    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book I)]
    [April 16, 2002]
    [Pages 616-618]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on the Proposed Crime Victims' Rights Amendment to the
    Constitution
    April 16, 2002

        Well, John, thank you very much for
    inviting me to this beautiful room, and thank you all for coming today.
        Justice is one of the defining commitments of America. In our war
    against terror, I constantly remind our fellow citizens: We seek
    justice, not revenge. We seek justice for victims. We seek justice for
    their families. And for justice to prevail in our struggle for freedom,
    we must rout out terrorist threats wherever they exist. And that's
    exactly what this country is going to do. And while the war goes on and
    while our fight for freedom continues, we will continue to work for
    justice at home, including justice for the victims of violent crime.
        I appreciate John Ashcroft's leadership,
    his stand on principle, and his wise counsel during my time as the
    President. I appreciate so very much Senator Feinstein and Senator Kyl carrying this
    cause that I'm here to support. I want to thank the chairman, and I want
    to thank the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee for coming as
    well, Senator Leahy and Senator
    Hatch. I want to thank all the Members from
    the United States Congress for being here, Congressmen Barrett and Chabot and
    Wicker.

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        I too want to thank John Walsh. I appreciate
    not only you standing up for victims; I appreciate you putting the
    pictures of the Al Qaida killers on the TV screen to help America remain
    alert, to help this country understand that we're still in danger from
    attack. I want to thank you for being a good American, and I want to
    thank you for helping the cause.
        I want to welcome the leaders of victim rights groups from all
    around the country. I particularly want to thank and congratulate those
    who are award winners today.
        As John mentioned, in the year 2000,
    Americans were victims of millions of crimes. Behind each of these
    numbers is a terrible trauma, a story of suffering, and a story of lost
    security. Yet, the needs of victims are often an afterthought in our
    criminal justice system. It's not just; it's not fair; and it must
    change. As we protect the rights of criminals, we must take equal care
    to protect the rights of the victims.
        Many of the victims of crime have gotten a crash course in the
    complications and frustrations of our criminal justice system. One
    victim put it this way: ``They explained the defendant's constitutional
    right to the nth degree. They couldn't do this, and they couldn't do
    that, because of his constitutional rights. And I wondered what mine
    were. And they told me, I hadn't got any.'' The guy sounded like he came
    from Texas. [Laughter]
        But too often, our system fails to inform victims about proceedings
    involving bail and pleas and sentencing and even about the trials
    themselves. Too often, the process fails to take the safety of victims
    into account when deciding whether to release dangerous offenders. Too
    often, the financial losses of victims are ignored. And too often,
    victims are not allowed to address the court at sentencing and explain
    their suffering or even to be present in the courtroom where their
    victimizers are being tried.
        When our criminal justice systems treats victims as irrelevant
    bystanders, they are victimized for a second time. And because Americans
    are justifiably proud of our system and expect it to treat us fairly,
    the second violation of our rights can be traumatic. ``It's like a huge
    slap,'' said one victim, ``because you think the system will protect
    you. It's maddening and frightening.''
        Thirty years ago, a grassroots movement began to stand up for the
    rights of victims. It resulted in domestic violence shelters, support
    groups for families of homicide victims, rape crisis centers. They exist
    in cities and neighborhoods all across America, because Americans care
    about their neighbors in need. One good example is in John's home State
    of Missouri. It's called Aids--Aid for Victims of Crime, Inc., in which
    volunteers provide counseling and court advocacy and other essential
    services to the victims of crime.
        Victims' rights groups are active every single day. There isn't a
    day that goes by that they're not involved in somebody's life, and
    they're especially important during times of disaster and crisis. You
    know, when the bomber hit Oklahoma City, victims' rights groups were on
    the scene immediately thereafter to help. And the same happened after 9/
    11 in New York, in Washington, Pennsylvania. Victims' rights groups were
    there. Hundreds of counselors and chaplains and social workers, victims'
    service providers helped their fellow Americans deal with the
    unspeakable pain and suffering caused by the terrorist murders.
        The Attorney General will shortly present
    awards to outstanding individuals and groups for their work on behalf of
    victims. I had the honor of meeting the winners, and I want to
    congratulate them publicly for loving your neighbor just like you'd like
    to be loved yourself. You've chosen to live out the words of Saint Paul:
    ``Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.'' And our Nation
    struggles--as our Nation struggles to overcome the evil of September the
    11th, your lives, the example

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    you set, stand out as models of compassion and integrity.
        The victims' rights movement has touched the conscience of this
    country, and our criminal justice system has begun to respond, treating
    victims with greater respect. The States as well as the Federal
    Government have passed legal protections for victims. However, those
    laws are insufficient to fully recognize the rights of crime victims.
        Victims of violent crime have important rights that deserve
    protection in our Constitution. And so today I announce my support for
    the bipartisan crime victims' rights amendment to the Constitution of
    the United States. As I mentioned, this amendment is sponsored by
    Senator Feinstein of California, Senator
    Kyl of Arizona--one a Democrat, one a Republican,
    both great Americans.
        This amendment makes some basic pledges to Americans. Victims of
    violent crime deserve the right to be notified of public proceedings
    involving the crime. They deserve to be heard at public proceedings
    regarding the criminal's sentence or potential release. They deserve to
    have their safety considered. They deserve consideration of their claims
    of restitution. We must guarantee these rights for all the victims of
    violent crime in America.
        The Feinstein-Kyl amendment was written with care and strikes a
    proper balance. Our legal system properly protects the rights of the
    accused in the Constitution, but it does not provide similar protection
    for the rights of victims, and that must change.
        The protection of victims' rights is one of those rare instances
    when amending the Constitution is the right thing to do. And the
    Feinstein-Kyl crime victims' rights amendment is the right way to do it.
        May God bless you all, and may God bless America.

    Note: The President spoke at 10:15 a.m. in the Great Hall at the Robert
    F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building. In his remarks, he referred
    to John Walsh, host of the television series ``America's Most Wanted.''
    He also referred to S.J. Res. 35, the proposed amendment to the
    Constitution.