[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 75 (Thursday, June 15, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S5231]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        VICTIMS OF GUN VIOLENCE

  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, it has been more than a year now since the 
Columbine tragedy, and still regrettably our friends on the other side 
of the aisle refuse to act on commonsense, sensible gun legislation. I 
understand the divisions in the Senate and in the country on the issue 
of guns. I am certainly not unmindful of the truth to some people's 
assertions regarding the degree to which personal responsibility enters 
into the actions of anybody with respect to guns.
  Obviously, we need to create greater accountability on a personal 
level with respect to those actions. But common sense tells every 
single American that there are also basic things we can do to make this 
country safer for our children, things we can do to keep guns out of 
the hands of our children, things we can do to make our schools safer, 
ways in which guns themselves can become safer. I am deeply troubled by 
the numbers of people, particularly the number of children who have 
been wounded or killed by gunfire since Columbine, and who are killed 
and wounded by gunfire each year in this country.
  All we are asking is that the juvenile justice conference meet, that 
the Senate do its business, that they finish the business, issue their 
report, and that the Congress have the courage and the willingness to 
vote on the conference report.
  Until we do act, many of us on this side of the aisle--I would say 
the Democratic caucus--is prepared to read the names of those who have 
lost their lives to gun violence over the past year. We will continue 
to do so every single day that the Senate is in session.
  The following are the names of people who were killed by gunfire, 1 
year ago today:
  Latonia Davis, 21, Charlotte, NC; Jacob B. Dodge, 24, Madison, WI; 
Elvin R. Dugan, 33, Oklahoma City, OK; Marcus E. Gray, 39, Chicago, IL; 
Dante Green, 26, Washington, DC; Dwayne Pate, 32, Washington, DC; 
Charles Vullo, 42, Houston, TX; Brandon Williams, 3, Hollywood, FL; 
Lennox Williams, 49, Hollywood, FL; Mae William, 44, Hollywood, FL; 
Unidentified male, 63, Portland, OR.
  I hope my colleagues will join in releasing the juvenile justice bill 
from its prison and empowering the Senate to do its job and to pass the 
juvenile justice bill, which will make this country safer for our 
children.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________