I know firsthand the terrible toll that crime and violence takes on our community and nation.  In 1999 my son Huey was shot and killed right here in Chicago.  For my family and me, our lives were forever changed by this tragedy.  I know we are not alone.  While the Justice Department reports a significant decline in violent crime nation-wide as well as in Chicago, the raw numbers are still too high.  To every victim of crime the offense is personal.  Statistics can never speak to the impact on hearts and souls or on a person’s sense of security.  It is essential that we do everything we can to prevent crime and promote public safety.  That’s why I have introduced a number of initiatives that address these issues.

In the 111^th Congress I introduced:

• Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 (H.R. 45): A bill that gives us sensible gun control legislation.
• The CAN DO Act of 2009 (H.R. 1303): A bill that focuses on reducing youth homicides and gun violence.
• The Conflict Resolution and Mediation Act of 2009 (H.R. 4000): A bill that would provide funds to schools most affected by conflict and violence with the tools to teach other ways of resolving differences.
• The Families Beyond Bars Act of 2010 (H.R. 5747): A bill that seeks to help develop and maintain family ties between children and their incarcerated parents.  It is designed to help children cope with the trauma of having an incarcerated parent and break the cycle of violence and prison.

Crime tears down communities.  It breaks up families and diminishes the human spirit.  It doesn’t have to be this way.  In this Congress I look forward to using these bills as a foundation for the goals that we can achieve.  Together we can strengthen our neighborhoods, protect our seniors, and empower our youth.