Text of US HR 626 (2014)

IV 113TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. RES. 626 Supporting the goals and ideals of ‘‘National Nonviolence Week’’ to raise awareness of youth violence in the United States. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 12, 2014 Mr. LEWIS (for himself, Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CONYERS, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. FARR, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIE´RREZ, Mr. HASTINGS of Florida, Mr. HONDA, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. MEEKS, Ms. NORTON, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. POCAN, Mr. POLIS, Mr. RANGEL, Mr. RICHMOND, Mr. RUSH, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Ms. WILSON of Florida, and Mr. COHEN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Re- form RESOLUTION Supporting the goals and ideals of ‘‘National Nonviolence Week’’ to raise awareness of youth violence in the United States. Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program annually takes high school students to the historic locations of the civil rights movement, teaching them how nonviolence protest mitigated discrimination, violence, hatred, bigotry, and inequity in schools and communities; Whereas the goal of the Sojourn to the Past program, cre- ated by Jeff Steinberg, is to inspire students to become VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:25 Jun 13, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR626.IH HR626 jbell on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS 2 •HRES 626 IH civic leaders with a duty and ability to unite people in their communities in equality and justice, through knowl- edge, understanding, and compassion; Whereas, in 2009, a small group of Youngstown, Ohio, high school students who experienced Sojourn to the Past, a 10-day journey to the civil rights sites in the Southern United States, created activities for a nonviolence week for the city high schools; Whereas Mrs. Penny Wells, a social studies teacher in the Youngstown, Ohio, school district aligned the Sojourn to the Past program to Ohio State standards and the school district pacing guides; Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program offers an inde- pendent study program credit for Sojourn to the Past participants in support of Mrs. Wells’ effort; Whereas, at the request of school superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb, the Youngstown Sojourn students implemented Nonviolence Week in all the Youngstown schools during the first week of October 2009; Whereas these Youngstown Sojourn students received a dec- laration from Mayor Jay Williams declaring the first week in October 2009 as Nonviolence Week; Whereas the 2010 Youngstown Sojourn to the Past students successfully petitioned the Youngstown School Board, the Youngstown City Council, and the Youngstown State University trustees to declare the first week in October each year to be Nonviolence Week; Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program has afforded par- ticipating students an experience that is far reaching and life changing and serves as a catalyst for their becoming VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:25 Jun 13, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR626.IH HR626 jbell on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS 3 •HRES 626 IH activists in applying nonviolence principles throughout their lives; Whereas according to the Department of Education, nearly 74 percent of public schools in the United States re- corded one or more violent incidents of crime that oc- curred at school in 2009–2010; Whereas most victims of school violence are first exposed as early as middle school; Whereas hostility toward homosexuality and gender noncon- formity continues to plague gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth and adults in United States schools; Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth violence results in considerable physical, social, and economic consequences; Whereas according to the CDC, in 2011, more than 707,000 young people were treated in emergency room depart- ments for injuries sustained from physical assaults; Whereas according to the CDC, roughly 20 percent of high school students reported being bullied at school in 2010; Whereas the United States child homicide rate, for children less than 15 years of age, is 5 times greater than the combined rate of 25 other industrialized countries; and Whereas the principle of nonviolence has been a core philos- ophy of many successful social change movements: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 1 (1) supports the goals and ideals of ‘‘National 2 Nonviolence Week’’ to raise awareness of youth vio- 3 lence in the United States; and 4 VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:25 Jun 13, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR626.IH HR626 jbell on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS 4 •HRES 626 IH (2) encourages the people of the United States, 1 State and local officials, middle schools and high 2 schools, law enforcement agencies, and other inter- 3 ested groups to observe National Nonviolence Week 4 with appropriate programs and activities that pro- 5 mote awareness and prevention of youth violence. 6 Æ VerDate Mar 15 2010 03:25 Jun 13, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\HR626.IH HR626 jbell on DSK4SPTVN1PROD with BILLS