[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 55 (Thursday, May 1, 1997)]
[House]
[Page H2097]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            HANDGUN VIOLENCE

  (Mr. BLAGOJEVICH asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BLAGOJEVICH. Mr. Speaker, years ago parents lived in fear that 
their children might one day catch polio. Many of our best doctors and 
scientists put all their energies into finding a cure. Years ago things 
like measles, tuberculosis and tetanus posed serious threats to the 
health of our children. These diseases were aggressively researched and 
solutions were found.
  Today there is a new epidemic threatening our children: handgun 
violence. We know that handgun violence affects more than 10 times as 
many children as polio ever did. In fact in many States, handgun 
violence is the leading cause of death among children. But we are 
fighting handgun violence with only 1 percent of the resources we used 
to fight polio.
  We should confront handgun violence with the same urgency that 
previous generations brought to the leading health epidemics of their 
time. Their example should serve as an inspiration. If we could find a 
vaccine for polio, we can find a solution to handgun violence. A sure 
way to show our commitment to that effort, I urge my colleagues, is to 
vote for my bill that would ban handgun possession by anyone under 21.

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