[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 66 (Thursday, April 24, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E734]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                REMEMBERING VIRGINIA TECH AND COLUMBINE

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                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 24, 2008

  Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, Wednesday, April 16, 2008, was the 
anniversary of the tragic events on the campus of Virginia Tech that 
took the lives of 32 people and wounded many more. Sunday, April 20, 
2008 marked the 9th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. 
These events rank second and third among the deadliest school shootings 
in the history of the United States. At the same time, from the 
wreckage has emerged a strong desire to prevent violence of this 
magnitude in the future.
  I am proud to be the sponsor of H.R. 808, to establish a Department 
of Peace and Nonviolence, because this bill seeks to make nonviolence 
an organizing principle in our society. This cabinet-level department 
would address the myriad forms of violence that affect our Nation and 
the global community. As the disasters at Columbine and Virginia Tech 
have shown, violence has deep and lasting consequences that must be 
addressed by looking at root causes and endeavoring to find 
preventative solutions that are both dynamic and comprehensive. The 
Department of Peace and Nonviolence would provide a systematic tool to 
accomplish this admirable goal.
  We can all agree that violence in our schools, among youth and adults 
alike, is an ongoing problem that must be addressed. H.R. 808 is a way 
to address not only violence in our schools but the violence that 
exists in our homes, workplaces and institutions throughout our 
communities both nationally and internationally.

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