Washington, D.C.- Today Senator John McCain spoke on the floor of the United States Senate regarding parental accountability, and his remarks are as follows: Mr. President, the amendment at the desk can be summarized in two words: parental accountability. Simply, it makes the parents accountable for crimes committed by their dependent children. When an individual, juvenile or not, commits a crime, that individual must be made to pay back society for the wrongdoing. But in our society, we do not hold juveniles totally responsible for their actions. We also hold parents and legal guardians responsible for the actions of their children. Parents must take a greater role in their children's lives, and greater responsibility for their children's actions. This amendment furthers that goal. This amendment would mandate that when any individual under the age of 18 is charged with breaking federal law, the legal guardian or guardians of that individual must: 1) Attend all court proceedings; 2) Pay a fine up to $10,000; or 3) may petition the court to perform community service or attend and successfully complete parenting classes in lieu of a monetary fine. Further, because many families in which a child commits a crime may be suffering from financial and social hardship, the amendment allows the court to waive, in whole or in part, the sanctions if compliance would result in an undue hardship to the family. Mr. President, I had originally hoped to apply criminal penalties to parents who neglect their duty and allow their children to commit crimes. The first degree amendment at the desk does exactly that. However, due to Constitutional concerns raised by some of my colleagues, Senator Mosley-Braun and I have offered a second degree amendment that meets constitutional muster and forces parents to assume a greater responsibility for preventing their children from engaging in illegal activity. Mr. President, daily the media reports of young people under the age of 18 who join gangs, deal drugs, and treat death and killings as cavalier events. This is demonstrative proof that parents are neglecting their obligation to teach our children right from wrong. The prevalence of gangs is growing. Gang violence is rising. No area is safe. Drugs are omnipresent -- not merely being used by young Americans, but being sold and marketed as a business by young Americans. According to U.S. News and World Report, November 8, 1993, “Today, more than 3 million crimes a year are committed in or near the 85,000 U.S. public schools.. .A University of Michigan study reports that 9 percent of eighth graders carry a gun, knife, or club to school at least once a month. In all, an estimated 270,000 guns go to school every day.” According to the article, in 1940, public school teachers rated the top disciplinary problems as: * Talking out of turn Chewing gum * Making noise * Running in the halls Cutting in line * Dress code violations, and * Littering. In 1990, public school teachers rated the top disciplinary problems as: * Drug abuse Alcohol abuse * Pregnancy * Suicide * Rape * Robbery, and * Assault Mr. President, we are watching the disintegration of our society. We simply cannot sit back and idly watch this happen. On October 17, 1993, the Seattle Times headline read: “Age of violence -- Youth Crime Is Rising Fast, And Everyone Is A Victim -- More Children Are Killing Others, Or Themselves. Can Anything Be Done?” The article states that in 1991, according to the Washington State Department of Community Development, the number of violent crimes -- assault, homicide, sexual assault -- committed by 10-17 year-olds has doubled since 1981. Although people in this age group represent only 11% of the population, they committed at least 25% of all violent crimes in Washington State. I do not in any way mean to single out Washington State. This is a national, not local, problem. According to the Phoenix Gazette article entitled, “Violent Juvenile Crimes on the Rise; Experts Blame Unfulfilled Emotional Needs of Children:” “The FBI reports a 27 percent increase in violent juvenile crime in a decade since 1980. This increase crosses all racial, social, and economic boundaries.” Our youth did not become violent overnight. Our youth did not choose the gun as the tool of choice to solve their problems due to a change in the weather. These problems are occurring because we are abrogating our responsibility to our children. Mr. President, the people we represent back home know the unfortunate truth: the family is disintegrating. Parents allow their children to run around uncontrolled and without supervision or moral guidance. The realities of the modern age may make it more difficult for parents to spend a great deal of time with their children. That is unfortunate, but in many cases it is reality. But parents cannot be divested of their moral obligation to teach their children right from wrong. Values cannot be artificially imposed on children by society or the government. Values can and should only be taught by parents. Justice will not prevail unless it is taught to our children. Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith, a national expert on juvenile violence from Harvard University stated: “It's no longer enough to offer children an average stable family life. When [juveniles] have got this kind of aggressive consistent message that's made as attractive as it is, parents must actively counter it.” According to Hunter Hurst, Director of the National Center for Juvenile Justice in Pennsylvania: “Society can't just sit back and rely on police, public officials or public institutions to solve the problem. Parents need to get back to the basics and take care of their children." That is exactly what this amendment encourages. Mr. President, it is time for us to say to parents, you are responsible for your children. You cannot step back, give no guidance or moral leadership to your children and then say "society -- now its your problem." If parents are going to let our nation's youth commit crime, then parents are going to be held responsible by a just and fair society. This amendment does exactly that. When a young person takes from society, then the courts can make the parents perform community service to pay back our communities. This is not a new or novel concept. If a young person breaks a store window, it is the parents who are held accountable and made to pay retribution. If a young person desires to enter into a contract, we mandate that the parents take responsibility and sign the contract. Why should we not then hold parents responsible when their child commits a crime? This amendment also acts as a deterrent. If parents know that their child's activity in a gang or with drugs may result in their being punished, I wonder how many will turn a blind eye to these kinds of activities. The concept for increased parental accountability has been promulgated by the Governor Symington, the Governor of Arizona. I believe that it is significant that this proposal originated with a state official. While we are debating sweeping national policy issues, it is the local cop on the beat who is actually making a difference. It is the local city council member, county official, and state governor who is truly confronting the problem of crime. It saddens me that far too often these hallowed marble walls that surround this body seem to cut it off from the reality of life back home. Thus I charge my colleagues, listen to the local officials. Let us base our policies on their initiatives, tested in the laboratory of the streets, and use their knowledge. Let us pay attention to individuals such as Governor Symington and his good work embodied in his anti-crime proposal. These local officials have told us that we must act, and act now. These people on the front lines have told us to follow their lead: pass a tough crime bill that punishes those who commit crimes and that stops our families from hemorrhaging. I would hope this amendment would be readily accepted. The purpose of this amendment summarizes this issue perfectly -- to “encourage parents to assume greater responsibility for preventing their children from engaging in illegal activity.” If we cannot hold parents accountable, then who can we? I hope my colleagues will carefully consider that question and support this fair, simple amendment. # # #