[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 98 (Thursday, July 15, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8224-S8225]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        DO THE WRITE THING 2004

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the Do the Write Thing Challenge, sponsored 
by the National Campaign to Stop Violence, is a national writing 
contest in which students express their concerns

[[Page S8225]]

about subjects such as domestic violence, easy access to guns, and gang 
activity.
  Do the Write Thing currently operates in 14 cities, including 
Detroit, MI. Over the past 9 years, more than 285,000 students from 
middle schools from around the country have participated in this 
contest. During this past school year, over 85,000 middle school 
students participated in youth violence discussions and roundtables 
sponsored by the Do the Write Thing Challenge. Some 28,000 students 
chose to submit contributions to their local Do the Write Thing 
Challenge committee.
  Over 2,500 school finalists were honored at local recognition 
ceremonies and had their writings published and distributed locally. 
Next week, two national finalists from each participating jurisdiction 
will be honored at a national recognition ceremony in Washington, DC. 
Also during next week's National Recognition Week, the finalists will 
present their views on youth violence to such national leaders as the 
Secretary of Education, the Attorney General, the Administrator of the 
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention and Members of 
the House and Senate. In addition, their writings will be published and 
placed in the Library of Congress.
  The works, ranging from poems to essays to stories, all describe the 
impact of violence in the lives of children. I am pleased that the 
National Campaign to Stop Violence will honor two students from 
Michigan, Michael Williams and Starlyn Robinson, for their poems on 
youth violence. I commend these two young people for their hard work 
and I know my colleagues join me in celebrating the efforts of middle 
school students from around the country.
  I ask unanimous consent that Michael and Starlyn's poems be printed 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                   Starlyn Robinson, Bates Academy, 
                                Grade 8


                            Shadina's Price

     A, loving girl,
     Shadina Moss
     A traffic incident
     And her life was lost.
     A piece of paper,
     An invitation,
     For a seemingly fun
     Celebration.

     The party was Friday
     Shadina had a week to prepare,
     But she started that second
     Choosing what to wear.
     Invitations were infrequent,
     The people carefully selected.
     Lots were left out
     Feeling painfully neglected.
     Not one of her friends
     Was cool enough to get invited.
     That made Shadina feel special,
     And even more delighted.
     Her friend reminded her
     She'd need permission to go.
     Sick of her bragging,
     She hoped Mrs. Moss said, No.

     The party was late,
     After midnight
     So of course her mother refused
     Causing a fight.
     Shadina was defiant,
     Decided to rebel
     Unaware of the fact
     The party wouldn't end well.
     Not owning a car
     Shadina was stuck,
     A boy offered her a ride
     She thought it was good luck.
     She knew the boy
     Jason, from school.
     He was nice, and invited
     So evidently he was cool.
     They talked a lot,
     For a good long while.
     She knew everything about him.
     Even the length of his smile.
     She knew his favorite color,
     And that he liked to use slang,
     But what she didn't know
     Was that he was in a gang.

     They arrived at the party
     And started to have fun.
     They laughed and said hi
     To almost everyone.
     Except for that boy
     With bad intentions.
     An enemy of the gang, Jason
     Supposedly forgot to mention.
     He wasn't invited,
     And shouldn't have been there,
     But be had a gun and some bullets
     And didn't seem to care.
     He locked and loaded,
     Aimed straight for Jason's head
     But Shadina was the one
     That wound up dead.
     With a BANG and a gasp,
     Shadina took her last breath
     And all those surrounding
     Witnessed her death.
     This story has a few morals,
     Be nice to everyone;
     If the boy was invited
     He might not have brought a gun.

     Had Jason not been in a gang
     Shadina would still be alive,
     But the deed is done
     And she can never be revived.
     Why do we need guns?
     Do we have to kill each other?
     My grandfather was shot
     By my step-grandmother.
     I'll miss the grandfather
     I never got to meet.
     I wish my step-grandma
     Wasn't packing heat.
     But like Shadina
     He's gone to a better place,
     Leaving this world
     Witbout a trace.
     Why would we make gun,
     Then wonder about the death rate?
     These are things we made
     We decided to create.
     When you sense hostility
     On a persons face
     Leave them alone,
     Let them have their space.
     Prevent violence:
     Always be nice,
     Listen to your parents,
     Don't pay Shadina's price.

     Starlyn Robinson
                                  ____


                Michael Williams, Bates Academy, Grade 8

                       ``Paying With Your Life''

     ``Chorus''
     Stop the violence young people or you will pay the price
     The only outcome is paying with your life

     ``Verse #1''
     At my young age I have witnessed many deaths
     And trust me its not the best
     It's like being striped naked or undressed
     Feeling confused as why a child would wear a bulletproof vest
     And he hasn't even made it out of his parent's nest
     Lakes full of tears from blood shed
     Asking my mother why my uncle is dead
     And why I always have this feeling of dread
     Lying to my mother that I'm okay
     While wondering if this hurt and pain will ever go away
     So I'm begging you young people of today
     Stop the violence so we can live to see a better day

     ``Chorus''
     Stop the violence young people or you will pay the price
     The only outcome is paying with your life

     ``Verse #2''
     Kids calling themselves gangsters and thugs
     Hanging on street corners selling drugs
     Perpetrating, wonna be grown
     But only trying to hide the fact they ain't getting no loving 
           at home
     No father figure
     So to hide the pant, they hold a gun with the safety off the 
           trigger
     To some life is a game and they have no shame
     Emotions running wild because they feel no pain
     At the age of thirteen you are still a kid
     But the judge still tries you as an adult for what you did

     ``Chorus''
     Stop the violence young people or you will pay the price
     The only outcome is paying with your life

     ``Verse #3''
     Maybe we should send the kids to a jail cell for only a day
     Then they would have to listen to what a real prisoner has to 
           say
     Or maybe take them to an undertaker
     So they can see what violence leads to today
     Hopefully they will realize lying in a coffin ain't the way
     Put some positive mentors in there face
     And maybe they won't think that there lives are such a 
           disgrace
     With this in place they will gain a little more hope and 
           faith
     And realize they have some good to contribute to the human 
           race
     Now all that's okay but I alone can't stop violence today
     So youth of today join me and keep the faith and pray

     ``Chorus''
     Stop the violence young people or you will pay the price
     The only outcome is paying with your life

                                                  Michael Williams
     Mrs. Gibson 8-4

                          ____________________