Bill Clinton: “First, I believe as I said, that ``three strikes and you're out'' laws will help. You just passed one here in North…”

“First, I believe as I said, that ``three strikes and you're out'' laws will help. You just passed one here in North Carolina, too. Keep in mind, most criminal law, folks, is State law carried out by local prosecutors and local police forces. That's why I think what I can do is to help change the environment: more police, deal with the assault weapons, give the local folks the resources they need to fight crime and to help kids before they get in trouble. I also support capital punishment, and since 1981 have been on record, at least since then, in trying to accelerate the appeals process. I think it is wrong to have appeals processes that take 6, 7, 8, 9 years. And there are things that can be done to accelerate that, which we are debating in the Congress as well now. But I think it's important--what you need is certainty and clarity of punishment. We need a clean, meaningful, credible ``three strikes and you're out'' law. We don't want to put the kitchen sink in there. Take the serious violent offenses and put them there. And then the States that have these laws should enforce the laws, whatever they are. That's what I believe. We had a capital punishment law in Arkansas when I was Governor, and I carried it out. But it is not the sole answer, believe me. What you've got to do, I think, is to reduce the crime rate and--you heard the police chief in Austin--most law enforcement people I know think that putting more police on the street in the proper way and connecting them to the community again will do more to lower crime than anything else we can do. But I do agree with you on the appeals, too. Community Activism [A participant affirmed his continued support for the President and asked what average Americans could do specifically on the local level to help him.]”