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




                     TRAGEDY IN LITTLETON, COLORADO

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I want to say a few words about the 
tragedy in Colorado. I want to express my sincere sympathies for the 
families and victims of yesterday's events.
  Once again, we have witnessed a deadly school shooting in America's 
heartland. Yesterday's events, although greater in magnitude than other 
shootings in recent years, have, it seems, become part of a growing 
trend in this country, and particularly among young people, and that is 
to solve everyday problems with deadly violence.
  Now, some of us have heard firsthand the gruesome effects of gun 
violence. But we can't imagine what the classmates and families of 
those Colorado children must be going through today. The senseless 
loss, the graphic memories, the fear of violence, the lack of 
explanation.
  Who among us can imagine how we would feel if two dozen of our 
friends and classmates were gunned down in a matter of minutes? Who 
among us knows what we would say to our own children if something like 
this happened at their school? And who among us wants to imagine what 
it would be like to receive that phone call telling us that our child 
is no more.
  Mr. President, this is a time for grieving, but it is also a time for 
sincere reflection on the direction of this country and the nature of 
child on child violence. Sadly, this nation has experienced an ever 
increasing number of these incidents in the last two years. We saw it 
happen in Pearl, Mississippi where two students were killed. We saw it 
happen in West Paducah, Kentucky where three students were killed. We 
saw it in Jonesboro, Arkansas where five were killed and in 
Springfield, Oregon where two were killed.
  We saw a five-year-old Memphis, Tennessee kindergartner last year 
bring a gun to school because the teacher had given him ``timeout'' the 
day before. Now Littleton, Colorado joins that tragic list.
  We are still learning the specifics of this latest tragedy. But while 
this most recent incident may have been executed with more deadly 
results, it is all too familiar. We must struggle to learn why these 
incidents are happening with ever increasing frequency. Are children 
more troubled than they have been in the past? Do parents need to pay 
more attention to danger signals within their own homes? Do parents 
even have the ability to recognize danger signs? And do they know what 
to do when they see the signs of trouble?
  I am certain that we will all continue to ask these questions in the 
coming days and weeks. I hope we don't stop asking until we find some 
answers.
  One area in which I have been working for many years is the problem 
of gun access. I realize that bringing up gun control at this time 
might be viewed by some as trying to capitalize on yesterday's tragedy. 
I am sure the NRA will criticize those of us who connect this violence 
with the easy access of guns in America. But sadly, times of tragedy 
like this are often the only times people pay attention to the problems 
plaguing our society. If we do not speak up now, we may not prevent 
future Littletons from occurring.
  Children have easy access to guns of every sort and every caliber--
including assault weapons and high capacity clips that make it all too 
simple to strike fellow students down in mere seconds. Whereas in the 
past a grievance might be settled in a brief fist-fight, today our 
children often turn to firearms.
  Yesterday, two masked gunmen killed as many as 25 people with 
semiautomatic gunfire and explosive devices. Other students hid under 
desks and in rooms throughout the school, watching the gruesome scene 
develop on televisions within the classrooms, and in some cases calling 
the media to report crying, gunfire, and the sound of running feet from 
within the school walls. One student reported to police that he saw two 
of his classmates carrying shotguns, automatic weapons, and pipe bombs.
  We may never be able to stop children from feeling alone and wanting 
to strike out. But we can certainly stop them from gaining the use of 
high capacity weapons with which to strike. And we should.
  In 1994, we passed a ban on assault weapons and high capacity 
ammunition clips, with the intent to get these guns off the streets, 
out of the hands of criminals, and away from our kids. But because of 
strong NRA opposition, we were forced to allow pre-existing guns and 
clips to remain on the shelves of stores across this country. And 
although the President has stopped the importation of most assault 
weapons to this country, millions of high capacity ammunition magazines 
continue to flow onto our shores and into the hands of criminals and, 
indeed, our children.
  In fact, between March and August of last year alone, BATF approved 
more than 8 million large-capacity clips for importation into America. 
The clips approved during this one short period accounted for almost 
128 million rounds of ammunition--and every round represents the 
potential for taking one human life.
  Mr. President, 75, 90, and even 250-round clips have no sporting 
purpose. They are not used for self defense. They have only one use--
the purposeful killing of other men, women and children.
  I have introduced legislation, supported by the President, that will 
stop the flow of these clips into this country. I know that we cannot 
eliminate these clips from existence. But we must--we must--do our best 
to make it harder and harder for children to find these clips and to 
use these guns.
  It is both illogical and irresponsible to permit foreign companies to 
sell items to the American public--particularly items that are so often 
used for deadly purposes--that U.S. companies are prohibited from 
selling. It is time to plug this loophole and close our borders to 
these tools of death and destruction. Our domestic manufacturers are 
complying with the law, and we must now force foreign manufacturers to 
comply as well.
  In closing our borders to these high capacity clips, we will not put 
an end to all incidents of gun violence. But we will limit the 
destructive power of that violence. We will not stop every troubled 
child who decides to commit an act of violence from doing so, but we 
can limit the tools that a child can find to carry out that act.
  Each of us has been touched in some way by the devastating effects of 
gun violence. Each of our states has faced unnecessary tragedy and 
senseless destruction as a result of the high-powered, high-capacity 
weapons falling into the hands of gangs, drive-by shooters, cop 
killers, grievance killers, and yes, even children. My own state of 
California has too often been the subject of national attention due to 
incidents of gun violence.
  We must work to console the victims of this crime and the families of 
those who have been injured. My thoughts and prayers go out to those 
who have been affected by yesterday's events. We must now rededicate 
our efforts to prevent future tragedies from developing. I for one want 
to stop the easy access juveniles have to weapons of war, reduce this 
violence we see every night on TV, and help strengthen and nurture a 
new family ethic that says ``enough'' to this kind of violence.

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