Dick Chrysler: “Mr. Chairman, today I am offering what I believe is very important and much-needed legislation, the Crimes Against…”

“Mr. Chairman, today I am offering what I believe is very important and much-needed legislation, the Crimes Against Children and Elderly Increased Punishment Act. Day after day, we see news accounts of criminals committing violent acts throughout our communities, only to walk away with little or no punishment. You only need to watch the local evening news on any given night to see the havoc criminals create in our neighborhoods. Too often, these criminals are not deterred from their violent actions because they know the expected benefits of their crimes far outweigh any possible penalties they might suffer. If we are to decrease the rate of crime in our country, I believe it is time for the criminals to be more afraid of punishment, than we are afraid of the criminals. Quite simply, it is time to put punishment back into the criminal justice system. While crimes of any degree are unacceptable, it is especially disturbing when violent criminals hurt those least able to defend themselves: children, senior citizens, and the disabled. That is why I introduced the Increased Punishment Act.”