[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 25, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H5212]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DOMESTIC TERRORISM
(Mr. MORAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. MORAN. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the moment of silence that we
extended the victims of the Aurora, Colorado, massacre yesterday. But
the more telling silence is this body's refusal to address the issue of
gun control. As a result, a comparable number of Americans will be
killed by firearms every day. There are 10,000 homicides by firearms in
America every year, 19 times the number of firearm deaths in all
civilized countries combined.
Today is the anniversary of the shooting deaths of two of our Capitol
policemen. We responded to those killings with remorse and even more
heartfelt condolences after our colleague Gabby was shot, but 60 more
multiple murders have been committed since then.
Thirty-two innocent students at Virginia Tech were massacred, and
Virginia's legislative body actually weakened the State's gun control
laws, suggesting that the fault was with the students because they
weren't carrying firearms themselves. A similar comment was made by a
Member of this body after the Aurora killings that there should have
been a shootout in that darkened theater.
This is domestic terrorism, Madam Speaker. We ought to stop being so
soft on such crime. If this shooting had been committed by foreign
terrorists, we'd send the marines out after them, but foreign
terrorists don't buy their weapons from dealers who are members of the
NRA.
Announcment by the Speaker Pro Tempore
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair would like to remind all persons
in the gallery that they are here as guests of the House and that any
manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in violation
of the rules of the House.
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