[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 62 (Tuesday, May 8, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4502-S4503]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              MOTHER'S DAY

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I rise 
today to honor America's mothers. On Sunday, May 13th, families across 
America will celebrate Mother's Day. This is a special time of year, 
when we pay tribute to our mothers for playing an important role in our 
lives.
  Mother's Day is a time to thank mothers for their patience, 
compassion, and devotion. Mothers have taught us to be who we are today 
and who we will be in the future. They instill values of respect and 
honor in our lives. On this day, we acknowledge the role mothers play 
in shaping our nation's future, one child at a time.
  Our mothers were first honored in this way in 1907, when Anna Jarvis 
petitioned influential political and religious leaders to adopt a 
formal holiday honoring mothers. She hoped that such an observance 
would increase respect for parents and strengthen family bonds. Thanks 
to her efforts, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second 
Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He declared that on this day, the U.S. 
flag is to be displayed in government buildings and at people's homes 
``as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of 
our country.''
  This year, as we celebrate Mother's Day, we are reminded of the 
changing role of mothers in our society. Today, mothers are not only 
homemakers and volunteers. They are lawyers and doctors, teachers and 
nurses, Senators and CEOs. In fact, half of American women with 
children under the age of eighteen now work full time, outside the 
home. Whether our mothers work inside or outside the home, they are our 
caretakers and nurturers. They are the cornerstone of our country. 
Their role in our society is priceless.
  With all of our mothers' hard-work and devotion, it is no wonder that 
each year families search for the perfect gift to give for Mothers' 
Day. We purchase flowers, candy, and cards. Yet, America's mothers 
deserve more. Mothers want to know that their children are safe in 
school, receiving the best possible education, and protected from 
dangers in the community. This is where we, as lawmakers, have a role 
to play. We can do more to help mothers. We can help give them 
something they want and deserve for Mother's Day by passing legislation 
that reduces the number of guns on our streets, improves our schools, 
and protect our neighborhoods.
  One year ago I joined over 900,000 mothers, fathers and children 
across the country in the Million Mom March. We came out on Mother's 
Day to renew our commitment to our children--we will continue to work 
tirelessly to prevent the senseless gun related deaths of our children. 
We want to raise our children, not bury them.
  We joined together to talk about the need for gun safety and sensible 
gun control. Yet this body has turned a deaf ear to the calls.
  While some downplay the fact that guns are more rampant in America 
than in any other country, more and more children are killed by guns. 
Every day, 10 mothers are told that their child has been killed by 
gunfire. That is 10 too many. Last Congress, I introduced bipartisan 
legislation with eight other Senators, known as the Child Access 
Prevention, CAP, bill, in an effort to hold gun owners accountable when 
they fail to safely store their firearms. Gun owners need to assume 
responsibility for safely storing their firearms in a way that is not 
accessible to children. Unfortunately, the Congress did not pass my 
bill. I plan to reintroduce this legislation during this Congress and I 
urge my colleagues to join me in this effort.
  Here we are, two years after Columbine, one year after the Million 
Mom March, and two months after Santana High, and this Senate still has 
not acted on any gun legislation. How many more mothers will have to 
celebrate Mother's Day without their children at their side before we 
begin helping law enforcement and school officials end the violence in 
our schools? Our mothers should not have to fear sending their children 
to school. We must pass sensible gun laws--for our nation, for our 
children, for our mothers.
  This year, for Mother's Day, let us also assure mothers that their 
children are receiving a quality education. Too many school children 
face challenges that inhibit their ability to learn. Student-to-teacher 
ratios are too large, teachers are not properly trained, and the best 
technology is not made available. Mothers count on our schools to 
provide their children with the best possible education. Yet, our 
schools are not meeting the standards. While Congress debates funding 
priorities, our children are leaving school unprepared for their 
futures.
  We must increase Federal support for education to ensure that all our 
children have the skills and knowledge they will need in the future. 
Our goal must be to make every child a success story. Allocated funding 
will allow schools to reduce class sizes and increase professional 
development programs for teachers. It will help local schools invest in 
and integrate new technology in classrooms and help expand school 
counseling, school safety, and substance abuse programs. By helping our 
schools, we will assure mothers that their children are ready for the 
future.
  As a gift for Mother's Day, we can also give children a place to go 
after school hours. With one half of American mothers working full time 
outside the home, many children come home from school to an empty 
house. It is during this time when many unsupervised children find 
trouble. A study released by the YMCA of the USA designated the hours 
between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. as the ``danger zone.'' Teenagers are more 
likely to drink, smoke, or engage in sexual activity because they are 
unsupervised. But this time could and should be used for productive 
activities.
  The hours after school should be a time to learn and grow, not invite 
trouble. We need to expand funding for programs like Chicago's 
Lighthouse after school program, so that children have access to 
tutoring and mentoring programs, recreational activities, and literacy 
education after the school day ends. When children participate in these 
programs, working mothers can be reassured that their children are not 
only safe, but thriving, while they are at work.
  In conclusion, Sunday is our special opportunity to recognize the 
role of mothers and to thank them for their nurture, care, and love. On 
Sunday, when we salute our mothers for the role they have played in our 
lives, let's recommit ourselves to give them a gift in return, a gift 
they will treasure. Let's pass sensible gun laws, increase funding to 
our schools, and protect our communities. That is what our mothers 
want, on Mother's Day and every day. And that is what we should give 
them.

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