[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5959]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        EPIDEMIC OF GUN VIOLENCE

  Mr. LEVIN. Madam President, the epidemic of gun violence is 
endangering many in our communities both large and small. Illegal guns 
are being used at an increasing rate to harm our children, our 
neighbors, and our police officers. We must not allow this spiral to 
continue.
  One example of a community heavily affected by gun violence is in 
Pennsylvania, where in 2004 the State led the Nation in homicide rates 
among African-American victims. Handguns were used in 81 percent of the 
State's murders. In Pennsylvania's largest city, Philadelphia, more 
than 2,000 people were injured by firearms last year alone. According 
to the Philadelphia police department, this represents an increase of 
31 percent in just 3 years. Philadelphia saw 406 people murdered in 
2006, up from 380 in 2005.
  Just a short trip south of Pennsylvania lies another example of the 
how guns are affecting our communities. According to the nonprofit 
organization Ceasefire Maryland, a crime is committed with an assault 
rifle every 48 hours in the State of Maryland. The Maryland State 
Legislature is attempting to address this horrifying statistic by 
considering a bill backed by Governor Martin O'Malley that would ban 45 
different assault weapons statewide. This action could serve as an 
excellent example of a legislature taking a commonsense approach to 
reducing gun violence. Congress and President Bush have allowed the 
Federal assault weapons ban to expire.
  Month after month, we watch these tragedies unfold on the news and 
yet Congress has not taken the necessary steps to help control these 
acts of violence or ease the anxiety that many parents and families 
feel each day as their loved ones go to school, church, or work. 
According to the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, gun crime rose 
49.4 percent nationally between 2004 and 2005. Almost 5.9 million 
people were victims of gun violence between 1996 and 2005.
  The American people have a right to demand that their schools, places 
of worship, and other public places be better protected from gun 
violence. Much more can be done to break the cycle of gun violence that 
plagues our communities. I urge my colleagues to take up and pass 
commonsense legislation that will help address this problem.

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