[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 20 (Tuesday, February 29, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E179]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E179]]



                          THE MADNESS MUST END

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 29, 2000

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, amazingly, today yet another tragic 
shooting claimed another promising life.
  Not far from my district, near Flint in Mount Morris Township, a six-
year-old girl was shot and killed by a classmate. A first grader had a 
gun and shot a classmate.
  These tragedies go on every day. Thirteen children a day are killed 
by gun violence. Over 5,000 children are killed every year because of 
guns falling into the wrong hands.
  This madness must end.
  But, because the Republican leadership insists on pandering to the 
extreme right wing who thinks that one reasonable gun safety law is one 
too many, the insanity goes on.
  The gun safety conference has not met since August of 1999. Today, I 
am writing for the fifth time to House Judiciary Committee Chairman 
Henry Hyde to urge the Republican Leadership to stop stalling and call 
a conference meeting.
  It is starting to hit close to home for every Member of this House, 
Mr. Speaker. How many more senseless killings will it take before the 
Republican Leadership acts? How many more promising young lives do we 
have to lose?
  Quit stalling. Close the gun show loophole. Require child safety 
locks. Ban the importation of high capacity ammunition clips.

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