[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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