[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1451-S1452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CHARACTER COUNTS RESOLUTION, SENATE RESOLUTION 226

  Mr. NUNN. Mr. President, yesterday, I joined with my distinguished 
colleague Senator Domenici, in submitting Senate Resolution 226. This 
resolution which, I strongly support, would designate the week of 
October 13-19, 1996, as the third annual National Character Counts 
Week.

[[Page S1452]]

  For the past 2 years, I have joined with Senator Domenici and several 
of our other colleagues in introducing the previous character counts 
bills, and I have been very pleased with its reception by our 
colleagues and our constituents.
  We have come together again this year to draw attention to the fact 
that our Nation is experiencing a crisis of values. This crisis is 
reflected in the rising tide of violence that kills children in the 
cross-fire on school yards and in front of their houses, and in the 
increasing number of children who kill each other.
  This crisis goes beyond crime. It is reflected, also, in the recent 
survey of youngsters conducted by the Josephson Institute of Ethics. 
These ordinary youngsters may never be involved in crime, drug abuse, 
or teenage pregnancy, but they still acknowledge disturbing ethical 
lapses;
  Two out of five high school age boys and one in four girls have 
stolen something from a store.
  Nearly two-thirds of all high school students and one-third of all 
college students had cheated on an exam.
  More than one-third of males and one-fifth of females aged 19-24 said 
they would lie to get a job and nearly one-fifth of college students 
had already done so in the last year. Twenty-one percent said they 
would falsify a report to keep a job.
  As a character in John Steinbeck's novel ``Of Mice and Men'' 
complained, ``Nothing is wrong anymore.'' Unfortunately, a lot is wrong 
and our society seems reluctant to admit the problem, and to teach 
again and live by the values of right and wrong.
  This is the core message of character counts--that there are core 
values that our society agrees on and that should guide our 
decisionmaking. These values, as set out in the resolution, are 
trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and 
citizenship. These values are and have been supported by an extremely 
broad and diverse coalition of people, including former Secretary of 
Education Bill Bennett, the late Barbara Jordan, actor-producer Tom 
Selleck, and Children's Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman. 
Among our colleagues, Senators with such diverse political viewpoints 
as Senator Helms and Senator Boxer have supported similar efforts in 
the past. I come before the Senate today on behalf of this group to 
urge continued attention to this important problem.
  In recent months, I have joined with my colleague Senator Lieberman 
and Secretary Bennett in an effort to raise awareness of the connection 
between what people see in the media and the way they live their lives. 
One of the points we have tried to stress to media producers and the 
advertisers who support these shows is that they have a responsibility 
to consider the societal context in which their programs play. It is 
difficult for our children to see trash and violence on television 
every day and avoid falling into those habits in their own lives. By 
the same token, we as citizens have a responsibility to provide an 
example of good character for our children to follow. If they see us 
upholding the pillars of good character in our everyday lives, it 
becomes easier for them to live that way.
  This is a resolution considered by members of the Senate and House in 
Washington, DC. But it is the parents, teachers, coaches, ministers, 
big brothers and sisters in local communities who will lead the fight 
for values in our Nation. As a result of the efforts by the Character 
Counts Coalition, people in all areas of the country are more aware of 
the problems we face, and have begun to incorporate these values into 
their everyday lives and those of their children. Senator Domenici has 
outlined some of these efforts. We resubmit this resolution to remind 
the Senate that the work on this issue is far from over, and again to 
enlist our colleagues' support in reenforcing that these values are 
fundamental to our society. I am proud to join my colleagues, 
especially Senator Domenici, in this effort once again, and I urge the 
Senate to support this resolution.

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