[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 17 (Thursday, January 30, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1799-S1800]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    YOUTH PROGRAM IS BEST REVENGE AGAINST RISING TIDE OF GUN DEATHS

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to bring an inspiring young woman 
from my home State of Michigan to the attention of my colleagues. Her 
name is Lakeshia Gallman. Lakeshia graduated from Martin Luther King 
High School in 2002 and currently attends Wayne State University.
  As many of my colleagues know, the Detroit area has been plagued by 
gun-related deaths of children over the last year. Lakeshia Gallman is 
no stranger to the terrible effects of this rising tide of gun violence 
on families and communities. She lost her 17-year-old cousin in a 
senseless act of gun violence 4 years ago. Since that incident, 
Lakeshia's commitment to reducing the occurrence of gun violence in 
Detroit has been exemplary. Lakeshia is active in the Detroit 
Neighborhood Service Organization's Youth Initiative Project, an 
organization dedicated to drug prevention and stopping youth violence. 
She has been a champion of gun safety initiatives in Detroit for over 3 
\1/2\ years. Over the last year, Lakeshia has set up town hall 
meetings, and met with local and national elected officials, including 
me. She also helped distribute over 2,000 gun locks and has educated 
people about the harsh realities of gun violence. Lakeshia recently 
authored a column on the effects of gun violence in the Detroit Free 
Press.
  Like many Americans, Lakeshia Gallman understands that the black 
market and gun traffickers are two of the primary ways criminals get 
their hands on guns. She also knows that easy access to guns in homes 
are a primary method by which kids injure or kill other kids. We can 
eliminate easy access to guns by criminals by closing the gun show 
loophole. And we can prevent kids from gaining access to guns

[[Page S1800]]

by enacting safe storage legislation, such as the Children's Firearm 
Access Prevention Act. These are two commonsense steps we can take to 
reduce gun violence.
  I had the pleasure of meeting Lakeshia Gallman in October and I 
commended her on her hard work and dedication to preventing gun 
violence in her community. I am sure that I speak for many of my Senate 
colleagues in congratulating her on a job well done.
  I ask unanimous consent that Lakeshia's Detroit Free Press column be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

    Youth Program Is Best Revenge Against Rising Tide of Gun Deaths


      teen who lost cousin channels her anger into education plan

                         (By Lakeshia Gallman)

       Sometimes I sit back and wonder why innocent people have to 
     die. It is a shame that violence has taken over our world.
       The shooting death of 16-year-old Detroit high-school 
     student Mario Smith over the weekend has personal meaning for 
     me as someone who graduated from Martin Luther King High 
     School this year. Mario was an honor student at King, an 
     athlete I knew to be a great all-around person.
       His senseless death was the latest sad reminder of how gun 
     violence is destroying our communities. But I already knew 
     this--because my 17-year-old cousin was shot to death four 
     years ago.
       My cousin and his friends were shot several times with 
     automatic weapons. It was a Sunday afternoon; my aunt told 
     him to take her car and go to the cleaners. Instead, he went 
     to pick up some friends who at the time were selling drugs. 
     They stopped at a stop sign, and two men sprayed the car with 
     their AK47s.
       I think my cousin was at the wrong place at the wrong time 
     and hanging out with the wrong crowd. He had a lot of dreams 
     that he wanted to accomplish in life, but that was all taken 
     away from him in couple of seconds.
       He always talked about going to the NFL or being a rapper. 
     He was like a brother. I miss his jokes and his smile.
       He taught me how to play basketball and said he would come 
     to my first high school game. He was killed a month before my 
     first game.
       After my cousin was murdered, I wanted revenge on whoever 
     killed him. Later, I realized that violence was not the way 
     to retaliate. I joined the Detroit Neighborhood Services 
     Organization's Youth Initiatives Project--a youth-driven 
     program that campaigns against drug violence. The program is 
     my revenge.
       I get my revenge by educating the community on gun safety 
     and passing out gun locks to help prevent accidents with guns 
     in the home. In this way, I could repay my cousin by saving 
     other lives.
       The Youth Initiatives Project has benefited me a lot. The 
     program has made me come out of my shell and talk to other 
     youths about my story.
       When I first started the program, I was very shy and quiet. 
     With the help of Frank McGhee, our program director, I 
     learned that if you speak your mind, people will take a 
     minute to listen.
       The Youth Initiatives Project has been fighting the fight 
     for a long time. We have been campaigning and having rallies 
     on this issue for about 3\1/2\ years. Gun violence can be 
     stopped. We just have to keep on pushing and educating the 
     public.
       Among other achievements, the project distributed 2,000 gun 
     locks to the community over the summer. This proved that the 
     community wanted to practice gun safety--and that made me 
     proud.
       The next issue I want to deal with is illegal gun 
     trafficking. I wonder where people are getting these high-
     powered machine guns. People are selling guns from their 
     houses trunks of their cars and other places that are 
     illegal. Anyone can buy a gun from these places, even minors.
       This illegal gun trafficking is very dangerous because 
     children can get their hands on guns whenever they want.
       My message to the community is: If we had done something 
     before these murders, this could have been prevented. We were 
     not concerned until our babies were murdered. There need to 
     be more block clubs, town hall meetings and community 
     activities to keep children out of trouble. This is what I 
     leave with you. Let's start saving our future before it fades 
     away.
       To Mario Smith's family, I would like to say that I will 
     keep praying for you and to never give up, because justice 
     will be served.
       To my cousin: Rest in peace, Ronald Ellis, I will see you 
     again one day. Just keep on waiting for me, and we will play 
     that one-on-one game I owe you.
       My heart goes out to the families and siblings who lost 
     somebody they love. God bless you, and never give up.

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