[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1701]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     SUPPORTING NATIONAL NIGHT OUT

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                               speech of

                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 29, 2008

  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to voice my full and enthusiastic 
support for H. Res. 1324. With violence on the rise in many 
communities, including my home district of Chicago, I have committed 
myself to raising the issue of gun violence within the U.S. Congress. 
We must effectively address this issue and begin to repair the 
devastation that it has caused for countless families, communities, and 
neighborhoods.
  Since February, I have been speaking of the ``Daily 45s'', the number 
of casualties the Department of Justice reports that our Nation suffers 
every day due to gun violence. Though the number of gun shot fatalities 
that Americans endure here in our own communities dwarfs the number of 
daily casualties our troops suffer in two war zones combined, in Iraq 
and Afghanistan, it saddens and frustrates me that this issue is not 
being discussed more here in Congress.
  As a country, we are not doing enough to address this deadly issue. 
That is why I proudly support H. Res. 1324, which asks the President to 
focus appropriate attention on neighborhood crime prevention and 
community policing, and to coordinate Federal efforts to participate in 
National Night Out on the first Tuesday in August.
  Additionally, like my Communities in Action Neighborhood Defense and 
Opportunity (CAN DO) bill, which I will soon be introducing, H. Res. 
1324 provides Federal support to assist local efforts in addressing the 
issue of violence. This bill assists community watch groups by 
supporting local officials in an effort to promote community safety and 
help secure our homeland.
  It is past time for Americans of all races, classes, and geographic 
locations to come together and put an end to the senseless violence 
that is gripping our Nation. H. Res. 1324 goes a long way in bringing 
this deadly subject into the light and forcing all of us to deal with 
this devastating problem. I urge all of my colleagues to support this 
measure as well.

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