The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“SUPPORT GROWS FOR SPORTS AND NON-VIOLENCE SUMMIT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Justice was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1606-E1607 on Sept. 12, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
SUPPORT GROWS FOR SPORTS AND NON-VIOLENCE SUMMIT
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HON. BERNARD SANDERS
of vermont
in the house of representatives
Thursday, September 12, 1996
Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that this week the House is considering Monitoring of the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990.
As you know, the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act requires colleges in receipt of Federal funding to report to students, faculty and prospective students once a year on the number of crimes reported in a number of categories, including murder; sex offenses, forcible or nonforcible; robbery; aggravated assault; and burglary. This law helps assist students in taking appropriate steps to protect themselves from becoming victims, and it assists families and students in making the most appropriate decisions about the schools they may wish to attend.
On February 6, 1996, ABC news reported that at Clemson University 100 students met with the football coach to discuss their safety on the campus following the arrest of the 9th Clemson football player this year. Since January, more than 50 college athletes in 13 States have been charged with assault, theft, trespassing, burglary, sexual assault, and drunk driving.
I was pleased to hear the remarks of the chairman of the Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee, Mr. Goodling, expressing his concern over violence among athletes at universities. In his remarks Chairman Goodling appealed to all the presidents of colleges and universities to:
Stand tall and be firm against those who would pressure them, be they coaches on the campus or alumni. There is no excuse for some outstanding athlete to go free after battering women or committing rape or breaking laws in relation to alcohol and other drugs. To use the excuse that you are trying to save that individual cannot be used when you are thinking about the other thousands who are there:
Mr. Speaker, several months ago, Representative Connie Morella and I wrote to the national sports associations with concern over a growing number of reported acts of violence against women by professional and college athletes. We have since met with representatives of the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the National Athletic Association and other major sports associations to discuss our desire to have these organizations join with us in our national effort to eradicate violence against women.
This August, Representative Morella and I introduced a sense-of-
congress resolution calling for a national summit on sports and nonviolence to help develop a national campaign to eradicate domestic violence. Our legislation addresses three realities of American society: first, that we have an epidemic of domestic violence in this country; second, that America has a fascination with sports, from the Olympics to the Super Bowl to the Final Four; and third, that professional and collegiate athletes are viewed as sports heroes by Americans.
Sports leaders, as role models, are often emulated both on and off the field, and we are asking that our national and collegiate sports leaders make it a top priority to help publicly condemn domestic violence and sexual assault and join us in a national awareness campaign. As role models, these sports leaders can send a strong message that the rough and tumble, hard-nosed competition stops when players leave the field and that there is no excuse for domestic violence and sexual assault.
I am pleased to report that since the introduction of that resolution we have received letters of support from numerous individuals and organizations, including: American College of Nurse Midwives; American Psychological Association; AYUDA; Larry Brown, Coach, Indiana Pacers; Catholics for a Free Choice; Jacquelyn Campbell, director of doctoral studies, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing; Center for the Study of Sports and Society; Center for Women Policy Studies; Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America; DC Rape Crisis Center; Domestic Violence Advocacy Project; Joseph Glass, Team Sports; Britt King, head women's basketball coach, University of DC; Lee McElroy, director of athletics, American University; Older Women's League; National Association of Social Workers; National Coalition Against Sexual Assault; New Waves: Empowering Women and Confronting Abuse; NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund; Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape; Thomas Penders, Head Basketball Coach, University of Texas; Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence; National Urban League; U.S. Department of Justice; Office of Justice Programs; Vermont Network Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; Women's Research and Education Institute; YWCA of the USA; and the Violence Policy Center.
I also want to congratulate the College Football Association, who, in cooperation with the Liz Claiborne Foundation and the Center for the Study of Sport in Society, plans to launch an ``Athletes Against Violence'' program this October, where college football players will break the code of silence about relationship violence and, through a series of public service announcements, convey the message that relationship violence should not be tolerated. The College Football Association is also encouraging coaches to consider inviting their players to participate in the annual Take Back the Night candlelight march conducted on college campuses during the month of October
(Domestic Violence Awareness Month).
The concept of a National Summit on Sports and Non-Violence initiative is generating a great deal of support and I would encourage my colleagues to join me and Representative Morella in our efforts by cosponsoring House Concurrent Resolution 199.
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