[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 25, 2000)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 63763-63764]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-27597]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 207 / Wednesday, October 25, 2000 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 63763]]

                Proclamation 7368 of October 20, 2000

                
National Day of Concern About Young People and 
                Gun Violence, 2000

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Every day in America, approximately 10 children are 
                shot and killed. Children 15 years old and younger are 
                murdered with firearms at a higher rate in this country 
                than in 25 other industrialized countries combined. 
                These tragedies are an urgent reminder that we must not 
                waver in our national commitment to reduce gun violence 
                and to make our society safer for our children.

                We are beginning to see some progress in our efforts. 
                Since 1992, the national violent crime rate has dropped 
                by more than 20 percent; violent crimes committed with 
                firearms have dropped by 35 percent; and the firearms 
                homicide rate has fallen over 40 percent. We have 
                achieved much of this progress by embracing a 
                collaborative, community-based approach to gun crime 
                prevention and reduction.

                Gun violence issues differ in each community, and no 
                single program or approach works everywhere. In 
                response to a directive I issued last year to help 
                reduce gun violence and save lives, United States 
                Attorneys and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and 
                Firearms Field Division Directors for each of our 
                Nation's 94 Federal judicial districts have developed 
                locally coordinated gun violence reduction strategies. 
                Working closely with local law enforcement, elected 
                officials, and other community leaders, they are 
                tailoring plans to local needs and developing 
                strategies to prevent gun crimes from occurring and 
                crack down on gun criminals.

                 A major goal of our strategy to reduce gun violence 
                and ensure the safety of our children is to keep guns 
                out of the wrong hands. We passed the Brady Act to help 
                accomplish this goal by requiring that every person who 
                purchases a firearm from a federally licensed dealer 
                submit to a background check. To date, Brady background 
                checks have prevented more than 536,000 felons and 
                other prohibited individuals from acquiring firearms. 
                We also succeeded in banning assault weapons, making 
                ``zero tolerance'' for guns in schools the law of the 
                land, and passing legislation that prohibits juveniles 
                from possessing handguns. However, our determination to 
                reduce gun violence must not stop there. I have called 
                on the Congress to build on these measures by passing 
                legislation that closes the gun show loophole, mandates 
                child safety locks with every handgun sold, and bans 
                large-capacity ammunition clips.

                We have also provided funding for more than 100,000 
                community police officers; for the Safe Schools/Healthy 
                Students initiative to reduce youth violence through 
                collaborative, community-based efforts; and for the 
                21st Century Community Learning Centers--safe places 
                where students can go after school to participate in 
                constructive activities and avoid the dangers of guns, 
                gangs, and drugs.

                But none of these efforts can succeed without the 
                commitment of America's youth. It takes courage to 
                resist negative peer pressure; it takes character to 
                settle disputes without resorting to violence; and it 
                takes a sense of personal responsibility to tell an 
                adult when others fail to live up to these

[[Page 63764]]

                standards. On this National Day of Concern, I ask every 
                young American to sign a Student Pledge Against Gun 
                Violence, which contains a solemn oath never to bring a 
                gun to school, never to use a gun to settle a dispute, 
                and to use their influence to keep others from using 
                guns. By doing so, they will take an important, life-
                affirming step toward a brighter and safer future.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United 
                States, do hereby proclaim October 21, 2000, as a 
                National Day of Concern About Young People and Gun 
                Violence. On this day, I call upon young people in 
                classrooms and communities across the United States to 
                voluntarily sign the Student Pledge Against Gun 
                Violence. I also call upon all Americans to commit 
                themselves anew to helping our Nation's young people 
                reject violence and to make our schools and 
                neighborhoods safe places for learning and recreation.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twentieth day of October, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and twenty-fifth.

                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 00-27597
Filed 10-24-00; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3195-01-P