[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 13] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 17940-17941] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION TO STUDY THE CULTURE AND GLORIFICATION OF VIOLENCE IN AMERICA ACT ______ HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS of florida in the house of representatives Friday, August 1, 2008 Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Presidential Commission to Study the Culture and Glorification of Violence in America Act. This bill will establish a commission tasked with not only studying the culture of violence in our country, but also the factors that contribute to this culture and the actions that can be taken to mitigate its effects. Members of this Commission will determine what connections exist between violence and access to firearms, psychological stress, and economic despair. They will further examine what role schools can play in preventing violence and propose possible solutions to address the glorification of violence in the United States. Madam Speaker, we have become a society that places violence and aggression above hard work and acts of kindness. Sadly, children today admire gangsters instead of teachers. They would rather be thugs and drug lords than doctors and philanthropists. They measure the strength of their character by the size of their gun and not by their generosity toward others. The American Academy of Pediatrics has found that prolonged exposure to violence in the media can increase acceptance of violence as an appropriate means of solving problems. It can glamorize weapons as sources of personal power and can contribute to aggressive behavior. It is, therefore no surprise that in 2005 alone, there were over 1.8 million serious violent crimes in America and almost 420,000 firearm- related incidents. In that same year, the Federal Government spent $35.4 billion on criminal justice and local governments spent nearly three times that amount. Worst of all however, teens and young adults experience the highest rates of violent crime. It is clear that we must make an effort to raise our children to recognize that violence is [[Page 17941]] nothing more than the physical manifestation of fear and desperation. However, our society's glorification of violence has become so ingrained in our culture that it has become seemingly impossible to reverse. Madam Speaker, it is our collective responsibility to create a society that values respect toward our fellow citizens. This legislation is simply a small step toward addressing what has become a destructive parasite upon the future of our country. By learning how the media and society promote violence and examining ways in which we can address this most pressing dilemma, it is my hope that we can stem the tide of violence and crime in America so that subsequent generations can live in a more peaceful nation. I ask for my colleagues' support and urge the swift consideration of this bill. ____________________