Political Quotes

“today I come before this body and say we must pass 4296. First, we must pass this bill because of what is happening in our streets, neighborhoods, and towns in this country. Second, we must pass this bill because the way in which our society has changed demands that all of us reexamine our consciences on these tough issues. For myself, when I came here as a freshman this term, I never thought that I would be voting for the death penalty, but I voted for a crime bill that added over 60 crimes to the list of those that are death-eligible. I did so because the nature of violence in our society demands that our response to this be assertive, tough, and absolute. Third, we must pass this bill if we are to be at all consistent in our approach on crime. I strongly contend that one cannot be tough on crime, yet exempt assault weapons from that approach. Such an approach tells the American public that we are not truly serious about being tough on crime. We punish the crime, but we hold the weapons of destruction sacred.”