DOCUMENTS IN THE NEWS - 1999
Crime and Domestic Terrorism
Documents in the News identifies issues about
government making news headlines
and web sources with
additional information. The stories included and opinions
expressed
by a web link do not necessarily represent the viewpoints
of this webmaster or The University of
Michigan.
Last updated on June 18,
1999
Background
- Two gunmen (Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17) opened fire in
Columbine
High School, Littleton, Colorado, on April 20, 1999 about 11:30 a.m. MDT
- Gunmen thought to be former students and members of a trenchcoat gang
- Law enforcement officials estimated 15 dead by the next morning
- Two gunmen thought to have committed suicide
News Coverage
- CNN
- Denver
Post
- Continuing news coverage and reader opinion
- Denver Rocky Mountain
News
- Yahoo
- Audio, video and text reports
- ABC, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, BBC
- MSNBC
- Interviews of and stories about the victims
- Opinion pieces on stereotypes and gun legislation
- Memorials
Copycat Crimes
- Newsweek for May 10, 1999, p.32-33, provides
a map with copycat threats by state and type
Friend of Mine
- Lyrics of song written by Jonathan and Stephen Cohen for the Memorial
service on April 25, 1999
Jefferson County School System
- Press releases about Columbine High and memorial services
- Links to public school web sites
National Rifle Association
- Federal and state laws and firearms
- Proposed federal legislation on guns
- Letter from
Charleton Heston
- Letter telling of scaleback plans for NRA Convention in Denver on May
1, 1999
- NRA Headquarters
web site includes games, puzzles, and suggested purchases
Victims
- Killed
(CNN)
- Fourteen students and one teacher died
- Includes names and some biographies
- Hospitalized (CNN)
- List of fourteen hospitalized as of April 22
Child Violence
Warning Signs (MSNBC)
- Simple list of predictors without annotation
- Short list of suggested means for coping with anger
Marketing Violence to
Children
- President
Clinton's Initiative
- Speech given to entertainment industry on June 1
- Announces joint Federal Trade Commission/Justice Department committee
to investigate marketing of violence by movie, music, and games
industries
- Senate
Commerce Committee Hearings
- Marketing Violence to Children (May 4, 1999)
includes
testimony from University of Michigan Psychology Professor Rowell
Huesmann
- TV Violence (May 18, 1999) includes testimony from
University of Michigan Psychology Professor Leonard
Eron
National Television Violence
Study/Executive Summary (pdf)
- Third executive summary of main report outlines violence portrayed on
television
- Statistics on its effect
President Clinton's
Initiatives
- Interview with
Katie Couric
- Interview about juvenile violence aired on NBC Today Show, April 30
- President Clinton identifies a cluster of problems and solutions
involving parenting, entertainment industry, and gun control
- Discusses a forthcoming White House summit on the entertainment
industry
- See also Gun Control
Legislation
Warning
Signs (American Psychological Association)
- Web version of illustrated pamphlet
- Causes of violence, how to deal with anger, steps for the observer or
the person feeling threatened
When Kids
Kill
- Brief summaries of school violence and its causes
- Proposals for making safe firearms
Indicators of School
Crime and Safety, 1998 (NCES)
- Text and graphs report fatal and nonfatal victimization of staff and
students
- Student and principal reports of drugs, guns, and gangs
- National data often disaggregated by race or location (urban, rural)
but no state or local information
- Appendix lists measures taken by schools to insure safety
Keep Schools Safe
- Ten guidelines for combating school violence meant for school
administrators
- Each guideline includes multiple links to explanatory material
Safe Schools
Manual - pdf format (National Education Association)
- Background on school and community violence
- Checklist for making a school safe
School Violence
Sources (Justice Department)
- On-line publications for preventing school violence
- Non-governmental organizations developing prevention strategies
| Statistics on Youth Violence | |
Indicators of School
Crime and Safety, 1998 (NCES)
- Text and graphs report fatal and nonfatal victimization of staff and
students
- Student and principal reports of drugs, guns, and gangs
- National data often disaggregated by race or location (urban, rural)
but no state or local information
- Appendix lists measures taken by schools to insure safety
National Television Violence
Study/Executive Summary (pdf)
- Third executive summary of main report outlines violence portrayed on
television
- Statistics on its effect
Students' Report on
School Crime: 1989 and 1995
- Joint NCES and Bureau of Justice Statistics survey completed in 1998
- Data on crime victims, guns, drugs, and street gangs in schools for
1989 and 1995
- Variables include sex, age, and race of student; family income;
metropolitan/nonmetropolitan area; and public/private control
- Text and pdf formats
Violence and
Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools (NCES)
- Types of crimes and frequency in U.S. public schools
- Crime by size, socio-economic status, grade level, and region
- Discipline preventive measures (e.g. school uniforms)
Violence Policy
Center
- Colorado gun laws
- Statistics on number of school violence victims in Colorado
When Kids
Kill
- Brief summaries of school violence and its causes
- Proposals for making safe firearms
Youth Crime
Gun Interdiction Initiative (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and
Firearms
- Data on youth and adult use of guns in committing crimes for 27
cities, including Detroit
- Age of person, type of gun, type of crime, how obtained weapon
- Separate reports for each city in Adobe Acrobat
- Issued February 1999
Federal Government
Current Federal Laws
Proposed Legislation
- Children's
Gun Violence Prevention Act
- Introduced by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy of New York on March 25
- Summary of bill and link to the full text (H.R. 1342)
- Consequences
for Juvenile Offenders Act
- Introduced as H.R. 1501
- Controversial debate on the floor of the House in the Congressional
Record for June 17, 1999, p. H4476+
- Mandatory
Gun Control Background Check
- Introduced by McCollum and Hyde on June 10, 1999
- Modified by Dingell amendment on June 17, 1999; Congressional Record,
June 17, 1999, p. 4573+
- Omnibus
Gun Control Legislation
- President
Clinton's Proposal
- Press conference of April 27 announcing stricter enforcement
- Raises legal purchase age to 21, holds family accountable, requires
background checks at gun shows
- House Bill (H.R. 1501)
- Senate Bill (S. 254)
- Bill
Text
- Text as introduced; legislative status and links to debates
- Required background checks at gun shows (Lautenberg amendment)
defeated on May 12 but being reconsidered due to negative reaction
- Lautenberg Amendment (S.Amndt. 364) passed on May
20,
1999 with Vice President Gore breaking the tie
- See also Ten
Commandments
State Legislation
Michigan
Concealed Weapons Bill
- HB 4530 passed Michigan House of Representatives on May 19, 1999
- Eases restrictions on concealed weapons
- Libraries may post signs banning concealed weapons
- Bill and legislative analyses in pdf and sometimes text format
- Includes legislative status and links to the Legislative
Journals
- Passed Senate on May 26, 1999
Center for the
Prevention of Handgun Violence
- Advocacy group headed by Sarah Brady
- State gun control laws, including child access laws and waiting
periods
National Rifle Association
- Federal and state laws and firearms
- Proposed federal legislation on guns
Public Opinion
Center for the
Prevention of Handgun Violence
- Advocacy group headed by Sarah Brady
- State gun control laws, including child access laws and waiting
periods
- National gun law loopholes and proposed legislation
- Firearm facts
National Gun Policy
Survey 1998 (National Opinion Research
Center)
- Extensive public opinion survey on gun ownership, regulation,
violence, and safety issues
- Text in pdf and with statistical tables
- Shows American public support for gun control
National Rifle Association
- Federal and state laws and firearms
- Proposed federal legislation on guns
- Letter from
Charleton Heston
- Letter telling of scaleback plans for NRA Convention in Denver on May
1, 1999
Background
- On November 22, CBS News aired Dr. Jack Kevorkian's assisted suicide of
Thomas Youk in September 1998
- Dr. Kevorkian administered the lethal drugs himself
- Oakland County, Michigan Prosecutor David Gorcyca arrested Kevorkian
for murder on November 25, 1998
CNN
- News coverage of Kevorkian arrest on November 25
Court
TV Coverage of Kevorkian Trial
- Kevorkian trial began March 22, 1999
- Court TV includes the indictment, statements from the Youk family,
judicial ruling, opening and closing arguments, and verdict
- Convicted of second degree murder on March 26
- Sentenced to 10-25 years on April 13
Detroit Free Press
Extra
- Archived news reports on Jack Kevorkian
- Results of public opinion poll on CBS news program and assisted
suicide by gender and religion
Michigan Law
See Documents
in the News, 1997 for the assisted suicide debate
Background
- President Clinton granted clemency to sixten supporters of the Armed
National Liberation Front (FALN), which carried out bombings in the U.S.
in the 1970s and 1980s
- The prisoners were not technically convicted for the crimes
- Hillary Clinton supported, then disagreed with the decision
- Congress is investigating
Congress
Prison
Activist Resource Center
- Biographies of the prisoners
- Claims that they were prisoners of war
World
Socialist Web Site
- September 9 article on the clemency
- Names of the prisoners and details of the clemency proposal
Grace York, Coordinator, Documents Center
University of Michigan Library
Graphics by Sherry Piontek and Barbara Perles
Send comments and suggestions to graceyor@umich.edu
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Colorado High School Shooting