[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16541]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        THE DAILY 45: A FAMILY'S HOUSING CRISIS ENDS WITH A GUN

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                           HON. BOBBY L. RUSH

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 24, 2008

  Mr. RUSH. Madam Speaker, the Department of Justice tells us that, 
everyday, 45 people, on average, are fatally shot in the United States. 
While most of the gun violence stems from crime, far too often a loaded 
weapon in the hands of an emotionally distraught individual leads to 
tragedy.
   Such was the case, two days ago, when the economic impact of the 
nation's housing crisis took a toll on a Massachusetts family. In a 
moment of despair, 53-year-old Carlene Balderrama took her life with a 
gun on the day that her mortgage company was set to sell her foreclosed 
home.
   Balderrama was a wife and mother of a young son whose desperation 
found relief at the end of the barrel of a gun. Her suicide shocked the 
small, quiet town of Taunton, a community with origins that stem from 
the birth of our nation. In a tragic twist, before she killed herself, 
Mrs. Balderrama faxed a note to her mortgage company saying, ``By the 
time you foreclose on my house, I'll be dead.'' While any number of 
intervening forces could have made a difference, in an instant, a gun 
took away those options. My heart goes out to her family and her 
community on their loss.
  Americans of conscience must come together to stop the senseless 
death of ``The Daily 45.'' When will we say ``enough is enough, stop 
the killing!''

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