[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 144 (Thursday, October 21, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2154]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE: A TEEN CONFERENCE

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                         HON. WILLIAM J. COYNE

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 21, 1999

  Mr. COYNE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about two young people 
from Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District who came to Washington 
this week to participate in the Voices Against Violence congressional 
teen conference. The Voices Against Violence conference, which was 
organized by the House Democratic Caucus, was intended to bring 
together young people from around the country to engage them in a 
constructive discussion about youth violence.
  Most Americans have been shocked and distressed by the series of 
high-profile school shootings committed by young people over the last 
year. Our Nation's children are, sadly, the people most affected by 
youth violence. They are also often the individuals with the greatest 
insight into the causes of youth violence and ways to prevent violent 
acts in the future. The Voices Against Violence conference was intended 
to bring young people from across the country together to discuss youth 
violence--and to utilize their insights to develop innovative solutions 
to the problem of youth violence.
  Over 300 young people between the ages of 13 and 19 attended the 
Voices Against Violence conference on October 19th and 20th in 
Washington, DC. President Clinton addressed the students, and then 
participants attended workshops with experts on teen violence, 
discussion groups about possible solutions, and skills training 
sessions to learn about violence prevention initiatives that have been 
found to be effective.
  Two of my constituents, Zara Carroll and Jeff Smith, attended the 
Voices Against Violence conference with their parents. On behalf of my 
constituents and myself, I want to commend Zara and Jeff for their 
interest and involvement in this important issue. I hope that they 
found the conference to be engaging and informative, and that they will 
continue to work to help reduce violence and the threat of violence in 
their communities in the coming years.

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