[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 35 (Wednesday, March 25, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S2551]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   THE TRAGEDY IN JONESBORO, ARKANSAS

  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I would like to take a brief moment 
to express my condolences to the families of the students and teachers 
killed or wounded during yesterday's tragic shooting at the Westside 
Middle School in Jonesboro, AR. The Nation's prayers are with those 
families today and, of course, the thoughts of all Americans are with 
the people of the Jonesboro community. It is yet another American 
community whose residents' lives have been changed forever by children 
who managed to get access to firearms.
  The attack yesterday was the third multiple killing in a school by a 
youth under the age of 16 in the last 6 months. Mr. President, these 
horrific crimes amply demonstrate that we have a responsibility to 
oppose the proliferation of violence and to stand fast against any 
effort to make firearms more freely available. Does anyone in their 
right mind still believe that it is possible to raise children in a 
society where guns are so easily obtained? It is clear that we cannot 
protect our children in such a world. They are such easy prey for those 
who seek to maim and to kill.
  Now, Mr. President, until all the facts have been obtained, it would 
not be prudent to speculate on the events leading up to the massacre in 
the school yard yesterday. But this much we do know: We must come 
together as a society and recommit ourselves to keeping firearms out of 
the hands of children and guaranteeing that only those people who know 
how to use guns responsibly have access to them. In order to make our 
community safer, we must expand programs to train gunowners in the 
proper use and storage of their weapons.
  I believe that responsible gunowners have nothing to fear from 
reasonable gun laws, and that is what I think we need to have a debate 
and talk about, and that is what the majority of us who support 
reasonable gun control seek to have happen--laws that will help to keep 
tragedies like the one that happened yesterday in that small community 
in Arkansas from ever happening again. I think it is appropriate for us 
to have that debate, given the importance to our children, to their 
safety, to our liberty and freedom and safety in our communities.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. BUMPERS. Mr. President, will the Senator yield? Senator Moseley-
Braun was speaking about the shooting in Jonesboro, and I have not said 
anything on the floor about that. I would like 2 minutes to follow up 
on that.
  Mr. STEVENS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator 
from Arkansas be recognized for 2 minutes, and following that, the 
Senator from Ohio be recognized for not to exceed 5 minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Arkansas is recognized.

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