[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4242-S4247]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRAGEDY IN LITTLETON, COLORADO

  Mr. CAMPBELL. Mr. President, many of my colleagues in the Senate will 
speak on this resolution today. I know that the families and, indeed, 
all of Colorado appreciate their deep and heartfelt sorrow.
  On my father's side, as you know, Mr. President, I am Cheyenne, so I 
would like to begin speaking in the manner of his people.
  This fan comes from the eagle. The old people call the eagle the 
keeper of the Earth, the one that watches over the domain of the 
Grandfather Spirit.
  This pipe carries the smoke with the words and the thoughts from the 
people who use it to the Creator.
  This flute is used to carry songs of love, forgiveness, and 
brotherhood.
  So, Mr. President, I hope that the voices of all the council fires 
and pipes send our pleas as Senators as we ask for guidance as we try 
to rid ourselves of violence in this Nation.
  I would like the great winged brother that he has chosen as our 
national symbol of freedom and justice to oversee all of his children. 
Further, I would like the winds to carry the sweetness and harmony and 
tolerance of the flute to the Grandfather Spirit.
  Mr. President, traditional Indian people do not believe that death is 
finite. Indeed, they believe that mortal remains return to Mother Earth 
from

[[Page S4243]]

which they came, but the soul, which is the part of you that is 
timeless, goes on to the next world to be forever in the presence of 
the Great Spirit in a place that is absent of avarice and greed, devoid 
of hunger and sickness, barren of anger, jealousy, and hate. It is a 
place of goodness where springtime is forever.
  That is the place where Indian people believe the innocent victims of 
Columbine High School have journeyed. Although their time on Earth was 
far too short, the elders remind us that the grace of the Creator made 
our lives so much better by allowing them to be with us for a time, 
however short.
  Columbine High School will go on because our departed friends would 
have it so, but it will never forget.
  I have heard the debate thus far on this terrible tragedy, and I have 
to ask: Are more laws the answer? I frankly do not know, Mr. President. 
Seventeen Federal laws and I think over 6 State laws were broken during 
that terrible tragedy. Would 1 more or 100 more have helped? I do not 
know.
  I suppose there will be a rush to judgment. And I expect a torrent of 
proposed legislation, and perhaps some of it will help, perhaps not. 
But certainly I, as one Senator, will consider any proposal to make 
things better.
  Mr. President, none of us have all the answers. But we know we cannot 
legislate tolerance. We cannot mandate that you love your neighbor. We 
can pass no law requiring Americans to respect each other. Those 
qualities are learned, as is hate and intolerance.
  Government has its place, Mr. President, but so do churches, 
families, clubs, schools, teams, and indeed complete communities. I 
hope that we do not confuse who should do what. And let our actions 
reflect the Good Book at least as much as it does the law book. But 
above all, let us keep the memory of these innocent children and a 
heroic teacher alive as we strive for a solution.
  Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Gorton). Who yields time?
  Mr. ALLARD addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The junior Senator from Colorado.
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I compliment my colleague, the senior 
Senator from Colorado, Mr. Campbell, for his fine floor statement. I 
was especially touched when he brought in the meaning of what was 
happening in Colorado in relation to his forefathers, the Cheyenne 
people. It means a lot to me personally to hear those words, because I 
consider us part of one big family.
  I do have a perspective that I would like to share with the Members 
of the Senate.
  Mr. President, House Concurrent Resolution No. 92 is sponsored by Tom 
Tancredo. The House of Representatives approved this resolution earlier 
today, exactly 1 week after Columbine High School was tragically 
ravaged by two of its students. The school and a large majority of its 
students live in the Sixth Congressional District. Congressman Tancredo 
represents this district and lives a short distance from Columbine High 
School.
  This resolution is intended to express our feelings of sorrow about 
the tragedy in Littleton, CO. This resolution is also intended to 
express our appreciation for those in the community who responded with 
courage and compassion, including the students themselves.
  Today, the State of Colorado observed a moment of silence at 11:21 
a.m. mountain daylight time. This was approximately when the terrorism 
began 1 week ago at Columbine High School.
  Earlier today, the Senate joined Senator Campbell and me in a moment 
of silence and prayer led by the Senate Chaplain. On behalf of 
Colorado, and especially the citizens of Jefferson County, I thank you 
for sharing in this gesture of respect and mourning.
  My wife Joan and I attended the memorial service this Sunday, April 
25, for those who were killed: Cassie Bernall, Steven Curnow, Corey 
DePooter, Kelly Fleming, Matthew Kechter, Daniel Mauser, Daniel 
Rohrbough, Rachel Scott, Isaiah Shoels, John Tomlin, Lauren Townsend, 
Kyle Velasquez, and their teacher, William ``Dave'' Sanders.
  At the memorial service, we shared our profound sense of loss with 
Vice President Gore, Colorado Governor Owens, Congressman Tancredo, the 
students, teachers, and parents of Columbine High, and the people of 
Jefferson County and Colorado.
  I have never experienced anything that compares to the collective 
feeling of loss, sadness, and disbelief in Colorado. I would estimate 
that approximately 75,000 people attended the memorial service. Among 
those gathered in sorrow, Joan and I witnessed a strong belief in God. 
We prayed together and searched for answers.
  During the past week, many of my colleagues have come to the floor to 
share their condolences and concern for the students and teachers who 
have lost their lives or who have been injured in this senseless 
tragedy. I do hope that our thoughts and prayers have helped to comfort 
the students, parents, and teachers of the Columbine High School 
community. Again, I offer my deepest sympathy to those who are 
suffering.
  Our Nation continues to grieve with the families and friends of the 
killed and injured students and teachers. We are still attempting to 
understand what happened and why. People are trying to cope with the 
terror that has crept into our lives. It has become obvious at this 
point that there are no easy answers. We need to examine the problems 
facing our youth, but it is critical that we take time to carefully 
consider the solutions being offered.
  There are things that society can do, but those who are looking for 
easy solutions should take a step back. The families, teachers, and 
students of Columbine, and the people of Colorado, need time to mourn 
their losses. We need to wait for law enforcement to finish their 
investigation. We should study other instances of school violence 
throughout America and look for a common thread.
  We need to carefully evaluate all of the evidence and consider the 
possible solutions. In addition, it has been estimated that 17 laws 
were broken by the two students, and we need to evaluate what the 
current law should have done.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have a list of those 17 
laws printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

Violations of Federal and State Laws by the Alleged Perpetrators of the 
          Crime at Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado

       Details of the explosives and firearms used by the alleged 
     perpetrators have not been confirmed by law enforcement 
     authorities. The crime scene is still being examined and 
     cleared. It is unknown how the alleged perpetrators came into 
     possession of the explosives and firearms they used.
       The alleged perpetrators, obviously, committed multiple 
     counts of murder and attempted murder, the most serious 
     crimes of all. And they committed many violations of laws 
     against destruction of property, such as in the school 
     building and the cars in the parking lot outside. All told, 
     the prison sentences possible for these multiple, serious 
     violations amount to many hundreds of years.
       Additionally, in the course of planning and committing 
     these crimes, the alleged perpetrators committed numerous 
     violations of very serious federal and state laws relating to 
     explosives and firearms, and, depending on details not yet 
     known, may have committed other such violations. 
     Cumulatively, the prison sentences possible for these 
     violations alone amount to many hundreds of years. A partial 
     list of those violations follows:
       1. Possession of a ``destructive device'' (i.e., bomb). 
     (Multiple counts.) Prohibited under 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. 
     Each violation is punishable by 10 years in prison and a 
     $10,000 fine. Other explosives violations are under 18 U.S.C. 
     842.
       Colorado law [18-12-109(2)] prohibits the possession of an 
     ``explosive or incendiary device.'' Each violation is a Class 
     4 felony. Colorado [18-12-109(6)] also prohibits possession 
     of ``explosive or incendiary parts,'' defined to include, 
     individually, a substantial variety of components used to 
     make explosive or incendiary devices. Each violation is a 
     Class 4 felony.
       2. Manufacturing a ``destructive device'' (i.e., bomb). 
     (Multiple counts.) Prohibited under 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. 
     Each violation is punishable by 10 years in prison and a 
     $10,000 fine.
       3. Use of an explosive or incendiary device in the 
     commission of a felony. Prohibited under Colorado law [18-12-
     109(4)]. A class 2 felony.
       4. Setting a device designed to cause an explosion upon 
     being triggered. Violation of Colorado law. (Citation 
     uncertain)
       5. Use of a firearm or ``destructive device'' (i.e. bomb) 
     to commit a murder that is prosecutable in a federal court. 
     Enhanced penalty under 18 U.S.C. 924(i). Punishable by death 
     or up to life in prison. A federal nexus is through 18 U.S.C. 
     922(q), prohibiting the

[[Page S4244]]

     discharge of a firearm, on school property, with reckless 
     disregard for the safety of another person.
       6. Use of a firearm or ``destructive device'' (i.e., bomb) 
     in a crime of violence that is prosecutable in a federal 
     court. Enhanced penalty under 18 U.S.C. 924(c). Penalty is 5 
     years if a firearm; 10 years if a ``sawed-off'' shotgun, 
     ``sawed-off'' rifle or ``assault weapon;'' and 30 years if 
     the weapon is a ``destructive device'' (bomb, etc.). 
     Convictions subsequent to the first receive 20 years or, if 
     the weapon is a bomb, life imprisonment. Again, a federal 
     nexus is through 18 U.S.C. 922(q), prohibiting the discharge 
     of a firearm, on school property, with reckless disregard for 
     the safety of another person.
       7. Conspiracy to commit a crime of violence prosecutable in 
     federal court. Enhanced penalty under 18 U.S.C. 924(n). 
     Penalty is 20 years if the weapon is a firearm, life 
     imprisonment if the weapon is a bomb. Again, a federal nexus 
     is through 18 U.S.C. 922(q), prohibiting the discharge of a 
     firearm, on school property, with reckless disregard for the 
     safety of another person.
       8. Possession of a short-barreled shotgun or rifle. Some 
     news accounts have suggested that the alleged perpetrators 
     may have possessed a ``sawed-off'' rifle. (A shotgun or rifle 
     less than 26'' in overall length, or a shotgun was a barrel 
     of less than 18'', or a rifle with a barrel of less than 
     16''.) A spokesman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office 
     reported, possibly, at least one long gun with the stock cut 
     off. Prohibited under 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. A violation is 
     punishable by 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
       Colorado law [18-12-102(3)] prohibits possession of a 
     ``dangerous weapon'' (defined to include sawed-off guns). 
     First violation is a Class 5 felony; subsequent violations 
     are Class 4 felonies.
       9. Manufacturing a ``sawed-off'' shotgun or ``sawed-off'' 
     rifle. Prohibited under 26 U.S.C. Chapter 53. Each violation 
     is punishable by 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
       10. Possession of a handgun or handgun ammunition by a 
     person under age 18: Some news accounts report one alleged 
     perpetrator as being 17 years of age. It is yet unclear what 
     firearms were involved in the crime. A person under age 18 is 
     prohibited from possessing a handgun or handgun ammunition, 
     except for legitimate target shooting, hunting, and firearms 
     training activities, and similar legitimate reasons.[18 
     U.S.C. 922(x), part of the 1994 crime bill.] A violation is 
     punishable by one year in prison.
       11. Providing a handgun or handgun or handgun ammunition to 
     a person under age 18. Prohibited under the same provision 
     noted in #4, above. Penalty of one year, unless the provider 
     knew the gun would be used in a crime of violence, in which 
     case the penalty is 10 years.
       12. Age restrictions on purchasing firearms. Again, the age 
     of the second suspect and how the alleged perpetrators came 
     into possession of firearms are unclear. However, licensed 
     dealers may sell rifles and shotguns only to persons age 18 
     or over, and handguns to persons age 21 or over. [18 U.S.C. 
     922(b)(1)]
       13. Possession of a firearm on school property. Prohibited 
     under 18 U.S.C. 922(q). Five year penalty. Colorado also 
     prohibits a gun on school property. (Citation uncertain.)
       14. Discharge of a firearm on school property, with a 
     reckless disregard for another's safety. Prohibited under 18 
     U.S.C. 922q. Five year penalty.
       15. Possession, interstate transportation, sale, etc., of a 
     stolen firearm. Prohibited under 18 U.S.C. 922(i) and (j). A 
     violation is punishable by 10 years.
       16. Intentionally aiming a firearm at another person. 
     Violation of Colorado law.
       17. Displaying a firearm in a public place in a manner 
     calculated to alarm, or discharging a firearm in a public 
     place except on a lawful target practice or hunting place. 
     Violation of Colorado law.

  Mr. ALLARD. Whatever the solution, I am convinced that we will never 
alleviate the problem completely, but we certainly can reduce its 
occurrence.
  It is hard to understand how two students can become so 
dysfunctional, but we need to continue to search for answers. There is 
no simple solution. We must pledge ourselves to do what we can. I ask 
that the Senate begin by approving this resolution.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Who yields time?
  Mr. ALLARD. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to join 
with my colleagues in an expression directed by House Concurrent 
Resolution 92, which deals with the situation that occurred in 
Columbine High School in Littleton, CO.
  I come this afternoon with no answers, and I wish I had some. Like 
most of us, I have thought a great deal about the crisis from the 
moment we watched it unfolding on national television late last week. I 
guess in all of this, I have been struck by how quickly some people 
rush to explain what happened and offer solutions to prevent such a 
terrible crime from ever happening again. I wish I had a crystal ball 
and could do that. But that is not what has occurred; I don't have a 
crystal ball that can show all that clearly.
  The investigation of the crime is not yet completed, and the 
community is still in shock. My guess is it is only natural to react by 
trying to make some sense out of all of this, to locate the exact point 
where something terribly, terribly wrong happened, to tell everyone to 
stay away from that point, and to pass a law that would keep everyone 
away from that point, so that it would shield us and our kids and our 
communities from harm. While it may be natural, my guess is that at 
this time it would be a mistake. It would be a mistake to designate the 
point and rush to judgment, because that judgment may be different 
tomorrow, based on the facts that are now unfolding.

  I don't believe there is a Senator on this floor who has all of the 
answers. I am impatient to have more information, and I hope it will 
come out, because I would like to think that Columbine--the situation 
that happened in that high school is a point of time we will all stop 
and think about and deal with as an issue which we will never allow to 
happen again.
  I just came off the Capitol steps a few moments ago from speaking to 
a marvelously beautiful group of students from Payette, and Parma, and 
Middleton, ID. They asked me, ``Senator, what can you do to make our 
schools safer?'' I said, ``You know, I am not sure I know what to do, 
because those young men at that high school in Colorado broke 17 laws, 
State and Federal''--laws that say it is against the law to possess a 
destructive device, or a bomb; laws that say that manufacturing a 
destructive device is wrong and against the law; laws that say the use 
of an explosive or incendiary device in the commission of a felony is 
against the law. They broke all of those. The law was there and it 
didn't stop them.
  How about setting a device designed to cause an explosion upon being 
triggered? That is against the law. It is a violation of State law in 
Colorado. It didn't stop what happened there in Littleton. There is a 
law regarding the use of a firearm or destructive device to commit a 
murder that is prosecutable in a Federal court. That is against the 
law. Yet, those two young men defied the law. The use of a firearm or a 
destructive device in relation to other activities is against the law.
  I could read all 17 of these laws, and not one of them saved one 
child or that teacher, that coach, at that high school. Maybe if you 
had stacked all the laws against the front door, in book form, you 
would have blocked the entry of those kids with their bombs for just a 
moment in time, and that school might have been saved. But nobody did 
that. We could rush to judgment today and pass a lot more laws and take 
those books of laws and stack them up against the schoolhouse door. My 
guess is that not one more child in America would be safer.
  Laws are important, and I am not suggesting they are not. They direct 
a civil society to, hopefully, do better things. But they need to be 
carefully-thought-out laws. My guess is that the breaking point is at 
hand, when America as a culture had better turn and look at itself and 
ask, ``Why?''
  When those kids asked me what I could do this afternoon, I asked 
them, ``What are you, as students, prepared to do?'' It ``ain't cool'' 
to rat on a fellow student. Peer pressure is such that young people 
don't talk about another young person with their principals or 
superintendents--even if the young person said, ``I am going to kill 
somebody,'' or do something else wrong. It isn't cool. Yet, if you 
don't do something, maybe it is Columbine that happens.
  I would like to see our schools become zones for education. Drug-
free? Absolutely. Gun-free? Absolutely. But zones for education, not 
primarily socialization and the mixing and all of the kinds of things 
that go on in schools. Let's set some rules. How about a dress code? 
How about random inspection of lockers? If you are going to educate and 
you are going to make a safe haven for education, maybe it is

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time you bring discipline back to schools and you say to the bad 
actors: You are out.
  I don't know that that is the answer, but I think it is time our 
society talks about it, because we have passed a lot of gun laws in the 
last decade in this Congress and children died last week in Littleton, 
CO, in spite of all those gun laws we passed, all those bomb laws we 
passed.
  I don't think there is a Senator on the floor who is going to rush 
out and say it is against the law to buy a pipe--nor should they--or 
against the law to go out and buy a propane canister to fuel your 
barbecue. But those were tools used in bombs in Littleton's high 
school. There is no Senator who will do that, because there may not be 
any political bounce in it and it just would not make common sense.

  So let us let the survivors mourn in Littleton, CO. Let us let that 
community heal. Let's let the law enforcement people try to make sense 
of what made these young men tick, by their diaries, by their web page, 
by their play-acting, by the evil that invaded their hearts. Then maybe 
we, as public people, can help reshape our very wonderful culture.
  Yes, maybe it will take some changes in law. There is no disputing 
what I represent, and most people in this body know I am a strong 
supporter of second amendment rights. I am also a strong supporter of 
first amendment rights. I am not going to trample on those rights, and 
I am going to supply formidable debate and opposition to anybody who 
will on this floor try to reshape them in the name of safety and 
security. But I am willing to put those rights on the line, and I am 
willing to say--to a culture that has failed to recognize that along 
with rights comes responsibility--that it is now time to get 
responsible.
  That is what I told those young people a few moments ago on the steps 
of their Nation's Capitol--that I was going to fight to secure for them 
the kind of freedoms my forebears had fought to secure for me; that I 
had accepted the responsibility that came with those rights and they, 
too, must; that passing laws in the U.S. Congress does not a safer 
world make, unless the laws are enforceable and unless people genuinely 
agree with them.
  So I think it is appropriate that our leader has asked us to take 
pause, not rush to judgment, not play to the politics of the moment, 
but to take a deep breath and think awhile, let a community heal just a 
bit, speak to it in the form of the resolution that is now before us, 
allow the investigators to patch together this weird and terribly evil 
story. And then let's examine it as a Congress, as an American culture, 
and say to ourselves we must become more responsible--responsible as 
legislators, responsible as parents, responsible as a culture, in 
taking our rights in a way that demonstrates the responsibility that 
goes with them.
  I say to the citizens of Littleton, CO, how terribly sorry I am. My 
wife and I mourn with them. We have three beautiful children and a 
grandbaby, and we are so glad that they are safe and happy today. We 
know there are parents in Littleton, CO, who have lost something that 
can never and will never be replaced. So I am pleased that today, as a 
Congress and as a Senate, we are speaking to the people of Littleton, 
CO, and then we will step back and allow the healing process to begin 
as the investigative work is completed. Then, and only then, is it 
right and proper that we engage. And I will not be a vehicle to 
obstruct that engagement. That would be wrong. But we will soon have a 
juvenile crime bill on the floor. That is the appropriate place to talk 
about how to deal with this issue, and from sound information make 
quality judgments about how we may help our culture reshape itself in a 
responsible and caring fashion.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. KENNEDY addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.


                         Privilege Of The Floor

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that floor 
privileges for Angela Williams and David Goldberg be granted for the 
106th Congress.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. KENNEDY. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative assistant proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, as we consider this resolution before the 
Senate to remember those who lost their lives just one short week ago 
in Littleton, Colorado, we are once again reminded of an event which is 
heart-wrenchingly tragic and one that bears out the need for educators, 
parents, and government officials to work together to ensure that the 
classroom is a safe place for all students.
  The tragic events last Tuesday at Columbine High School serve as yet 
another warning that something has gone terribly wrong in our nation. 
Schools are not the idyllic places that they once were. They are less 
and less safe havens, conducive to study, but, rather, increasingly, 
are proving to be unstable communities, teetering on the brink of 
violent outbursts.
  It makes me long for the old high school which I attended and from 
which I graduated 65 years ago. It makes me long for the little two-
room schoolhouse in which I began my studies along about 1923. 
Sometimes I think schools are too large these days. They don't allow 
for the personal attention that teachers could otherwise show students. 
They are conducive, I think, by their very largeness to the creation of 
gangs, hate groups, and so on.
  The scene of screaming students rushing outside through schoolhouse 
doors, some hobbling or clenching a gunshot wound to the arm or leg, 
and others overwhelmed with fear for their own lives, has become all 
too familiar to this nation during the past few years. From West 
Paducah, Kentucky, to Jonesboro, Arkansas; Springfield, Oregon; and now 
to the community of Littleton, Colorado, gun shots have shattered the 
silence and tranquillity of an otherwise typical high school day, 
abruptly ending the innocence of youth, and launching families and 
friends into some of the most difficult days of life that no human 
being should have to confront.
  We would have never dreamed of this kind of thing in my school days.
  Mr. President, there is a crying need to do more to protect our 
children. But, the unfortunate reality of the situation is that there 
is no single-step panacea to prevent further bloodshed at schools 
across the country. One could make many suggestions. Many suggestions 
are readily obvious. But the problem of school violence does not begin 
and end on school grounds. It is much more pervasive. It reaches beyond 
the schoolyard gates, into our communities and into our homes.
  It is unfortunate that we live in a country where criminals find ways 
to get around the law and do evil, but it happens. Hatred is a powerful 
demon that can draw people to do things we do not truly understand. I 
have seen it in my own lifetime, and, I try, whenever possible, to help 
teach young people to avoid such egregious mistakes. Of course, the 
young are not alone in the making of these mistakes. But mine is only 
one voice. But it is one voice.
  I often take time out to talk with the pages here. I don't have to do 
it. Nobody makes me do it. Nobody tells me to do it. But I like to talk 
to these young people. These are fine young people, these pages of ours 
on both sides of the aisle. I often pause to take a half hour with them 
to talk about wholesome experiences, and to relate good stories from 
Chaucer, and from other great authors, as I feel that if I can do a 
little good with these young people here, who knows where this 
influence will stop?
  While it is my intention to make any and all efforts to prevent this 
kind of tragedy before it visits another region of the country, it is 
essential that we take up the effort and the responsibility to raise 
our children, to nurture them, to protect them, to guard them as much 
as we can from these evil influences that are always ready to prey upon 
them, and it is my desire always to try to provide these young people 
with a solid foundation, to encourage them to engage in wholesome 
pursuits and to read from good literature, and in this way I think 
adults can help to

[[Page S4246]]

provide them with a solid foundation--spiritually, emotionally, and 
intellectually. We have to indulge with caution any idea that there can 
be morality without religion. Protecting our Nation's children should 
be a team effort, not simply a matter of public policy.

  If we ever have a hope of preventing violence in the classroom, 
parents must take an active role in their child's life and monitor 
their child's behavior for unusual actions or alarming conduct. 
Teachers carry similar responsibilities and must no longer ``chalk up'' 
unusual behavior to the simple conclusion of a student having a bad 
day. We have witnessed too many oversights like this which have 
snatched the lives of other innocent children caught in the line of 
fire.
  Moreover, we should not be surprised, given the excessive and 
mindless violence--I tell you, it is excessive, because I see it when I 
turn on the television--mindless violence, excessive violence. We 
should not be surprised then, given the excessive and mindless violence 
infiltrating, permeating, the television airwaves and now the Internet, 
that we really have a problem in today's society. It is not a hidden 
fact that I am no fan of the muck that spews out over the tube or the 
obscenities rumbled by so-called actors and actresses in a TV drama, 
but there is little that we in Congress can do to regulate children 
from jumbling their brains with this nonsense.

  Parents must no longer give their children free rein of the remote 
control or unmonitored access to dial up those polluted websites 
running rampant over the Internet. Children, with their inquisitive 
young minds, too often repeat what they see on TV or read about over 
the Internet, and with little guidance from parents, it is next to 
impossible to prevent this often fatal ``copycat'' action from 
recurring.
  Probably most disappointing to me is that in watching the news 
recently, it seems that the tragic news of a school shooting has become 
somewhat of a feeding frenzy for the media to hit the airwaves with 
explicit details, often those that are too easily digested by a 
listening youngster experiencing emotional distress. It seems 
counterproductive, even dangerous, to offer what amounts to free 
advertising by reporting on the Internet websites that hand out free 
explanations on how to make a bomb or where to obtain a gun. Mr. 
President, when is enough enough?
  Efforts to end school violence can be, and will likely be, undone by 
this practice of revealing too much information with little thought of 
the future implications. I urge the media to think about the possible 
consequences of their actions before trying to beat the other news team 
to the latest punch line. Supplying children with information that 
could lead to the perpetuation of school violence is not the solution. 
Children need not be confronted with all of the finite details of the 
gory pictures as they sit down to the breakfast table with their 
parents.
  The tragedy at Columbine High School may be impossible to ever, ever 
truly understand. But that should not deter us from seeking answers and 
working for solutions. It is time to stop wringing our hands over this 
issue and take action so that we in Congress can support measures that 
might prevent a recurrence of this nightmare.
  I am concerned that we may be approaching the day when our nation's 
students spend more time in the classroom thinking about the potential 
for a gun pop than a pop quiz. A day when teachers are too preoccupied 
with their own fear of a gun emerging into their classroom to teach 
their students the basic grammatical structure or algebraic formula 
properly. Today's children deserve the opportunity to get an education. 
Today's teachers deserve the opportunity to teach. They deserve this 
just as much as the children and the teachers of yesteryear. We must 
all do whatever we can to ensure that today's children and those of the 
future have an opportunity to excel academically in an environment free 
from guns, knives, and other weapons.
  I look forward to working with Senator Lieberman in the upcoming 
weeks to author legislation that would establish a National Commission 
on School Violence to help get at the root of this problem if that is 
possible. It is my hope that by joining forces between educators, 
children, parents, media, and others, we will gain a more vivid 
perspective on what leads to violent behavior behind the schoolhouse 
doors, and that we can begin to remedy this harrowing problem 
overtaking our nation's schools. I urge teachers and parents, church 
and civic leaders to do the same. This type of disaster can occur 
anywhere--we must act now if we are to prevent a replay of this 
nightmare in another American community.
  I hope parents throughout the Nation are thinking soberly, soberly 
about this problem.

     I took a piece of plastic clay
     And idly fashioned it one day

     And as my fingers pressed it still
     It moved and yielded to my will.

     I came again when days were past.
     The bit of clay was hard at last.

     The form I gave it, it still bore,
     And I could change that form no more.

     I took a piece of living clay
     And gently formed it day by day.

     And molded with my power and art.
     A young child's soft and yielding heart.

     I came again when years were gone,
     He was a man I looked upon.

     He still that early impress wore,
     And I could change him nevermore.

  There is a lesson in this for all of us. I hope we will learn it.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative assistant proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Smith of Oregon). Without objection, it is 
so ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution.
  The legislative clerk read as follows:

       A concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 92) expressing the 
     sense of Congress with respect to the tragic shooting at 
     Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.

  The Senate proceeded to consider the resolution.
  Mr. BUNNING. Mr. President, I rise in support of the resolution and 
to express my deepest, heartfelt sympathy for the families of the 
victims of Columbine High School shootings.
  At a time like this, words seem to lose their meaning, and there is 
little that we can say to adequately express our regret and sorrow. 
There is no way to explain the senseless violence that claimed the 
lives of the students and teacher in Littleton, and we struggle to 
understand and explain the inexplicable.
  Schools are supposed to be safe havens where teenagers--children--are 
supposed to grow and learn, not plot to murder their peers. What 
happened in Colorado simply defies explanation or comprehension. During 
trying times like this, we must fall back on our faith. Our faith in 
God, and family, and community. Our beliefs have been shaken, and we 
must rely on each other and trust that the Lord will help see us 
through the confusing darkness that has descended on our Nation after 
this terrible catastrophe.
  A similar tragedy occurred at a high school in Paducah less than a 
year and a half ago. Unfortunately, this is an experience that we in 
Kentucky have been through and we grieve with our friends in Colorado. 
The children of Colorado and their families will continue to be in our 
thoughts and prayers.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays on the 
resolution.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
  There appears to be a sufficient second.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the concurrent 
resolution. The yeas and nays have been ordered. The clerk will call 
the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
  Mr. REID. I announce that the Senator from New York (Mr. Moynihan) is 
absent due to surgery.
  I further announce that, if present and voting, the Senator from New 
York (Mr. Moynihan) would vote ``aye.''
  The result was announced--99 yeas, 0 nays, as follows:

                      [Rollcall Vote No. 92 Leg.]

                                YEAS--99

     Abraham
     Akaka
     Allard
     Ashcroft
     Baucus
     Bayh
     Bennett
     Biden
     Bingaman
     Bond
     Boxer
     Breaux
     Brownback
     Bryan
     Bunning

[[Page S4247]]


     Burns
     Byrd
     Campbell
     Chafee
     Cleland
     Cochran
     Collins
     Conrad
     Coverdell
     Craig
     Crapo
     Daschle
     DeWine
     Dodd
     Domenici
     Dorgan
     Durbin
     Edwards
     Enzi
     Feingold
     Feinstein
     Fitzgerald
     Frist
     Gorton
     Graham
     Gramm
     Grams
     Grassley
     Gregg
     Hagel
     Harkin
     Hatch
     Helms
     Hollings
     Hutchinson
     Hutchison
     Inhofe
     Inouye
     Jeffords
     Johnson
     Kennedy
     Kerrey
     Kerry
     Kohl
     Kyl
     Landrieu
     Lautenberg
     Leahy
     Levin
     Lieberman
     Lincoln
     Lott
     Lugar
     Mack
     McCain
     McConnell
     Mikulski
     Murkowski
     Murray
     Nickles
     Reed
     Reid
     Robb
     Roberts
     Rockefeller
     Roth
     Santorum
     Sarbanes
     Schumer
     Sessions
     Shelby
     Smith (NH)
     Smith (OR)
     Snowe
     Specter
     Stevens
     Thomas
     Thompson
     Thurmond
     Torricelli
     Voinovich
     Warner
     Wellstone
     Wyden

                             NOT VOTING--1

       
     Moynihan
       
  The concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 92) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote, and I move 
to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.

                          ____________________