[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 30 (Friday, February 13, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2346]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 7--HONORING AND REMEMBERING THE LIFE OF 
                        LAWRENCE ``LARRY'' KING

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Durbin, and Mr. 
Whitehouse) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                             S. Con. Res. 7

       Whereas Larry King was a 15-year-old boy from Oxnard, 
     California who was shot by a fellow student during English 
     class on February 12, 2008 and died in the hospital 2 days 
     later;
       Whereas the police classified the murder as a hate crime;
       Whereas in 2008, more than 150 vigils were held across the 
     Nation in Larry's memory, and more than 18,000 students from 
     more than 6,500 middle and high schools came together to 
     commemorate his death;
       Whereas one year later, vigils continue to be organized to 
     call for an end to violence, bullying, and harassment in 
     schools in the United States;
       Whereas in 2007, 85 percent of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and 
     transgender students were verbally harassed at school because 
     of their sexual orientation, and more than 20 percent of 
     those students were physically assaulted because of their 
     sexual orientation;
       Whereas the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network's 
     2007 National School Climate Survey showed that when students 
     are harassed or assaulted at school, they find it difficult 
     to focus on their school work, their grades drop, and they 
     attend school less often; and
       Whereas schools should be a place where all children can 
     learn and grow in a safe environment, free from bullying and 
     harassment: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) honors and remembers the life of Lawrence ``Larry'' 
     King;
       (2) condemns all hate crimes; and
       (3) calls on the Federal Government, States, localities, 
     schools, and the people of the United States to take 
     immediate steps to stop bullying and harassment in the 
     Nation's schools.

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce a resolution to 
honor the memory of Lawrence ``Larry'' King, a 15-year-old boy who was 
shot and killed at a California junior high school on this day last 
year.
  Larry's story is a tragic and is a poignant reminder of why it is so 
important to stop bullying and violence in our schools.
  Larry King was a spirited boy who grew up in Oxnard, California.
  At the age of 10, he told the other kids at school that he was gay, 
and many of them teased and taunted him as a result. At his first 
school, the bullying became so harsh that his parents had to transfer 
him to a different school. But the transfer seemed like a good one, and 
although Larry still endured teasing, he made some very close friends.
  Near the beginning of last year, Larry decided to change the way he 
dressed. He started wearing girls' accessories, makeup, and a pair of 
high heels that he bought for himself at Target.
  In February, he asked one of his male classmates to be his Valentine. 
The boys exchanged heated words, and the next morning Larry came to 
school dressed plainly and looking nervous and out of sorts.
  He had English as his first class and he sat with the other students, 
including the boy he had asked to be his Valentine. The class was in 
the school's computer lab and the students sat typing up their papers.
  At 8:30 a.m., the other boy stood up and fatally shot Larry. He had 
hidden a handgun in his bag, which he took out, and simply stood up 
silently and shot Larry twice in the back of the head. Larry died in 
the hospital two days later.
  This act of violence is shocking and devastated his parents, and the 
Oxnard community.
  I strongly oppose hate crimes of all kinds. When victims are targeted 
because of who they are--because of their race, their religion, their 
sexual orientation, or national origin--the harm runs very deep.
  Hate crimes can cause lengthy emotional trauma; they can make people 
afraid to express their identities; and they are deeply divisive and 
can tear our communities apart.
  Hate crimes and bullying in schools can cause even deeper harm.
  According to a School Climate Survey in 2007, over 85 percent of gay, 
lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students were verbally harassed at 
school. And more than 20 percent of these students had been physically 
assaulted.
  The survey also found that when children were bullied or harassed, 
they attended school less and their grades began to drop.
  This bullying and violence has to stop. I am introducing this 
resolution today to commemorate the life of this young boy and to draw 
attention to the need for increased efforts to end bullying and 
violence in our schools. Schools should be safe places where children 
can learn and grow, free from harassment or any threat of physical 
attack.
  I also want to take this opportunity to urge my colleagues to pass 
hate crimes legislation this year so that our federal law will be clear 
that crimes based on a person's sexual orientation, gender identity, or 
disability are crimes of hate and must be vigorously prosecuted because 
of the great harm that they cause to our communities.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution.

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