Jack Reed: “for the last several days, we have been debating a victims' rights amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and that is an…”

“for the last several days, we have been debating a victims' rights amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and that is an interesting and thoughtful debate. But I think we can do something else, which is try to prevent victims in the first place. We can do that by passing the juvenile justice bill, which contains sensible controls on handguns in this society. A few days ago we saw another incident involving a handgun at the National Zoo, a place we have recognized for decades as a source of solace and education and recreation in the Nation's Capital. But, in a moment, it was turned into a place of violence and terror because a young man, apparently with a handgun, shot several young people. The tragedy in this country is that each year 30,000 Americans die by gunfire. Every day, 12 children are killed by gunfire. We can stop that and we must stop that. The most recent incident is another indication that we have to act not someday but immediately.”