[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 55 (Wednesday, April 21, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3978-S3979]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TRAGEDY IN COLORADO

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, I thank my friends, the Senator from

[[Page S3979]]

Nevada, Mr. Reid, and the Senator from California for the condolences 
and well wishes they have offered.
  Yesterday, the parents in Jefferson County, CO, said goodbye to their 
children on their way to school as they have done on countless 
mornings, and as I have done, and as you have also done as a parent 
over the years. But for some, that goodbye must now be their final 
farewell. As a parent and grandparent and the husband of a person who 
taught school for over 10 years, I can't imagine the agony those 
families are feeling this morning. Today, my whole State is paralyzed 
with grief, as you might know.
  Hundreds of families in Colorado endured a life-or-death lottery--
knowing students at Columbine High School were dead, but not knowing if 
their youngsters were among those killed. It is tragic that on Earth 
Day the remains of those students will be returned to the Earth while 
their souls go to heaven.
  The community of Littleton is a very nice town. I visit there often. 
Mr. President, Columbine High School is a fine school, with a fine 
staff, a good curriculum and nice youngsters. It has no history of 
racial violence or gang trouble or anything of that nature. It was not 
a school you would ever expect something like this to happen in. 
Certainly, there is a story in that and a tragedy. For those families, 
there will be no more hurried breakfasts, no more arguments over 
curfews when they send the youngsters to school, no more report cards, 
no more money for trips to the malls, and no more plans for after they 
leave high school.
  What really frightens me is that, despite our best intentions to 
prevent this from happening, these horrors find a way to continue. In 
fact, Colorado has had a law on the books since 1994 that prevents any 
weapons from going into a public school. But they still do. With a gun, 
a bomb, a knife, a club, or whatever, young people are using violence 
as a way to resolve disagreements.
  I don't know how we got there. Perhaps nobody does. I can remember 
the days when young people decided it was OK to have disagreements in 
the streets and they might have fist fights after school, or drag 
races, things of that nature. Those means were not right or acceptable, 
but those days are long gone. Now, too often they tend to kill their 
way to solutions. The disputes in those days were between two 
individuals, and they ended up shaking hands. Somebody lost and 
somebody won. In those days, we all lived through it. Now, all too 
often some of the parties to a conflict lose their lives. I don't know 
when we traded pugilism for pipe bombs. Frankly, I don't think they 
have found all the bombs at Littleton High School. They are still 
searching.
  In fact, one went off at 2 o'clock this morning.
  I don't know when these youngsters got accustomed to killing each 
other. But I know we often blame television, we blame movies, we blame 
video games, and we blame a number of other things.
  But those children in Jefferson County and their families ache every 
day. I just wanted to tell the people of Colorado that my colleagues, 
Senator Wyden, Senator Feinstein, Senator Reid, Senator Lautenberg, and 
a number of others have all offered their sympathies, and want people 
in Colorado to know that our hearts in the United States Senate are 
with all of the families through this terrible and tragic time.
  Thank you, Mr. President.
  I yield the floor.
  I note the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (The remarks of Mr. McConnell and Mr. Lieberman pertaining to the 
introduction of S. 846 are located in today's Record under ``Statements 
on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair, in his capacity as a Senator from 
the State of New Hampshire, suggests the absence of a quorum.
  The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Burns). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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