[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 79 (Wednesday, May 10, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H2178]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ``JOAQUIN'S FIRST SCHOOL SHOOTING''

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Massachusetts (Ms. Clark) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts. Madam Speaker, today, I rise with a heavy 
heart, a heart of grief. I grieve for a Nation where 111 Americans are 
shot and killed every single day. I grieve for a generation of kids 
growing up surrounded by violence. I think of William Cho, 6 years old, 
who lost his parents and his younger brother, not living in a war zone 
but going to a shopping mall in our country.
  I grieve for the parents who have suffered the inconceivable pain of 
losing a child, a beloved family member, parents like Patricia and 
Manny Oliver, who are here with us today, whose son, Joaquin, was 
murdered alongside 16 classmates and staff in Parkland, Florida.
  Ahead of Mother's Day weekend, Patricia and Manny published a 
children's book, a book that illustrates the horror of America's gun 
epidemic from the perspective of its youngest victims.
  Madam Speaker, I would like to read from ``Joaquin's First School 
Shooting.'' May it give some pause to all of us, especially my 
colleagues who continue to prioritize guns over our children.
  ``Joaquin's First School Shooting.''

     The end of the day, was also my own.
     Bled out on the floor, and never got home.
     We heard a loud bang!
     Then off went the alarm.
     My classmates freaked out, but I tried to keep calm.
     Out in the hall, a killer had a gun.
     He shot into a class, then came right for us.
     He took aim and fired--again, and again, and again.
     One life at a time, my friends met their end.
     He came up the stairs, hunting for more.
     That's when we all panicked, and ran for the door.
     We tried to get clear, but it was a bit late.
     It was his machine gun, that decided our fates.
     Our country is numb, to violence like this.
     Politicians don't care. They still keep their seats.
     We must not forget, or I've died in vain!
     Enough is enough. Please . . . never again!

  Let us remember all of the victims and remember that this is a 
choice. We have solutions. We can end gun violence in this country.

                          ____________________