[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 12]
[House]
[Page 16284]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        JUNETEENTH/BLAIR'S BILL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rush) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RUSH. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today, along with my 
congressional Black Caucus colleagues, in recognition of Juneteenth 
Day. It is fitting for us to not only acknowledge where we have been in 
the past but also to evaluate where we are today as a people.
  Mr. Speaker, one of the most pressing issues in the African American 
community remains the issue of education. Many of my colleagues have 
outlined the progress and the challenges that many African American 
students face as they strive to acquire the educational benefits that 
every American should receive.
  In the words of the great African American leader Malcolm X: 
``Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to 
those who prepare for it today.''
  Education is, of course, the key to a bright future. And it is the 
vital ingredient in finding success and achieving the American Dream. 
While African Americans have come very far, educationally, there is 
still much work to do at the Federal, at the State, at the local, and 
at the family level to ensure that all of our students are learning and 
are being given the chance to succeed.
  Today, Mr. Speaker, African American females, in particular, are 
achieving gains in education that were previously unheard of. Black 
females are graduating from college, graduate school, and post-graduate 
school at record levels. And this is something we can all be proud of 
and take comfort in.
  However, Mr. Speaker, there are still many problems. Today, our 
Nation has more African American men in prison than in college. In many 
urban cities, Black males are dropping out of high school at a rate of 
50 percent and even less are going to college.
  One problem that many of our young students face is the issue of gun 
violence that pervades our community. Mr. Speaker, we have to make the 
schools and the neighborhoods that we live in safe for our students. We 
must address the gun violence that is plaguing so many of our 
communities.
  African American males under age 30 are nearly nine times more likely 
to be murdered than a white male under age 30. African Americans make 
up only 13 percent of the population of our Nation but in 2001 suffered 
almost 25 percent of all firearms deaths, and 52 percent of all firearm 
homicides.
  Mr. Speaker, just days ago, on May 10, a student, Blair Holt, was 
riding home from school on a public bus and was fatally shot while 
trying to shield a young female friend from a gunman's bullet. Blair 
Holt was an honor student with plans to attend college, and instead, 
his young life was prematurely taken for no reason at all. Mr. Speaker, 
this school year alone, 31 Chicago public school students have been 
murdered; 31 students have lost their lives; 31 students have not given 
their talents, their skills, and their abilities to make this world a 
better place.
  While this statistic is true for the schools in my district, gun 
violence is all around. Gun violence is prevalent in so many of the 
communities all around this Nation. And we must put an end to this 
domestic terrorism that is destroying communities and making our 
constituents live in fear. As elected officials, it is incumbent upon 
us to enact legislation that would help reduce the flow of guns into 
our communities and help our struggling and frustrated law enforcement 
departments all across this Nation to keep track of those who possess 
guns and where those guns are.
  I have introduced H.R. 2666, Blair's bill, which would implement a 
Federal gun licensing and registry program. This bill will help law 
enforcement track over 200 million guns that are too often ending up in 
the hands of criminals, young people, and gang members.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2666 is a step in the right direction. We must do 
all that we can for our Nation's children.

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