OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

District of Columbia Personal Protection Act

Date: Sept. 29, 2004
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Guns


DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PERSONAL PROTECTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 29, 2004)

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Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago my colleague from New York said that this was absolutely crazy, and I will simply say that it is about as crazy as it can get without being absolute.

Every bit of information that we have available to us lets us know that gun violence is unnecessarily killing people. In 2001, 29,000 people in this country died from gun violence. Fifty percent of all the African American youngsters between the ages of 15 and 19 who die, die from gun violence.

We talk about the Constitution. Please be reminded that when this Constitution was enacted, my ancestors were counted as three-fifths of a person and women did not have the right to vote. The Constitution was created at a time when there was need for what it created itself for. This is a different era, a different time.

If you want to help the people of D.C., give the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) a vote on the floor of this House. Give them two Senators who can vote in the other Chamber. That is how you help the people in D.C.

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