[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 78 (Thursday, May 27, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6449-S6450]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DESIGNATING JUNE 5, 1999, AS ``SAFE NIGHT USA''
Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 112,
introduced earlier today by Senator Feingold.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 112) to designate June 5, 1999, as
``Safe Night USA.''
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce a resolution
designating June 5, 1999, as ``Safe Night USA.'' Safe Night USA is an
exciting program that is helping reduce youth violence, as well as drug
and alcohol abuse, in my home state of Wisconsin and around the nation.
Safe Night is a low cost, high-profile way to focus national
attention on the importance of providing young people with safe
alternative activities and tools for conflict resolution, anger
management and mediation. I am proud to report Mr. President that Safe
Night first began in 1994 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and in 1999 all fifty
states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands will participate in this
exciting program.
Mr. President, Olusegun Sijuwade, a Milwaukee Health Department
educator and former police officer, developed Safe Night in response to
more than 300% increase in violent death and injury in Milwaukee
between 1983 and 1993. The Safe Night program in Wisconsin began with
4,000 youth in Milwaukee and by 1996 involved more than 10,000
participants in over 100 sites spread across the state. And now, on
June 5, 1999, a million kids are expected to participate in Safe Night
programs in 1,200 sites across the country.
Mr. President, as you know, last week Congress debated and voted on
the Juvenile Justice bill. The resolution I am introducing today is
indeed timely and an appropriate response to the juvenile crime
statistics we were reminded of last week. These include the over
220,000 juveniles arrested last year for drug abuse and the over
1,000,000 juvenile victims of a violent crime. I believe community-
based violence prevention models, like Safe Night USA, are extremely
important to stem the rise in juvenile crime. By educating youth,
community leaders and parents, Safe Night promotes secure environments
for kids and families while reducing the alienation that so often leads
to violent crime and substance abuse.
Very simply, Mr. President, Safe Night brings community partners
together to provide a place for youth to have fun during high-risk
evening hours, with three ground rules; no guns, no drugs and no
fighting allowed. A typical Safe Night consists of a party, planned by
kids and adults in the community, including police officials, church
leaders, doctors, teachers, parents, and other volunteers. Held at a
school, a church, or a community center, a Safe Night event could have
a dance with a disc jockey, an athletic event, or a large dinner,
usually interspersed with targeted violence-reduction activities. These
activities include role playing, trust-building games, and other
methods of teaching kids stress management and alternatives to
violence.
Safe Night USA 1999 will occur in both rural and urban areas. The
Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the Black Entertainment
Television (BET) Network will broadcast the events nationally. The
following community partners have joined with Safe Night USA: the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Civics League, 100 Black
Men of America, the Resolving Conflict Creatively Center and Educators
for Social Responsibility, American Academy of Pediatrics, Boys and
Girls Clubs of America, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and
the National 4-H Youth Council.
Mr. President, it is critical that both families and communities
understand that we are not powerless to help prevent destructive
behaviors, such as drug abuse, in our children. Safe Night USA helps
develop a strong, committed partnership between schools, community and
families to foster a drug-free and violence-free environment for our
youth. I believe Mr. President that Safe Night USA is a wise investment
up front--it is a simple idea that works--and I am proud that it
originated in my home state of Wisconsin. I thank my colleagues for
their cooperation in passing this resolution and I wish the 10,000
local Safe Night USA events great success on June 5, 1999, as they join
in one nationwide effort to combat youth violence and substance abuse.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble agreed to, the motion to
reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating
thereto appear in the Record at the appropriate place as if read,
without intervening action.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 112) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:
S. Res. 112
Whereas over 1,500,000 people, 220,000 of them juveniles,
were arrested last year for drug abuse;
Whereas over 1,000,000 juveniles were victims of violent
crimes last year;
Whereas local community prevention efforts are vital to
reducing these alarming trends;
Whereas Safe Night began with 4,000 juvenile participants
in Milwaukee during 1994 in
[[Page S6450]]
response to a 300 percent increase in violent death and
injury in that city between 1983 and 1993;
Whereas Safe Night involved over 10,000 Wisconsin
participants and included 100 individual Safe Nights
throughout Wisconsin in 1996;
Whereas Safe Night has been credited as a factor in
reducing the teenage homicide rate in Milwaukee by 60 percent
in just the first 3 years of the program.
Whereas Wisconsin Public Television, the Public
Broadcasting Service, Black Entertainment Television, the
National Latino Children's Institute, the National Civics
League, 100 Black Men of America, the Resolving Conflict
Creatively Center and Educators for Social Responsibility,
the Boys and Girls Club of America, the Community Anti-Drug
Coalitions of America, the National 4-H Youth Council, Public
Television Outreach, and the American Academy of Pediatrics
have joined with Safe Night USA to lead this major violence
prevention initiative;
Whereas community leaders, including parents, teachers,
doctors, religious officials, and business leaders, will
enter into partnership with youth to foster a drug-free and
violence-free environment on June 5, 1999;
Whereas this partnership combines stress and anger
management programs with dances, talent shows, sporting
events, and other recreational activities, operating on only
3 basic rules: no weapons, no alcohol, and no arguments.
Whereas Safe Night USA helps youth avoid the most common
factors that precede acts of violence, provides children with
the tools to resolve conflict and manage anger without
violence, encourages communities to work together to identify
key issues affecting teenagers, and creates local
partnerships with you that will continue beyond the
expiration of the project; and
Whereas June 5, 1999, will witness over 10,000 local Safe
Night activities joined together in one nationwide effort to
combat youth violence and substance abuse: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved,
SECTION 1. DESIGNATION.
The Senate--
(1) designates June 5, 1999 as ``Safe Night USA''; and
(2) requests that the President issue a proclamation
calling on the people of the United States to observe the day
with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
SEC. 2. TRANSMITTAL OF RESOLUTION
The Senate directs the Secretary of the Senate to transmit
an enrolled copy of this resolution to Safe Night USA.
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