Gun Violence and National Gun Violence Awareness Day
Floor Speech
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Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I wish to speak about the epidemic of gun violence that continues to plague our Nation.
Every year, around 32,000 Americans are killed by guns. According to recent Centers for Disease Control statistics, every day, on average, 297 Americans are shot, and 91 of those shootings are fatal. Communities across the Nation are affected by this violence, and no community has suffered more than the city of Chicago in my home State of Illinois.
From the start of the year through May 10, at least 1,242 people were shot in Chicago. During the same period, there were at least 215 murders in Chicago, the vast majority committed with guns. The level of violence in Chicago is significantly higher than in recent years. And more people have been shot in Chicago this year than in New York City and Los Angeles combined. It is devastating.
I met 2 weeks ago with the top Federal law enforcement officials in Chicago: U.S. Attorney Zach Fardon, U.S. Marshal Ed Gilmore, and leaders from the FBI, ATF, and DEA. They reaffirmed their commitment to do all they can at the Federal level to bring down this high level of gun violence in the city. They are committed to working with the Chicago Police Department and its new superintendent, Eddie Johnson, to ensure that Chicago's residents are both protected and respected by law enforcement.
There is much work that needs to be done to improve community policing in Chicago to better safeguard the public's safety. I am confident that the Justice Department's ongoing review of the CPD will lead to important reforms that will build trust between officers and the communities they serve. We have seen Justice Department reviews in other cities produce dramatic improvements. When communities and cops are working together with a relationship of trust and respect, it makes it harder for criminals to operate.
I also want to commend the many community leaders, faith leaders, teachers, volunteers, and family members who are working to provide Chicago's children with a better path, away from the violence. I met recently with students at John Hope College Prep in Englewood on the South Side of Chicago, along with City Year volunteers who worked with them. It was inspiring to hear how these high school freshmen and sophomores talked about their work with their City Year mentors. One student told me ``the thing I love most about City Year is that they never let you give up.'' With the help of their mentors, these students are doing well in school, steering clear of the gangs, and planning for a bright future.
It is so important that we nurture these kinds of efforts throughout Chicago. We have to give the younger generation the opportunities and hope that will lead them away from the path of gangs and violence.
We also have a responsibility to help these efforts by stemming the flood of illicit guns that comes into Chicago. When it is easy for gang members to get their hands on guns, it is hard for children and communities to avoid violence. We must all do our part to stop the gun trafficking that supplies Chicago's criminal gangs.
I want to commend President Obama for taking an important step last week to help combat gun trafficking. This step has to do with smart gun technology.
Right now we have security features on our phones and computers that can prevent thieves and unauthorized people from using them. You can secure these devices so they can only be unlocked with a password, fingerprint, or some other security feature. We can develop similar technology so that an unauthorized user cannot fire a gun. This would make it far harder for a prohibited gun buyer to get his hands on a gun he can use.
Smart gun technology would also prevent thieves from stealing guns to resell them, and it would help prevent kids from playing with guns and getting hurt.
For years there has been resistance to smart gun technology. Part of this resistance has come from the gun lobby, which always fights against proposals that might reduce gun sales. But resistance has also come from law enforcement, which had concerns about whether smart gun technology would work effectively.
Last week, the administration announced that it would partner with law enforcement to develop voluntary standards for what law enforcement would need in order to consider using smart gun technology. Within 6 months, this effort will produce baseline specifications for the reliability, durability and accuracy of this technology.
Once there is agreement on a set of standards for smart gun technology, then innovators can get to work on developing products that meet those standards and bringing those products to market. The administration will help this effort with its research dollars and purchasing power. They will help make this technology a reality.
This could be a game changer when it comes to deterring illegal gun trafficking. It is exactly the kind of effort that the city of Chicago needs. I commend the administration for undertaking this effort, and I will do everything in my power to support it.
As we work to prevent future gun violence, it is also important that we remember and pay tribute to those we have lost to this epidemic of violence.
June 2, 2016, will mark what should be the 19th birthday of Hadiya Pendleton. Hadiya was 15 years old when she was gunned down while standing in a park on Chicago's South Side on January 29, 2013. She had just performed with her King College Prep school band at the President's inauguration ceremony one week before.
I have come to know Hadiya's family--her mother Cleo and her father Nate--and I have met many people who have been deeply affected by Hadiya's senseless murder.
After her death, Hadiya's friends started a campaign to urge people to wear orange on June 2, Hadiya's birthday, to honor victims of gun violence. Orange is the color that hunters wear in the woods so that nobody shoots them.
This campaign became a national phenomenon. June 2 has now become Gun Violence Awareness Day. Last year I was proud to join with students, faith leaders, community leaders, media figures, lawmakers, and many more across the Nation who wore orange to honor Hadiya and the 32,000 victims lost each year to gun violence.
I will be wearing orange again on June 2 this year, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.
We must never forget our solemn obligation to do all we can to keep the American people safe, and that includes keeping Americans safe from preventable gun violence.
Thousands of Americans are shot and killed each year in shootings that could have been prevented. There are steps we can take, consistent with our Constitution and with our traditions of hunting and sport shooting, to avoid these tragic deaths. We should not be afraid to take those steps.
This June 2, Hadiya Pendleton should be celebrating her 19th birthday. Instead, a nation will mourn her loss and the loss of so many others due to gun violence. We owe it to Hadiya and to the victims to do our best to spare others from this violence in the future.
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