and spends record sums on anti-crime efforts, 
     but these initiatives have had a limited impact on the crime 
     problems faced by the average American. In our federal system 
     of government, states and localities take the lead in 
     fighting the crimes which worry people most, like assault and 
     rape. The federal government does play an important role in 
     assisting those efforts with funding, research and personnel; 
     the crime bill pending in Congress would provide funding for 
     the hiring of 100,000 new policy officers. But it is 
     misleading to suggest that Washington can solve the problem 
     of violence with the passage of a law, no matter how 
     carefully crafted.
       There are limits to what government can do about violence. 
     Certain steps must be taken to make our criminal justice 
     system more effective. Many states and localities are working 
     to strengthen their police forces and get violent offenders, 
     particularly repeat offenders, off the streets. Many are also 
     trying innovative anti-crime programs, such as ``boot camps'' 
     to deter young first offenders or ``community policing'' to 
     encourage police and neighborhood leaders to work together in 
     fighting crime. I also think it will help to perform 
     background checks before handgun sales. Even so, government's 
     record to date in curbing violence has been discouraging. A 
     decade of building dozens more prisons, incarcerating 
     thousands more prisoners, and expanding the number of capital 
     offenses has not reduced overall crime levels. If anything, 
     most Americans are more concerned about their safety today 
     than they were ten years ago.


                             a new approach

       The question then is what should we be doing differently. 
     Violence is such a pervasive problem that it cannot be solved 
     by government alone. Government, of course, must take the 
     lead in fighting crime. It must put police on the street and 
     get criminals off the street. But in the end success depends 
     on individuals with a moral sense that is nurtured in 
     families and encouraged by communities, that instills a 
     strong sense of individual responsibility. Each of us has a 
     role to play--whether caring for our children, working with 
     law enforcement to fight neighborhood crime, or helping to 
     create jobs in impoverished areas.
       I am especially troubled by the rise in violent crime among 
     young people. Clearly, intervention is necessary to stop the 
     killing. More schools should run anti-crime education 
     programs for their students, encourage conflict resolution 
     techniques, and institute drug and alcohol abuse counseling 
     programs to stop drug and alcohol-related crimes before they 
     start. Government should also work, in partnership with the 
     private sector, to help address the social causes of violence 
     by providing services to assist troubled families, 
     educational programs like Head Start for at-risk children, 
     and job training programs for young adults. Yet, if any of 
     these efforts are to succeed, we must teach children about 
     discipline, self-respect, the importance of education, and 
     the value of human life.

                          ____________________