[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 138 (Tuesday, December 7, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S11890]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ``HUGS, NOT BULLETS''

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I want to bring to the attention of my 
colleagues a campaign by the Neighborhood Service Organization's Youth 
Initiatives Project in Detroit, MI, called ``Hugs, Not Bullets.'' This 
is an outstanding example of involvement by youth leaders who want to 
make a difference in their community by decreasing gun violence.
  The Youth Initiatives Project was created in 1999 to address growing 
community issues including violence and substance abuse in Detroit. For 
five years, community organizations and students have been involved in 
a coordinated effort to accomplish the goals of the project. Previous 
Youth Initiatives Project campaigns have focused on after-school 
programs to reduce gun violence and increase the use of trigger locks 
in homes.
  The current campaign, ``Hugs, Not Bullets,'' is intended to reduce 
the use of firearms during the celebration of the New Year's holiday. 
Youth leaders have been organizing for months and plan to enlist over 
200 students and numerous community groups in support of the campaign. 
Several rallies and a candlelight vigil are planned to draw attention 
to the campaign and the issue of gun safety. In addition, the 
centerpiece of the campaign is a four-foot by eight-foot card which 
will make its way through schools and the community to be signed by 
those who pledge to help reduce gun violence over the New Year's 
holiday. The card will serve as a powerful symbol of the community's 
determination to fight violence, particularly involving firearms.
  I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to the members of the 
Youth Initiatives Project for their hard work to bring an end to the 
gun violence that continues to plague our society. I am hopeful that 
the 109th Congress will do more to support their efforts and pass 
sensible gun safety legislation. We owe it to them, to our police 
officers, and to our communities to do all we can to keep dangerous 
guns off of our streets.

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