[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 124 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1853-E1854]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE CITY YOUTH VIOLENCE RECOVERY ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 27, 2006

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with the 
distinguished gentleman from Georgia, Mr. Lewis, to introduce the City 
Youth Violence Recovery Act. I want to thank Congressman Lewis for his 
work on this bill and for his lifelong work to unite every community 
into what he calls The Beloved Community.
  As the media reports daily about the loss of life in the war in Iraq, 
we often ignore the war being fought at home in city streets across 
this country. After a decadelong decline of violent crime, it is again 
on the rise. In Hartford, for example, there have been 140 shooting 
victims since the beginning of 2006--this is an 18.6% increase over 
last year's city reports. And again, just over the weekend, gun 
violence claimed another young life. It was the city's 19th homicide 
this year. He was 19.
  The challenges facing the city of Hartford are not unique. This 
violence, perpetrated both by and against young people, has devastated 
urban communities in cities both large and small. In a disturbing 
trend, our city children and teenagers are losing their lives, losing 
their friends, losing their family members, and losing their youth. 
They feel fear, helplessness, horror and the sense that life and safety 
are in danger. Tragically, many have grown numb to the violence around 
them.
  Since community violence is caused by many things, there is no 
simple, single solution to eradicate it from our neighborhoods. We must 
address employment, housing, education, transportation, law 
enforcement, and other quality of life issues. Until we address these 
issues, we must do something to help the youth in our cities overcome 
the long-term emotional harm of witnessing this community violence.
  In July, I was honored to have Mr. Lewis come to Connecticut to talk 
with local leaders and children in the Hartford community. It was clear 
that the community's young people require more than physical security 
to keep them safe from harm. They need a network of support to treat 
the emotional, mental and developmental harms associated with community 
violence. Today, I am proud to be joined by Congressman Lewis and 27 of 
my distinguished colleagues to introduce the City Youth Violence 
Recovery Act of 2006. This bill is a step in the right direction in 
healing the youth of Hartford and the youth in cities devastated by 
violence throughout the United States. Specifically, this bill would 
create a Department of Health and Human Services grant program to 
provide urban communities with funding for counseling, mental health 
services, post-traumatic stress type services, and violence prevention 
and conflict mediation for city youth.
  We can no longer remain indifferent to the needs of our urban youth. 
As Members of Congress, as Americans, and as fathers and mothers, we 
cannot allow any more young lives to be lost in this war at home. Our 
cities' children deserve better; they deserve a future.

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