Durbin: No American Is Immune To The Scourge Of Gun Violence In This Country

Floor Speech

"Officer Preston was the best of Chicago. At only 24 years old, she had served with the CPD for three years. And during her time on the force, she worked to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Officer Preston was inspired to become a police officer after taking a trip to Europe, as part of her undergraduate criminology studies. Her class visited former concentration camps in Germany and Poland--the sites of some of the worst atrocities in human history. The stories of the Holocaust compelled Officer Preston to be the change she wanted to see in the world. She wanted to be part of it; in her words, "when I got back [home], I wanted to be an officer. I felt like I could be a person to fight for justice.' And during her time on the force, that's exactly what she fought for. On Saturday--the day before Mother's Day--Officer Preston's mother, Dionne Mho--and other family members--walked on stage at Loyola's ceremony to accept her diploma. I want to extend my deepest condolences to each one of them. Officer Preston and her family should be together today--celebrating her amazing accomplishments and her courageous service to our city. Instead, they are mourning her loss. She is yet another victim of America's epidemic of gun violence.

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The murder of Officer Preston--as well as hundreds of other police officers who have died by gunfire in recent years--is a sobering reminder that no American is immune to the scourge of gun violence in this country.

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Mr. Salter was forced into a position that no police officer--and no security guard--should ever find themselves in--being outgunned by a violent criminal. But this happens with alarming frequency. And it's because lawmakers have failed to do enough to stop guns from falling into the wrong hands. If we truly want to honor the sacrifices [of Mr. Salter and Officer Preston], we need to do more than offer our prayers and condolences. We need to take action.

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House Republicans are threatening to trigger an economic crisis unless Democrats support their proposal to defund the police. That's coming from the same Republicans who have spent years falsely claiming that Democrats want to defund the police. Yet here they are, supporting budget cuts that would leave law enforcement behind, and make our communities less safe. This is no way to honor the service and sacrifice of police officers across the country.

Let's make sure our officers have all the funding and resources they need to keep our communities safe, and that includes sensible gun safety laws that help keep weapons of war off of America's streets."

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