[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 12, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H3459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      PREVENTING CHILD ABDUCTIONS

  (Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I have been getting up every day for the 
last several months and talking about Ludwig Koons who has been held in 
Italy illegally after being taken away from the United States of 
America, and by now we all know the name Elizabeth Smart, the young 
girl who was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 
light of the tragedy of her disappearance and on behalf of the Missing 
and Exploited Children's Caucus here in Congress, I would ask and send 
our prayers to Elizabeth and to her family, but I would also like to 
remind parents all across this country to talk to your kids about their 
personal safety, talk to them about the ``Know the Rules'' educational 
program put out by the National Center for Missing and Exploited 
Children. And I would urge every parent to log on to 
www.missingkids.com and learn what they can do to protect and educate 
their children.
  Nearly 2,000 children are reported missing every day in the United 
States of America, and we all must be prepared as parents and 
grandparents to deal with the tragedy, should it occur. That means 
having updated quality photographs and knowing our children's height 
and weight. We should be aware that looking at pictures of missing kids 
brings them home and that we commit ourselves to looking at the photos 
we get in the mail or we see in a grocery store. If we all do our part, 
together we can prevent abductions and bring children like Elizabeth 
and like Ludwig Koons home where they belong.

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