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THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Vice President

For Immediate Release December 6, 1999

STATEMENT BY THE VICE PRESIDENT

My heart goes out to the young children who were shot earlier this morning in Oklahoma.

Once again, we've seen a school and a community torn apart by gun violence. And once again, we find ourselves praying for the victims and their family and hoping we'll find answers.

While we're still waiting to find out all the facts behind today's tragic shooting in Fort Gibson, one thing remains clear: for our own children and for all our loved ones, we must work to prevent such tragedies from occurring in the future.

And while such tragedies typically leave us with more questions than they do answers, we must nevertheless remember that we are the adults. We are responsible for seeking the solutions for our children. That's why we need to help schools spot the early warning signs of violence and depression. That's why we need to help parents find the time to get more involved in their children's schooling. And that's why we need to pass common sense gun control measures.

I call on America's political leaders to join me in making these and other measures a priority -- and making America's communities and schools safer again.

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