[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 55 (Thursday, March 29, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Page S4155]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       OUR CHILDREN PAY THE PRICE

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, the increase in gun violence that affects 
towns, cities, and rural areas across this Nation takes a particularly 
heavy toll on our most precious resource, our children and 
grandchildren. Since 1979, over 101,000 children and teenagers have 
been killed by firearms. This staggering figure clearly illustrates the 
inadequacy of Congress's efforts to address the issue of gun violence.
  On March 7, 2007, in the small city of Midland, MI, a 17-year-old 
male shot a 17-year-old female student before turning the gun on 
himself, committing suicide in the young girl's high school parking 
lot. Reports indicate the male drove to the school to talk with the 
female student. After arranging to meet her in the school parking lot, 
he shot her four times, while her mother watched in horror. He then 
turned the gun on himself. The very same day, in Greenville, TX, a city 
of only 26,000 people, a 16-year-old student fatally shot himself 
inside his high school's hallway.
  These are just two examples of the misery gun violence inflicts. 
According to data collected by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and 
Prevention, every day, on average, nearly eight children or teens are 
killed by gun violence in America. In 2004, 58 preschoolers were killed 
by firearms. Furthermore, for every child or teen death caused by a 
gun, there are nearly five nonfatal injuries. According to the Journal 
of the American Medical Association, the average cost per gunshot 
victim, excluding rehabilitation and long-term care, is $45,000. A 
single year's worth of gunshot injuries adds up to approximately $2.3 
billion in lifetime medical costs, half of which is paid for by 
taxpayers.
  The Children's Defense Fund, in their 2007 report on gun violence, 
makes a number of recommendations to protect children from gun 
violence. Among other things, the CDF recommends parents remove guns 
from their homes, schools provide nonviolent conflict resolution 
courses for all students, and communities create positive activities 
for children and teenagers to reduce the influence of gangs and drugs. 
Congress must also take an active role. We should pass commonsense gun 
safety legislation, support law enforcement and community programs, and 
help focus media and public attention on causes and consequences of gun 
violence.
  I am hopeful the 110th Congress will work to break the cycle of gun 
violence that plagues so many of our communities and our children and 
grandchildren.

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