    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book I)]
    [June 13, 1998]
    [Pages 953-954]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    June 13, 1998

        Good morning. Later today I will meet with families in Springfield,
    Oregon, families whose lives just a few weeks ago were irreparably
    changed by a 15-year-old boy with
    semiautomatic weapons.
        We will speak, no doubt, of pain and loss and of the tragic,
    senseless nature of such acts. I'm sure we'll reflect, as Americans
    often have in recent months, on similar shocking incidents in Jonesboro,
    Arkansas; Paducah, Kentucky; Pearl, Mississippi; Edinboro, Pennsylvania.
    This litany of loss is familiar to every American and has tragically
    grown longer. Now we must think as a nation long and hard about what we
    can do to stop this violence and save more of our children.
        Around our kitchen tables, on our public airwaves, in our private
    thoughts, we all are asking ourselves, what are the root causes of such
    youth violence? This is an important and healthy discussion, but it must
    lead us to take action and take the responsibility that belongs to us
    all.
        We're long past the question of whether culture makes an impact. Of
    course, it does. School shootings don't occur in a vacuum; they are, in
    part, symptoms of a culture that too

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    often glorifies violence. It is no wonder, as scores of studies show,
    that our children are increasingly numb to violence. They see and hear
    it everywhere, from TV screens to movie screens to computer screens, and
    in popular music.
        When mindless killing becomes a staple of family entertainment, when
    over and over children see cinematic conflicts resolved not with words
    but with weapons, we shouldn't be surprised when children, from impulse
    or design, follow suit.
        Those who create and profit from the culture of violence must step
    up to their responsibility. So too, must the rest of us remember our
    responsibility to monitor the content of what is seen by young eyes and
    heard by young ears and to constantly counsel young people that, though
    too much violence exists in our society, it is wrong and ultimately
    self-destructive to those who do it.
        We have another important responsibility, to remember that
    unsupervised children and guns are a deadly combination. Parents cannot
    permit easy access to weapons that kill. We must get serious about gun
    safety. We must, every one of us, get serious about prevention.
        That's why, for 5 years now, our administration has worked so hard
    to protect our children. School security is tighter. Prevention is
    better. Penalties are tougher. We've promoted discipline with curfews,
    school uniforms, and antitruancy policies. We have worked with gun
    manufacturers to promote child safety locks on guns, and we will
    continue to show zero tolerance toward guns in schools. During the 1996-
    97 school year, our policy led to the expulsion of nearly 6,100 law-
    breaking students and the prevention of countless acts of violence.
        This year Congress has an opportunity to further protect America's
    children by passing the juvenile crime bill I proposed. It will ban
    violent juveniles from buying guns for life and take other important
    steps. Congress can also give communities much needed support. I've
    proposed that in our balanced budget, $95 million be allocated to the
    prevention of juvenile crime, including the promotion of after-school
    programs which provide positive alternatives and ways in which young
    people can fulfill themselves and learn more and be with other good
    people doing good things in the very hours when so much juvenile crime
    occurs.
        I urge Congress to step up to its responsibilities, to listen to law
    enforcement professionals and reject special interest groups who are
    trying to defeat this bill, to invest in prevention so that we can stop
    more violent outbursts before they start.
        In Springfield, and in far too many recent cases, troubled children
    announced their intentions before turning guns on their classmates.
    We've learned that terrible threats and rage in the face of rejection
    can be more than idle talk. To help adults understand the signs and
    respond to them before it's too late, today I'm directing the Secretary
    of Education and the Attorney General to work with school officials and
    law enforcement to develop an early warning guide. It will be available
    to every school in America when classes start this fall and will help
    adults reach out to troubled children quickly and effectively. School
    children, too, should be taught how to recognize danger signals when
    they're sent.
        All across America, communities are taking responsibility for making
    our schools and streets safer for our children. Over all, juvenile crime
    is going down. But we can and must do better at preventing these
    terrible tragedies. As individuals and as a nation, we must do more to
    teach our children right from wrong and to teach them how to resolve
    conflicts peacefully. In this way, we'll build a better, safer future
    for our children, freer of fear, and full of promise.
        Thanks for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 11:30 a.m. on June 12 at the Benson
    Hotel in Portland, OR, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on June 13. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    June 12 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. In his
    remarks, the President referred to Kipland P. Kinkel, who was charged
    with the May 21 shooting rampage at Thurston High School in Springfield,
    OR, which killed 2 students and wounded 22.