[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 5]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7264-7265]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  CONNECTICUT'S CHILDREN--MOURNING THE YOUNG LIVES LOST TO SENSELESS 
                                VIOLENCE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN B. LARSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 20, 2013

  Mr. LARSON of Connecticut. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out 
against the senseless violence that engulfs our communities and across 
the nation.
  America's greatest strength comes from its rich diversity of culture, 
race, ethnicity, religion and perspectives. Separately, these are the 
threads that define who we are as individuals. Pull these threads 
together, and they create a tapestry of who we are as a nation. Let us 
never forget that there are two threads each of us living in this 
moment, no matter our background, share in common: the invisible bond 
of citizenship and the experience of childhood.
  However, far too many children living in this nation never have the 
chance to know a true childhood.
  In my mind, a true childhood is a time in our lives where we have 
enough. Enough love to know we have value, enough food to allow us to 
never know hunger, and enough supports in our communities to better 
ensure our health and safety. These are but a few of the important 
elements that a child needs enough of in order to better ensure a 
healthy and successful adulthood.
  Americans from every walk of life have together mourned the loss of 
the innocent children who died on December 12, 2013, and rightfully so. 
We mourned the lives lost from the shootings in Phoenix, Aurora, 
Columbine and Virginia Tech. For our nation's children

[[Page 7265]]

who are trying to grow up in our nation's urban settings, the 
opportunity to realize adulthood is placed in jeopardy because of gun 
violence on a daily basis.
  In the last 12 years in Connecticut, 94 children have died from gun 
violence. In that same span of time, more than 924 were injured and 
maimed by firearms. The majority of these firearm injuries and deaths 
occurred in Hartford, New Haven, and Bridgeport.
  The children and youth who die each day in our cities from gun 
violence are every bit as precious, every bit as deeply loved and 
missed as any child who dies anywhere else in our nation.
  I stand here today on the floor of the House to ask my colleagues to 
join me in recognizing the 20 lives senselessly cut short by gun 
violence the last 18 months in the city of Hartford.
  Today, here in the United States House of Representatives, we mourn 
the loss of:

Jimmy Narvaez-Gonzalez 07/20/2012.
Eric Perez 07/22/2012.
Benjamin Grate 07/23/2012.
Errol Campbell 08/14/2012.
Johnny Armstong 08/27/2012.
Esmerito Perez Mendez 09/24/2012.
Ramon Perez 09/24/2012.
Sonja Rivera 09/27/2012.
Omar Santana 10/05/2012.
Shane Oliver 10/20/2012.
Verall ``Anthony'' Hampton 11/11/2012.
Ricardo Arroyo 12/03/2012.
Jazzy Delgado 12/23/2012.
Sawaire Kirchindath 02/28/2013.
Kwante Feliciano 03/25/2013.
Kelly Cooper 03/25/2013.
Jimmy Q. Roberson 04/03/2013.
Kelly McCaskill Coupe 04/25/2013.
Shaman Jenkins 04/28/2013.
Javar Pretson 05/05/2013.

  In the words of Senior Pastor, Stephen Camp of the Faith 
Congregational Church in Hartford, ``We pray for those parents and 
relatives who grieve still for the loss of their loved ones taken by 
senseless violence . . . these victims whom we remember, leave mothers 
and parents who search still for God's hope and God's assurance.''
  May all of our actions in this Congress reflect the hope of these 
parents, and parents everywhere who pray that no other mother or father 
knows what it means to mourn a child lost to senseless violence.

                          ____________________