Maxwell Frost: “the measure of any society is how it protects and nurtures its children and how it respects and honors its elders. I…”

“the measure of any society is how it protects and nurtures its children and how it respects and honors its elders. I would like to think that our Nation takes care of its very youngest and very oldest citizens and that in doing so we are an honorable and just society. But, Mr. Speaker, there are those among us who violate these societal guidelines and for whatever reason abuse the trust children have placed in adults and pick the vulnerable and elderly to be victims of violence. H.R. 2974, while applicable only to Federal crimes, draws a line in the sand and states clearly, through the enhancement of penalties, that we as a society will not tolerate such crimes against our most vulnerable citizens. This legislation will not stop these heinous crimes, but at the very least we can take this small step to ensure that those who commit these offenses at a Federal level will be swiftly and surely punished. It is the least we can do to protect our society.”