DverCITY Magazine
Directories
Diversity by Region
Since Virginia Tech, States Have Dramatically Increased Reports to National Gun Background Check System
PARK CITY, Utah, Nov. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a speech before the National Association of Attorneys General, Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey today announced that since the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech, states have doubled the information on prohibiting mental health history available to the FBI's gun background check system.
"Instant background checks are essential to keeping guns out of the wrong hands, while still protecting the privacy of our citizens," Mukasey said. "But as we learned in the tragedy at Virginia Tech, the checks must be accurate and complete to be effective. We're making progress, and I hope that even more states will submit this information so that the National Instant Background Check System can be maximally effective."
Following the shootings at Virginia Tech, the President directed the Attorney General and Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services to travel across the country to find out what could be learned from this tragedy. The cabinet secretaries presented what they learned in a comprehensive report last July, with one recommendation strongly encouraging state and federal agencies to share prohibiting mental health information with the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).
Today the Attorney General announced that from July to November 2007, the number of state submissions to the NICS Mental Defective File more than doubled -- growing from 174,863 to 393,957 records.
The number of states submitting mental health information to NICS increased from 23 to 32 since the Virginia Tech shootings. The great majority of the new records came from the State of California. For the past several years, the California Department of Justice (DOJ) has worked diligently with the FBI's NICS Section to allow for submission of California mental health information, and, in October 2007, the California DOJ submitted over 200,000 entries into the Mental Defective File. Also, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation increased its mental health submissions to the NICS Index. Ohio's submissions increased from three in March 2007, to 7,845 Mental Defective File submissions in November 2007.
The submission of state information to the NICS about prohibited persons is vital in preventing disqualified individuals from purchasing firearms. Making state information about a warrant or other disqualifying information -- such as prohibiting mental health records -- available for a national-level background check by the NICS helps to ensure that a person with a prohibiting record in one state will be prevented from buying a gun from a federally licensed dealer in another state. The FBI's NICS Section actively solicits mental health record information that immediately identifies individuals who are prohibited by law from possessing or receiving firearms or explosives. The NICS Section also coordinates with states seeking to draft and enact legislation that will allow them to submit state mental health information to the NICS.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice
Web Site: http://www.usdoj.gov/
BLACKSBURG, Va., April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Paul Helmke, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, issued the following statement:
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the Virginia Tech University community, and to the families of the victims of what appears to be one of the worst mass shootings in American history.
"Details are still forthcoming about what motivated the shooter in this case to act, and how he was able to arm himself. It is well known, however, how easy it is for an individual to get powerful weapons in our country.
"Eight years ago this week, the young people in Littleton, Colorado suffered a horrible attack at Columbine High School, and almost exactly six months ago, five young people were killed at an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania. Since these killings, we've done nothing as a country to end gun violence in our schools and communities. If anything, we've made it easier to access powerful weapons.
"We have now seen another horrible tragedy that will never be forgotten. It is long overdue for us to take some common-sense actions to prevent tragedies like this from continuing to occur."
Source: Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence
Web site: http://www.bradycampaign.org/
WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from President George W. Bush regarding the shootings at Virginia Tech University:
Diplomatic Reception Room 4:01 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Our nation is shocked and saddened by the news of the shootings at Virginia Tech today. The exact total has not yet been confirmed, but it appears that more than 30 people were killed and many more were wounded.
I've spoken with Governor Tim Kaine and Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. I told them that Laura and I and many across our nation are praying for the victims and their families and all the members of the university community who have been devastated by this terrible tragedy. I told them that my administration would do everything possible to assist with the investigation, and that I pledged that we would stand ready to help local law enforcement and the local community in any way we can during this time of sorrow.
Schools should be places of safety and sanctuary and learning. When that sanctuary is violated, the impact is felt in every American classroom and every American community.
Today, our nation grieves with those who have lost loved ones at Virginia Tech. We hold the victims in our hearts, we lift them up in our prayers, and we ask a loving God to comfort those who are suffering today.
Thank you.
END 4:03 P.M. EDT
Source: White House Press Office
Web site: http://www.whitehouse.gov/
Statement From APHA Executive Director Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP
WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "The American Public Health Association today expresses its deepest sympathy for the families of the victims of today's tragic shootings at Virginia Tech University. This tragedy and others like it underscore the need to recognize and address the public health consequences of firearm violence.
"We again offer our condolences to the families of the victims of this unconscionable act."
Founded in 1872, the APHA is the oldest, largest and most diverse organization of public health professionals in the world. The association aims to protect all Americans and their communities from preventable, serious health threats and strives to assure community-based health promotion and disease prevention activities and preventive health services are universally accessible in the United States. APHA represents a broad array of health providers, educators, environmentalists, policy-makers and health officials at all levels working both within and outside governmental organizations and educational institutions.
Source: American Public Health Association; APHA
WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of the mass shooting today at Virginia Tech, Violence Policy Center Executive Director Josh Sugarmann issued the following statement:
"Mass shootings have come to define our nation. Today's shooting at Virginia Tech -- the largest mass shooting in U.S. history -- is only the latest in a continuing series over the past two decades. These tragedies are the inevitable result of the ease with which the firepower necessary to slaughter dozens of innocents can be obtained. We allow virtually anyone the means to turn almost any venue into a battlefield. In the wake of these shootings, too many routinely search for any reason for the tragedy except for the most obvious -- the easy access to increasingly lethal firearms that make mass killings possible."
Prior Deadliest U.S. Shootings
The April 16 shooting on the campus of Virginia Tech where it is reported that 31 are dead and another 24 are wounded is the most deadly in U.S. history. The prior deadliest shootings in the United States are:
24 dead, 20 wounded Luby's Cafeteria Killeen, Texas October 16, 1991 22 dead, 19 wounded McDonald's Restaurant San Ysidro, California July 18, 1984 17 dead, 31 wounded University of Texas Tower Austin, Texas August 1, 1966 15 dead, 23 wounded Columbine High School Littleton, Colorado April 20, 1999 15 dead, 6 wounded Edmond Post Office Edmond, Oklahoma August 20, 1986
The Violence Policy Center is a national non-profit educational organization working for a safer America through research, analysis, education, and advocacy.
Source: Violence Policy Center
WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid today issued the following statement on the shooting at Virginia Tech:
"The thoughts and prayers of all Americans are with the Virginia Tech family today. As we learn more about this horrific tragedy - the deadliest shooting in our nation's history - it breaks our hearts and shakes us to our very cores. We pray for those who were lost and for the speedy recovery of the wounded. And we pray that America can find the strength to overcome our grief and outrage as we face this tragedy together."
Source: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Web site: http://www.democrats.senate.gov/
RICHMOND, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Timothy M. Kaine released the following statement regarding today's shootings at Virginia Tech:
"It is difficult to comprehend senseless violence on this scale.
"Our prayers are with the families and friends of these victims, and members of the extended Virginia Tech community.
"The state is working closely with Tech officials, local law enforcement, and the community health system to provide whatever additional resources and support may be needed.
"My staff has made arrangements for me to leave Tokyo today, where I was set to begin a two-week Asian trade mission, so that I can return to the Commonwealth on Tuesday.
"I urge Virginians to keep these victims and their families in their thoughts and prayers."
Contact: Kevin Hall Phone: (804) 225-4260 Internet: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/
Source: Democratic Governors Association
Web site: http://www.governor.virginia.gov/
WASHINGTON, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked for a moment of silence on the House floor this afternoon following the deadly shootings on the campus of Virginia Tech. Below are her remarks:
"Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise to acknowledge that today our country has been struck by a terrible, terrible tragedy. The death toll at Virginia Tech now is over 30. This is the worst campus shooting in the history of our country.
"As the Virginia Tech community struggles with the mourning and questioning that is certain to follow, the continued prayers from this Congress are with the students, their families, the faculty, and the staff at Virginia Tech.
"Leader Boehner joins me in extending our condolences to all concerned, and we ask for a moment of silence to be observed in this body. Would we all please rise to observe the moment of silence?"
Source: Office of the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
RICHMOND, Va., April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- Following the fatal shooting of dozens of students at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg and the wounding of several other people, the national children's crisis charity KidsPeace, which has a center in Richmond, is issuing expert tips to help schools, parents, and local children cope with the aftereffects of the situation, as well as advice and perspective to the media. The 125-year-old nonprofit is also alerting schools and the public about the existence of a free resource that helps kids resolve problems before they become dangerous, and which has prevented school shootings in the past.
Tips to Schools, Parents & America's Kids:
FOR PARENTS: For area children who have fears that their school or college is not safe or may become the target of a school shooting, KidsPeace offers 10 ways for parents and teachers to reassure and help their kids through such a crisis. The tips are online at http://www.kidspeace.org/
FOR SCHOOLS: To help school systems see the early warning signs of danger and deal with the psychological fallout of the scare, KidsPeace has online articles ( http://www.kidspeace.org/ ) from its national "Healing" magazine.
FOR KIDS: Perhaps most importantly, KidsPeace and top children's experts Dr. Alvin Poussaint from Harvard and Dr. Lewis Lipsitt of Brown University have created a unique free website, http://www.teencentral.net/ that allows older kids and teens to work through the emotional stresses of growing up today - before those stresses become dangerous or overwhelming. TeenCentral.net, which gets 20 million hits a year, gives clinically screened help and hope to kids in all 50 states, at U.S. military bases worldwide, and in dozens of countries around the globe. The site helps kids identify the problems they face, from depression to school pressures, peer problems, family disputes, drugs, alcohol, smoking, even suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others.
School Shootings Averted in the Past
TeenCentral.net has prevented a number of mass tragedies, as well as an uncountable number of personal ones. This happened in 2002 when a California teenager wrote in to TeenCentral.net saying he was going to "go Columbine" and kill students at his school. Although the site rigorously protects kids' identity, a vigilant online counselor at KidsPeace alerted the authorities about the anonymous threat. In cases of potential disaster, the authorities can obtain a court order to track an individual server and the massacre was prevented. Although this kind of occurrence is unusual, this was one of several instances in several states where distraught teens were prevented by TeenCentral.net from carrying out plans to kill groups of their peers.
"The point is," says C.T. O'Donnell II, president and CEO of KidsPeace, the National Center for Kids Overcoming Crisis, "there are resources that can save lives and limit the fear and damage to other children who worry they may be next."
"Local kids may still be affected by the fear this has caused," says Monica Decker, state manager for KidsPeace in Richmond. "It's important to talk to kids who are still worried."
10 Tips for Talking to Children About Shootings
C.T. O'Donnell II, Monica Decker and the clinical experts at KidsPeace have compiled a list of tips to help parents talk to their children about what happened and look out for future signs of distress:
1. Listen to children. Allow them to express their concerns and fears.
2. Regardless of age, the most important issue is to reassure children of
safety and security. Tell children that you, their school, their
friends and their communities are all focused on their safety and that
those around them are working for their safety. Have discussions about
those dedicated to protecting them like police, teachers and other
school officials, neighbors and all concerned adults throughout the
community.
3. When discussing the events with younger children, the amount of
information shared should be limited to some basic facts. Use words
meaningful to them (not words like sniper, etc.). Do not go into
specific details.
4. School-aged children will ask, "Can this happen here, or to me?" Do
not lie to children. Reiterate how the community is focused on working
to keep everyone safe in the community.
5. Parents, caregivers and teachers should be cautious of permitting
young children to watch news or listen to radio that is discussing or
showing the situation. It is too difficult for most of them to
process. Personal discussions are the best way to share information
with this group. Also, plan to discuss this many times over the coming
weeks.
6. When discussing the events with preteens and teens, more detail is
appropriate, and many will already have seen news broadcasts. Do not
let them focus too much on graphic details. Rather, elicit their
feelings and concerns and focus your discussions on what they share
with you. Be careful of how much media they are exposed to. Talk
directly with them about the tragedy and answer their questions
truthfully.
7. Although this group is more mature, do not forget to reassure them of
their safety and your efforts to protect them. Regardless of age, kids
must hear this message.
8. Be on the lookout for physical symptoms of anxiety that children may
demonstrate. They may be a sign that a child, although not directly
discussing the situation, is very troubled by the recent events. Talk
more directly to children who exhibit these signs:
Headaches Excessive worry
Stomach aches Increased arguing
Back aches Irritability
Trouble sleeping or eating Loss of concentration
Nightmares Withdrawal
Refusal to go to school Clinging behavior
9. Parents and caregivers should often reassure children that they will
be protected and kept safe. During tragedies like these, words
expressing safety and reassurance with concrete plans should be
discussed and agreed upon within the family to provide the most
comfort to children and teens.
10. If you are concerned about your children and their reaction to this or
any tragedy, talk directly with their school counselor, family doctor,
local mental health professional or have your older children visit
KidsPeace's teen-help web site, http://www.teencentral.net/ which
provides anonymous and clinically-screened help and resources for teen
problems before they become overwhelming.
KidsPeace is a 125-year-old national children's crisis charity dedicated to giving hope, help, and healing to children facing crisis. With a center in Richmond and 66 centers nationwide, KidsPeace directly helps thousands of children a day with life-saving treatment to overcome the crises of growing up. With the help of VIP leaders including its national spokesperson Leeza Gibbons, KidsPeace helps millions more each year through educational outreach and awareness programs designed to help America's kids and parents anticipate, intervene in and master crises that can affect any child - from disasters and personal traumas to family issues and neglect to life-threatening depression, eating disorders, and the many stresses of modern life. KidsPeace was named "The Outstanding Organization" of its kind in the country by the American Association of Psychiatric Services for Children and was called "a prototype of what we need for all children everywhere" by the late, nationally renowned child and family expert, Dr. Lee Salk.
Source: KidsPeace
Web site: http://www.kidspeace.org/
http://www.teencentral.net/
| About Us | News and Articles | Shopping | DVC Business Network | Communities | FAQs | Yellow Pages | Advertising | Site Map | Home |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
