Bill Clinton: “Thanks to the commitment of America's broadcast and cable networks and cable channels, this ad and others like it will…”

“Thanks to the commitment of America's broadcast and cable networks and cable channels, this ad and others like it will be seen by just about every single person in America who turns on the television tomorrow night during the family hour of prime time. This so-called television roadblock is really unprecedented. The networks are donating a million and a half dollars of free air time in one night alone. That's more blanket coverage than I get for the State of the Union. [Laughter] Many of the networks have already pledged to continue airing these PSA's during different timeslots for the remainder of this year. So let me say once again, I am very, very grateful to all the people involved who have fulfilled the commitment that they made at our youth violence summit in May, to use the power of your medium to send out positive messages to our children. This is a kind of thing we can do when we work together, and we need to continue to do so and to include all parts of our society. You remember that when we had the national summit, the First Lady and I said we wanted to organize a national campaign against youth violence, to have the same sort of galvanizing impact on our people that Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Students Against--I think it's now called--Destructive Decisions, the campaign to promote seatbelt use. These grassroots campaigns can have a profound effect on the way Americans think and the way they behave. It will be much, much easier now, because of the work that all of you involved in the media have done to bring these public service spots to the people of the United States. But we also need our organized campaign. So today I have the honor of announcing and introducing the person who will be the executive director of this campaign. His name is Jeff Bleich, and he's here with us on stage. He's been recognized by the American Bar Association as one of our country's leading young attorneys. He's also one of San Francisco's leading civic- minded citizens. He is the father of three beautiful children he desperately wants to have a safe childhood. He has received several prestigious awards for his pro bono legal service. He's built strong connections in Silicon Valley and in Hollywood, both of whom can be of immense help to us in this endeavor. And perhaps most important, he has written a very fine book on youth violence. So I'd like to ask Jeff to stand up, and to thank him for his service. And thank you for taking on this challenge to protect our children. Today the Department of Justice is also releasing $15 million to fund innovative partnerships between local police and school and community groups, something the Attorney General has been pushing since the first day she came here. These partnerships will help schools do everything from training students in conflict resolution techniques to combating drug dealing and use on school grounds. But as every police officer in America knows, we're kidding ourselves if we think we can conquer youth violence without addressing one of its undeniable catalysts, the appalling ease with which young people gain access to guns. Hillary has already said, and you know that I strongly agree, it is long past time for Congress to step up to its responsibility and restore some common sense, sanity, and strength to our Nation's gun laws. Today I ask the Republican majority: When you come back to work, our children will be going back to school; think about them; let's not wait until the next senseless tragedy to pass commonsense gun safety measures to protect them. Now, I know in a country of 270 million people and tens of millions of guns, no law can stop every disturbed person from committing a violent act with a gun. But we would never do anything, as a people, if we gave in to the objection that all of our actions would have less than 100 percent impact. The Brady bill has kept over 400,000 gun sales, which should not have occurred, from happening. It has saved countless lives. Closing the gun show loophole will have the same impact. Closing the loopholes in the assault weapons ban will have the same impact. Doing these other things--will they solve every problem? No. Will they stop every act of violence? No. Will they prevent every madman? No. If we used that kind of excuse, we would all stay in bed every day. We would never get out of bed. We would never get out of bed. We would never hit a lick. So we need all the tools at our disposal. Look what these media people have done. Will this public service ad get every parent in America and every child to talk about every dangerous thing that happens at every school? No. But it will have a huge impact. And so if the media people are doing their part and the school people are doing their part and the law enforcement people are doing their part, it is time to pass the reasonable and entirely modest measures before the Congress. For those who want to do more, I say, so do I. But that is no reason not to do this. This will make a difference. And it is certainly not an argument not to do it, that it won't solve every problem. It will save some lives, and we ought to do it. We have got to work together. That's what our national campaign is about; that is the message that the Ad Council is putting out in these ads; and down deep inside, that's what all of us know we need to do, so that when we see children like Leilani--don't you wish all you ever had to worry about was that the kid you're pulling for can get through the speech in front of the strangers--[laughter]--can make it through the athletic event, can play the solo or sing the song that is so excruciatingly difficult the first time you did it? These are the things that our children ought to be worried about. We ought to give our kids back their childhood. And we can do it, if we do it together. Thank you, and God bless you.”