[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 36, Number 43 (Monday, October 30, 2000)]
[Pages 2533-2534]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Proclamation 7368--National Day of Concern About Young People and Gun 
Violence, 2000

 October 20, 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

[[Page 2534]]

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 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.
                                            William J. Clinton

 [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 8:45 a.m., October 24, 
2000]

Note: This proclamation was published in the Federal Register on October 
25. This item was not received in time for publication in the 
appropriate issue.