[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 57 (Wednesday, March 29, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E278]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





        GUN VIOLENCE IN ILLINOIS'S FIRST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JONATHAN L. JACKSON

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, March 29, 2023

  Mr. JACKSON of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart 
in the aftermath of another mass shooting in Tennessee that claimed 6 
lives, including 3 innocent children. I stand here as a representative 
of a district plagued by the epidemic of gun violence.
  Chicago, our beloved city, suffers from a firearm homicide rate that 
overshadows other major U.S. cities. From 2018 to 2022, almost 14,000 
shooting incidents have scarred our communities and shattered countless 
families.
  As I speak on this matter, I must emphasize the disproportionate 
impact on our Black communities. In our state of Illinois, Black 
individuals are 32 times more likely to die by gun homicide than their 
White counterparts, a rate triple the national average. This is not 
just a statistic; it is a heart-wrenching reality and a gross injustice 
that we must confront and dismantle with unyielding determination.
  Our children, the beacons of hope for our future, suffer most in the 
face of this violence. Firearms are the leading cause of death for 
children in Illinois, claiming an average of 183 young lives each year. 
The stark truth is that in Illinois, Black children and teens are 13 
times more likely to die from gun violence than their White peers. 
Around 60 percent of Chicago's youngest children live in communities 
where 91 percent of homicides took place.
  Our children's mental health continues to deteriorate under the 
burden of fear and anxiety from exposure to gun violence. Over 1 in 4 
parents report their children hearing gunshots at home, and 1 in 5 
parents say their children's mental health has been negatively 
affected.
  It is our responsibility as lawmakers and leaders to bring forth 
meaningful change. We must start by implementing comprehensive 
background checks, closing the gun show loophole, and investing in 
mental health services for those affected by gun violence. We must pass 
the assault weapons ban to remove military-style weapons from our 
streets, prohibit unlicensed firearm ownership, and mandate that 
firearms transfers occur only with a valid license.
  Additionally, we must establish and maintain a federal record of sale 
system and conduct fingerprint-based nationwide criminal background 
checks. Had these measures been in place, the gunman who killed 5 
people in Aurora, IL in 2019 might have been prevented from acquiring 
the firearm used in the shooting.
  Our children, our communities, and our Nation deserve better. We must 
be relentless in our pursuit of a safer, brighter future. Let us be 
united in our resolve, with hearts full of passion and eyes set on the 
prize of a peaceful tomorrow. Together, we can turn the tide of gun 
violence and restore hope to our great Nation.
  Mr. Speaker, let us join hands in this righteous fight.

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