[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 157 (Wednesday, October 11, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15042-S15043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SENATE RESOLUTION 180--TO PROCLAIM ``WEEK WITHOUT VIOLENCE''

  Mr. BRADLEY (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. 
Specter, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Feinstein) submitted the following 
resolution, which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 180

       Whereas the Week Without Violence, a public-awareness 
     campaign designed to inspire alternatives to the problem of 
     violence in our society, falls on October 15, 1995, through 
     October 21, 1995;
       Whereas the prevalence of violence in our society has 
     become increasingly disturbing, as reflected by the fact that 
     2,000,000 people are injured each year as a result of violent 
     crime, with a staggering 24,500 reported murders in 1993 and 
     with losses from medical expenses, lost pay, property, and 
     other crime-related costs totaling billions of dollars each 
     year;
       Whereas studies show that violence against women in their 
     own homes causes more total injuries to women than rape, 
     muggings, and car accidents combined and that \1/2\ of all 
     women who are murdered in the United States are killed by 
     their male partners;
       Whereas violence has invaded our homes and communities and 
     is exacting a terrible toll on our country's youth;
       Whereas children below the age of 12 are the victims of 1 
     in 4 violent juvenile victimizations reported to law 
     enforcement, adding up to roughly 600,000 violent incidents 
     involving children under the age of 12 each year;
       Whereas studies show that childhood abuse and neglect 
     increases a child's odds of future delinquency and adult 
     criminality and that today's juvenile victims are tomorrow's 
     repeat offenders;
       Whereas the risk of violent victimization of children and 
     young adults has increased in recent years;
       Whereas according to FBI statistics, on a typical day in 
     1992, 7 juveniles were murdered;
       Whereas from 1985 to 1992, nearly 17,000 persons under the 
     age of 18 were murdered;
       Whereas the YWCA, as the oldest women's membership movement 
     in the United States, continues its long history as an 
     advocate for women's rights, racial justice, and nonviolent 
     approaches to resolving many of society's most troubling 
     problems;
       Whereas the chapters of the YWCA provide a wide range of 
     valuable programs for women all across the country, including 
     job training programs, child care, battered women's shelters, 
     support programs for victims of rape and sexual assault, and 
     legal advocacy;
       Whereas the YWCA Week Without Violence campaign will take 
     an active approach to confront the problem of violence head-
     on, with a grassroots effort to prevent violence from making 
     further inroads into our schools, community organizations, 
     workplaces, neighborhoods, and homes;
       Whereas the Week Without Violence will provide a forum for 
     examining viable solutions for keeping violence against 
     women, men, and children out of our homes and communities;
       Whereas national and local groups will inspire and educate 
     our communities about effective alternatives to violence; and
       Whereas the YWCA Week Without Violence is both a challenge 
     and a clarion call to all Americans: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate encourages all Americans to spend 
     7 days without committing, condoning, or contributing to 
     violence and proclaims the week of October 15, 1995, through 
     October 21, 1995, as the ``Week Without Violence''.

  Mr. BRADLEY. Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator 
Hatch as well as Senator Cohen, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Specter, 
Senator Murray, and Senator Feinstein to submit a resolution to declare 
the week of October 15 the ``Week Without Violence.''
  Mr. President, just look at yesterday's papers. Dateline Washington: 
A D.C. police officer dies after being shot while on duty. Dateline 
Arizona: One person dies and many more are hurt after suspected 
sabotage derails an Amtrak train. Dateline Philadelphia: A man is 
arrested for allegedly committing two sexual assaults. And the list 
continues.
  All of these stories are from yesterday's newspapers, where tales of 
death and violence fill page after page of newsprint. Unfortunately, 
there was nothing unusual about yesterday. It was just a typical day in 
America--where the headlines of today are torn from the nightmares of 
days past.
  These stories, and the hundreds like them across the country, focus a 
disturbing spotlight on the prevalence of violence in our society.
  The statistics are alarming. Every year, 2 million people are injured 
each year as a result of violent crime. There were a staggering 24,500 
murders reported in 1993; losses from medical expenses, lost pay, 
property, and other crime-related costs total billions of dollars a 
year.
  But it does not stop there. Violence against women in their own homes 
causes more total injuries to women than rape, muggings, and car 
accidents combined. And half of all the women murdered in the United 
States are killed by their male partners.
  It continues. Instead of buying books and computers, our schools are 
buying the latest metal detectors and are hiring teams of armed guards. 
Schools have had to choose between education and safety. And still, 15 
percent of suburban teenagers and 17 percent of urban teenagers say 
they have carried a gun within the last month. It is nearly 
inconceivable to think that parents have to send their children off to 
school each day worrying that they might be gunned down, but in many 
areas, that's a fact of life.
  These stories and statistics may be unbelievable, but they are true. 
Violence in our society touches the inner city and the small town, rich 
and poor, black and white. Violence does not discriminate.
  But what can we do? Do we lock ourselves in our homes, shut out from 
society? Do we arm ourselves with latest automatic weapons? Do we try 
to strike first, to keep the harm away from us?
  Or do we identify practical alternatives to this violence? Do we try 
to make a difference? And do we try to leave a safer society for our 
children?
  The choice here is clear. In order to combat the rise of violence, we 
must be proactive. We need to provide real choices for our children. 
They do not have to resort to guns, violence, and hate.
  Toward that end, the YWCA is sponsoring a nationwide Week Without 
Violence campaign. Beginning this Sunday, the YWCA will provide a forum 
for identifying real solutions to the problem of violence.
  Through education and discussion, we can provide our children with 
real change. By working to fight violence in our communities, schools 
can again become centers for learning and homes can again be rid of the 
fear that has permeated their walls.
  Through the work of organizations like the YWCA, our communities can 
choose actions other than violence. In bringing its message to the 
schools, community centers, workplaces, and houses of worship, the 
YWCA's Week Without Violence can provide resistance to this rising 
tide.
  Violence against women does not have to continue. Assault and murder 
rates do not have to rise. Hate words do not have to dominate public 
discourse. There are alternatives. And the Week Without Violence will 
aid our communities in identifying them.
  In concurrence with, and in support of, the YWCA's Week Without 
Violence campaign, I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
resolution.
  Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I am proud to join so many of my 
colleagues 

[[Page S 15043]]
in submitting this important resolution, to proclaim the week of 
October 15, 1995 through October 21, 1995 as the ``Week Without 
Violence.''
  As a mother and as a woman, I am deeply troubled about the epidemic 
of violence in our Nation. And I have devoted myself to doing all I 
can, as a Senator, to make our streets, our neighborhoods, and our 
homes safe for our children and families.
  The numbers are shocking. But, often the real story gets lost in the 
statistics. Let us take a moment to reflect about what we mean when we 
say that violence is ever-present in our society. We are referring to 
senseless crimes committed among strangers; husbands physically and 
emotionally battering their wives; parents at the end of their ropes 
driven to abuse and neglect their own children; and young people with 
guns on the playground who have lost hope about their futures.
  I believe that education and public awareness are some of our best 
tools in bringing about an end to violence in our country. And that is 
why this ``Week Without Violence'' is so important. We must lead by 
example, and send a message to all Americans that we are committed to 
ending the cycle of pain, hurt, and fear destroying America's families 
and society as a whole. We need to work together with our neighbors, 
and local and national groups to communicate loud and clear the message 
that ``violence is unacceptable, abuse is wrong, and it's got to 
stop.''
  But, education is not enough. We must maintain the Federal 
Government's commitment to preventing and reducing violent crimes. I am 
pleased the Senate recently restored funding for the Violence Against 
Women Act, and I encourage my colleagues to continue to support 
important programs like VAWA which are critical to ensuring the safety 
of our citizens.
  I also would like to commend the YWCA, the oldest womens' membership 
movement in the United States, for its ongoing efforts to resolve 
societal ills through nonviolent means, and for helping to reduce 
violence through prevention and education initiatives. And I also would 
like to recognize the invaluable services the YWCA provides to 
survivors of violence through job training programs, shelters, child 
care, and support groups for rape and assault victims.
  Together, we can make our country a safer place to live and raise our 
families. This ``Week Without Violence'' is an important step in that 
direction, and I am proud of our commitment to creating a safer 
tomorrow for all Americans.

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