[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 18]
[House]
[Pages 25962-25963]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   VOICES AGAINST VIOLENCE CONFERENCE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ryan of Wisconsin). Under a previous 
order of the House, the gentlewoman from Ohio (Mrs. Jones) is 
recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today before this great 
Chamber to share with my colleagues one of the greatest moments that I 
have experienced as a Member of Congress.
  Today I participated in a discussion with the chaperons for the 
Voices Against Violence Conference which is being held today and 
tomorrow on Capitol Hill. Voices Against Violence is a national student 
conference whose purpose is to add the voices of America's high school 
students to the debate in Washington over what to do about youth 
violence.
  LaDasha Richardson and George Whitfield of the Cleveland School of 
the Arts, of the Cleveland Municipal School District, are representing 
my district, the 11th Congressional District of Ohio.
  LaDasha and George started the Students Against a Violent 
Environment, SAVE, a grass-roots organization comprised of students 
from around the city of Cleveland, that is committed to assisting and 
educating children and young adults on how to make our communities safe 
and more positive.
  Today I want to applaud their efforts. I also want to recognize the 
chaperones who have accompanied students like LaDasha and George here 
today who too are committed to making the lives of our children better. 
Because of their commitment, I asked each chaperone what we can do as 
elected officials to make their vision a reality.

[[Page 25963]]

  I asked each to complete a card giving their name, the area they 
represented and if they could tell Congress one thing what that one 
thing would be. Here to my right are some of the comments which 
highlight what we in Congress need to do to make the lives of our 
children better, in the words of these various chaperons.
  Later on my colleague, the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Capps), 
the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge), the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Clyburn), and I, will be talking about the 
statements that these chaperons have made.
  Charlie Jackson, an assistant principal at Brooks County High School 
in Quitman, Georgia says, ``More money is needed to provide the 
opportunities and experiences to help our kids overcome the issues they 
face.''
  Luis Beltre of New York City writes, ``Although young people cannot 
vote, we must empower them and instill in them a sense of pride because 
they do count. We should create a National General Youth Council that 
will express the voice of young people today.''
  Mike Stauropoulus of Memphis, Tennessee, writes, ``Democrats and 
Republicans must do a better job of making kids their priority and not 
their own political agendas. It is very discouraging to see the waste 
of time and energy being wasted in Washington as one party tries to 
show up the other. If you want the people to have a voice, then listen 
to them and make them a priority.''
  Robert Brutcher of Illinois writes, ``I do not want to appear 
ungrateful but please do not give me money for extra teachers until you 
send me money to build another room in which they can teach. Make me 
accountable for educating my students but give me the tools. Help me 
and my colleagues make opportunities for our kids.''
  Anne Christensen of Minnesota writes, ``Our children know what is 
happening. Please listen to them. Put more money into programs and 
early prevention.''
  Albert Harper of Coventry, Connecticut, writes, ``So long as any 
child is disenfranchised from the promise of a future in America, we 
have talked without hope and our children fall in disrepair and 
violence.''
  Deborah A. Covarrubia of San Antonio, Texas, writes, ``The most 
influential aspect of a young person's life is the education they 
receive. Parents, teachers and mentors should take more responsibility 
in teaching ethics. Ethics in education should be emphasized. God's law 
is man's law.''
  Kathleen Kropf of Macomb, Michigan writes, ``Homeless children from 
working poor families continues to grow at an alarming rate in our 
country. These children and their families need to be acknowledged and 
assisted. Why in the richest country in the world do 10 percent of our 
citizens go to bed hungry every night? There should be no, quote, 
hungry or homeless children in our country today. We cannot assist them 
without acknowledging and addressing this problem.''
  Finally, Roger Barnes of La Crosse, Wisconsin, writes, ``The main 
thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. For me, the main thing 
is our youth. Character does count. When it comes to character, we must 
put politics aside and do the right thing. Send a strong message about 
the moral fiber which made this country great. When we tolerate 
immorality at the highest levels, the message is overwhelming and 
becomes a disease which permeates the entire population.''
  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to speak to the issues of 
the chaperons.

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