June 24, 1980 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 1664!1 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS HANDGUNS KILL Our nation's streets have become battle­ willingness to work with the Congress on fields where everyone is a potential hand· this critical issue. gun victim: rich or poor, black or white; As a Democratic Committeeman and HON. STEPHEN J. SOLARZ young or old. In fact there is already a one member of the Board of Handgun Control, oF NEW YORK in five chance that you or someone you love Inc. I strongly urge the Democratic Plat­ will be victimized in a handgun attack. form Committee to adopt the following IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES My personal involvement in the campaign plank which realfirms the 1976 plank and Tuesday, June 24, 1980 for stronger handgun control goes back specifically calls for prompt passage of the many years. Immediately after the tragic as­ Kennedy-Rodino bill. As a Carter delegate I • Mr. SOLARZ. Mr. Speaker, hand- sassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. know this plank will receive the President's guns kill. An American is shot to and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, I intra­ full support. death by a handgun every 60 minutes. duced gun control legislation in the City PROPOSAL TO THE 1980 DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM According to the Justice Department, Council of Washington. It was promptly COMMITTEE one-half of all murders involve the use passed. In the same. year the Congress The Democratic Party reaffirms its 1976 of handguns. Clearly, there is an passed a new national law actively support­ commitment to strengthen the present inad­ urgent need for legislation to reduce ed by then President Lyndon Johnson. equate controls over the manufacture, dis­ the number of illegal handguns on the But since 1968 we have painfully learned tribution, and possession of handguns and streets and to. remove them from the how inadequate our present national law to ban Saturday Night Specials. We also really is. In this current Congress, Senator support mandatory sentencing for individ­ hands of criminals. Edward Kennedy and Congressman Peter uals convicted of committing a felony with a The bills introduced by Judiciary Rodino have introduced comprehensive gun. Toward this end, we specifically call Committee Chairmen Senator EnwARD handgun crime control legislation <S. 1936 upon the President and the Congress to pro­ KENNEDY and Representative PETER and HR 5823>. The legislation marks the vide leadership toward enactment of the RoDINO, JR., S. 1936 and H.R. 5823, ca- first time that the chairman of the Senate Kennedy-Rodino Handgun Crime Control pably fill this need. It is imperative and House Judiciary Committee have co- Bill, which is the fulfillment of the 19'f6 sponsored such legislation. Already one­ that this legislation, which provides sixth of the Democrats in the Congress Democratic Party Platform commitment. for a comprehensive attack on hand- have joined the bill as cosponsors. ~- Chairman, I hope that the members of the Platform Committee will carefully gun crime, but does not interfere with The legislation is carefully drafted to pro­ consider our suggested language and ap­ a citizen's legitimate right to own a vide for a comprehensive attack on handgun prove it. Too many Americans have already handgun, is passed as soon as possible. crime while protecting and strengthening suffered the scourge of handgun violence. I On Friday, June 13, Handgun Con- the rights of law-abiding citizens. The Ken­ beg the Platform Committee to adopt this trol, Inc., urged the Democratic Plat- nedy-Rodino bill would: plank, so we can stop this nation's handgun form Committee to adopt a plank call- Stop the manufacture, sale, and transfer of madness. ing for the prompt passage of the "Saturday Night Specials," the favorite Kennedy-Rodino handgun crime con- weapon of the criminal. TESTIMONY OF LoiS HESS trol bill. Screen-out illegal purchasers. Anyone who wants to buy a handgun must either have a Ladies and Gentlemen: my name is Lois Mr. Speaker, I would like to valid state "license to purchase" or would Hess. I live in Baltimore County, Maryland submit two statements which were have to undergo a police check of his eligi­ and·have been a life-long Democrat. I am an made in support of this plank. The bility to purchase-from a dealer or private officer and director of Handgun Control, citizen. Inc. which is based here in Washington. first is by John Hechinger, a Carter But I am here today as a victim-a victim delegate and a Democratic committee- Require product accountability. To make of handgun violence. man. The second is a moving and first- the tracing of .misused handgilns more effi­ A little more than five years ago, my 24- hand experience statement by Lois . cient, and to curtail illicit handgun traffick­ year-old-son, my ohly son, Stuart was mur­ Hess, a victim of handgun violence ing, manufacturers would be responsible for keeping track of all handgun transactions dered-shot in the head by a handgun while whose son was killed with a handgun. throughout their channels of distribution, working on his father's construction job. We must protect the rights of all including by whom and to whom they are fi­ Stuart had just received his Master of Sci­ Americans to live in a safe country. nally sold. ence degree in Real Estate and Urban De­ velopment Planning from American Univer­ These two testimonies demonstrate Require handgun manufacturers, dealers sity. the impending need for handgun con- and owners to report thefts and losses. We watched Stuart grow both bodily and trol legislation. I urge my colleagues Enforce the law: Right now the Federal mentally with beautiful hopes. For Stuart to put aside political considerations law on handguns must be enforced by the and his father a partnership was to be the and immediately enact meaningful Department of Treasury, whose basic tunc­ fulfillment of a long-awaited dream. Their gun control legislation. tion is to collect taxes. The legislation trans- dream was shattered with one gunshot. fers the responsibility of enforcing the law to the Department of Justice where it be- Ever since I heard my husband Dick's The statements follow: voice, "It's Stuart, he's dead." My life has TEsTIMONY OF HON. JOHN HECHINGER longs. taken on a new meaning. Being a h,andgun Mr. Chairman, during the peak years of Urge states to pass "license to carry" laws. victim has become my life-style. I grieve the Vietnam War more than 40,000 Ameri- Persons carrying handguns outside their each day for my son. I grieve each day can soldiers were killed in action. Believing home or place of business should have a li­ knowing other sons and daughters are being that bloodshed to be for no good purpose, cense to do so. Carrying a handgun without killed-needlessly by handguns. I am not our nation was moved to end our involve- a license should be punished by a manda­ alone. ment in Vietnam. But few realize that tory Jail sentence. Handgun violence stalks each and every during those very same years, over 50,000 Require swift and sure punishment for one of us: even politicians are not immune American civilians were murdered here at those who misuse handguns. The criminal from handgun attack, Robert F. Kennedy home with handguns. While the Vietnam who uses a handgun in the commission of a killed with a Saturday Night Special; Gover­ War is over, the American Handgun War Federal crime would receive a mandatory nor George Wallace paralyzed by a hand­ rages on. jail sentence. gun; Senator John Stennis severely wound­ And this handgun war is escalating. In Aid victims of handgun crime: Those who ed with a handgun; Mayor George Moscone 1979 alone more than 10,000 of our fellow suffer from handgun crime would be finan. killed by a handgun; Allard Lowenstein, Americans were murdered with handguns. cially helped in paying hospital costs. former Congressman murdered with a hand­ Another quarter of a million Americans In 1976 the Democratic Platform endorsed gun. And every hour of the day another were wounded, threatened or robbed with stronger handgun controls. In recent American joins the list of handgun dead. handguns. It's as if a city the size of Sacra- months President Carter has reaffirmed his Here in my hands are the names of some mento, California was held up at gunpoint. support for such common-sense controls and of those Americans killed in 1979 alone. If I e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by the Member on the floor. 16642 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS June 24, 1980 unrolled this list, it would stretch the Salute to America" to commemorate about Roll Call and its editor and pub­ length of this room. Behind each name Army Day in New York City. lisher Sid Yudain came out. As the there is a story of handgun violence like my Our .Aqned Forces and Reserve, units newspaper of Capitol Hill observes 25 own. Behind each name there is a family who has also suffered the grief caused by have a long history of dedicated serv­ years of reporting on the Capitol com­ handgun violence. ice to the Nation. That service is one munity, due recognition to the perse­ Something must be done about the uncon­ which allows us both a ready defense verance and talent of Mr. Yudain has trolled proliferation of handguns in Amer­ and a calmer mind through the knowl­ been taken. Those who have known ica. And I am talking about handguns-not edge of that readiness. But, it also in­ him longest, and best, gathered to rifles and shotguns which are hunting weap­ cludes peacetime service to the Nation assure that history will record the ac­ ons.