Gun Violence in America

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in solidarity with my colleagues about the mass shootings that are going on in our country.

The Orlando mass shooting has been another demonstration for some Americans of an ongoing daily violence and daily nightmare: gun violence in our country.

Now, we all know that there is a systemic problem for many in our communities of lack in opportunities: lack of education, adequate after-school and summer programs, job training, expansion of economic opportunities. But we know measures that will help to increase funding for these programs will never reach this floor.

We know also that Republicans refuse to take up other measures as well. What they can address right now, right here, is expanded background checks, prevention of gun sales to those on a no-fly list, and a ban on assault weapons.

Now, I grew up fishing and hunting with my dad. I passed that on to my children. So owning a gun is not something that I believe should not happen, but I know that it is not an absolute right.

As the granddaughter of a police commissioner, the daughter of a New York City cop, a former Bronx prosecutor, and a Justice Department official, the war on crime, the war on these mass shootings and destruction would be well served by voting on expanded background checks, prevention of gun sales to those on the no-fly list, and a ban on assault weapons.

On the small islands that I represent, the U.S. Virgin Islands, there have been over 300 gun-related deaths over the last 5 years. For a place with a population of 100,000, to have 300 gun-related deaths in 3 years accounts for a murder rate and a death per capita that is several times the national average.

Now, much of this is through a lack of opportunity, but also--and absolutely--the influx of illegal assaults weapons, such as high- caliber weapons of mass murder, that come into the market. Those, coupled, in our instance, with the drug trade, have left our community in fear and mourning for our young.

Last year alone, there were twice as many gun deaths per capita in the Virgin Islands than there were in most American cities that we could traditionally think of as having a high gun rate.

Who are the victims of the destruction just this year in the Virgin Islands?

I am going to name them because we never hear names like this. We have our moments of silence for the large groups, but these are the day-to-day individuals that died:

January 9, two unnamed males; January 20, Stephen Coleman and Heidi Mills; January 21, Tishawn Samuel, 24; February 2, Juan Encarnacion, 30; March 5, Evan Ezekiel Joseph, 38; March 8, Conrad Phipps, 30; March 22, Kishawn Fleming, 23; March 27, Hans Oliver, 38; March 28, Kayan Payne and Kanta Payne, 33 and 29; April 19, Joseph duCreay, 19; April 28, Javan Benjamin, 22; May 1, Shedale Gabriel, 25; May 22, Vershawn Monsanto, 21; June 4, Shaki Alexander, 21, and Kerven Joseph 19; June 12, Ojahnia Adkins, 22, and Jahfari Samuel, 34; June 20, Devon Freeman, 42.

The blood of these victims speak to me. I hope, Mr. Speaker, it speaks to you. Bring the bills to the floor. Vote it up or vote it down, but do your job.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source