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[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 345 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 345

  Designating October 17, 2000, as a ``Day of National Concern About 
                    Young People and Gun Violence''.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 27, 2000

  Mrs. Murray (for herself, Mr. Warner, Mr. Bingaman, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. 
   Campbell, Mr. L. Chafee, Mr. Daschle, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Durbin, Mrs. 
   Feinstein, Mr. Gorton, Mr. Inouye, Mr. Jeffords, Mr. Johnson, Mr. 
Kennedy, Mr. Kerrey, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Kohl, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Lautenberg, 
 Mr. Leahy, Mr. Levin, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. Reed, Mr. Reid, 
 Mr. Robb, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Specter, Mr. Torricelli, and 
 Mr. Wellstone) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Designating October 17, 2000, as a ``Day of National Concern About 
                    Young People and Gun Violence''.

Whereas every day in the United States, 12 children under the age of 19 are 
        killed with guns;
Whereas 31 percent of children aged 12 to 17 know someone in that age bracket 
        who carries a gun;
Whereas during the 1996-1997 school year, 5,724 students were expelled for 
        bringing guns or explosives to school;
Whereas the homicide rate for children under 15 years of age is 16 times higher 
        in the United States than in 25 other industrialized nations;
Whereas over the past year, at least 50 people have been killed or injured in 
        school shootings in the United States;
Whereas young people are our Nation's most important resource, and we, as a 
        society, have a vested interest in enabling children to grow in an 
        environment free from fear and violence;
Whereas young people can, by taking responsibility for their own decisions and 
        actions, and by positively influencing the decisions and actions of 
        others, help chart a new and less violent direction for the entire 
        Nation;
Whereas students in every school district in the Nation will be invited to take 
        part in a day of nationwide observance involving millions of their 
        fellow students, and will thereby be empowered to see themselves as 
        significant agents in a wave of positive social change; and
Whereas the observance of October 17, 2000, as a ``Day of National Concern About 
        Young People and Gun Violence'' will allow students to make a positive 
        and earnest decision about their future in that such students will have 
        the opportunity to voluntarily sign the ``Student Pledge Against Gun 
        Violence'', and promise that they will never take a gun to school, will 
        never use a gun to settle a dispute, and will actively use their 
        influence in a positive manner to prevent friends from using guns to 
        settle disputes: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) designates October 17, 2000, as a ``Day of National 
        Concern About Young People and Gun Violence''; and
            (2) requests that the President issue a proclamation 
        calling on the school children of the United States to observe 
        the day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.
                                 <all>
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