Political Quotes

“Last spring, a bright young Fairfax County high school senior was murdered while visiting friends in Washington State. Ann Harris was an honor student, a student leader, a gifted athlete, and a member of the Virginia All-State Chorus. Although she didn't live to graduate from Mount Vernon High School--where I graduated over 40 years ago--she carried a 3.4-grade point average and had been accepted, early admissions, to Purdue University. Last spring, Ann had a future filled with unlimited possibilities. This fall, as I know her family continued to struggle with their loss, many of her friends in Mount Vernon's Class of 1997 left home to attend the college of their own choice. But they left home with a chilling loss of innocence--the innocence of those who don't know what it's like to lose someone you care about to a senseless act of violence. We want our young people to be safe. Safe in our schools. Safe in our homes. Safe on our streets. We want them to live and learn and contribute to our country. Ann's family joins us in the gallery today. Let us take this time to recommit ourselves to working for a safer America for all our children. Ann Harris deserved a future limited only by the borders of her dreams. And her friends deserved the innocence of not knowing someone--when you're l7 years old--who loses their future to a senseless act of violence. I will conclude by commending Ann's family for creating Ann's Campaign for a Safer America.”