[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9733]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        GUN VIOLENCE IN AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
the Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in solidarity with my 
colleagues about the mass shootings that are going on in our country.
  The Orlando mass shooting has been another demonstration for some 
Americans of an ongoing daily violence and daily nightmare: gun 
violence in our country.
  Now, we all know that there is a systemic problem for many in our 
communities of lack in opportunities: lack of education, adequate 
after-school and summer programs, job training, expansion of economic 
opportunities. But we know measures that will help to increase funding 
for these programs will never reach this floor.
  We know also that Republicans refuse to take up other measures as 
well. What they can address right now, right here, is expanded 
background checks, prevention of gun sales to those on a no-fly list, 
and a ban on assault weapons.
  Now, I grew up fishing and hunting with my dad. I passed that on to 
my children. So owning a gun is not something that I believe should not 
happen, but I know that it is not an absolute right.
  As the granddaughter of a police commissioner, the daughter of a New 
York City cop, a former Bronx prosecutor, and a Justice Department 
official, the war on crime, the war on these mass shootings and 
destruction would be well served by voting on expanded background 
checks, prevention of gun sales to those on the no-fly list, and a ban 
on assault weapons.
  On the small islands that I represent, the U.S. Virgin Islands, there 
have been over 300 gun-related deaths over the last 5 years. For a 
place with a population of 100,000, to have 300 gun-related deaths in 3 
years accounts for a murder rate and a death per capita that is several 
times the national average.
  Now, much of this is through a lack of opportunity, but also--and 
absolutely--the influx of illegal assaults weapons, such as high-
caliber weapons of mass murder, that come into the market. Those, 
coupled, in our instance, with the drug trade, have left our community 
in fear and mourning for our young.
  Last year alone, there were twice as many gun deaths per capita in 
the Virgin Islands than there were in most American cities that we 
could traditionally think of as having a high gun rate.
  Who are the victims of the destruction just this year in the Virgin 
Islands?
  I am going to name them because we never hear names like this. We 
have our moments of silence for the large groups, but these are the 
day-to-day individuals that died:
  January 9, two unnamed males; January 20, Stephen Coleman and Heidi 
Mills; January 21, Tishawn Samuel, 24; February 2, Juan Encarnacion, 
30; March 5, Evan Ezekiel Joseph, 38; March 8, Conrad Phipps, 30; March 
22, Kishawn Fleming, 23; March 27, Hans Oliver, 38; March 28, Kayan 
Payne and Kanta Payne, 33 and 29; April 19, Joseph duCreay, 19; April 
28, Javan Benjamin, 22; May 1, Shedale Gabriel, 25; May 22, Vershawn 
Monsanto, 21; June 4, Shaki Alexander, 21, and Kerven Joseph 19; June 
12, Ojahnia Adkins, 22, and Jahfari Samuel, 34; June 20, Devon Freeman, 
42.
  The blood of these victims speak to me. I hope, Mr. Speaker, it 
speaks to you. Bring the bills to the floor. Vote it up or vote it 
down, but do your job.

                          ____________________