>> From the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
[ Silence ]
>> John Cole: Well, good morning.
>> Good morning.
>> John Cole: Good morning [chuckles].
>> Good morning.
>> John Cole: Welcome to the Library of Congress.
I'm John Cole.
I'm the Director of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress,
which is the reading and literacy promotion arm of the library.
And it's most appropriate that the Center for the Book be the host here
at the Library of Congress for this wonderful Do The Write Thing
challenge students.
I met many of you this morning earlier when we took a look
at the history looked at the Jefferson Building from the overlook
from our great main Reading Room and talked briefly about how the Library
of Congress brings all of knowledge together for the uses,
not only of our Congress, but also for all of our people
because we are a national library, indeed an international library.
But we also have an educational outreach component.
And I'm happy to be part of that and will tell you a little bit more
about it when I have a chance to speak for more
than a minute and a half.
[Chuckles] maybe two minutes later in the program.
But I'm just so pleased that you're here
and what we can share this wonderful institution with you.
And it's my pleasure to introduce Lisa Cone, who is the Director
of the National Campaign to Stop Violence, to get us started.
Let's give Lisa a hand.
[ Applause ]
[ Background Noise ]
>> Lisa Cone: Thank you and good morning.
I would like to welcome you on behalf of the National Campaign
to Stop Violence, the 2013 program and to thank Mr. John Cole
from the Library of Congress for hosting this event here for today.
I would also like to recognize Mr. Dan Callister, Dan?
You can stand.
[ Applause ]
Who all of you should have met at this point.
He is the Chairman and Founder
of the National Campaign to Stop Violence.
And I'd also like to recognize this morning, Dr. Hassan Al Ebraheem.
[ Applause ]
Who is the Chairman and Founder of the Kuwait America Foundation.
And Dr. Hassan, we would especially like to recognize you for all
of your work, past and present, with education and children both here
in America and in Kuwait.
So, thank you.
[ Applause ]
The national book of writings has always been a great highlight
of being able to present this to the library during this week.
You have just seen the Reading Room and you've gotten a glimpse
of the magnificence of this building.
I want you to know what an honor it is for you to be able
to have your essays placed here for time and memorial.
Your writings are here along with the great authors in America.
And remember what Chancellor Motley said yesterday
about holding your head high as you announce that you are an ambassador?
Well, now you can hold your head high and add another title.
You are authors.
[ Applause ]
You are published authors who have your writings
in the Library of Congress.
And when you come back to the library, you can look them up.
Whether you come back next year or whether you come back
with your children or your grandchildren, you will be able
to see what you have written when you were in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.
So, that is quite an accomplishment and we want
to recognize you for that.
We had many, very exceptional writings this year.
And we wish that we could have heard from all of you.
But as you know, life is all about making choices.
So, we had to make a difficult one
and select just several essays to be read today.
We have asked three students to read.
First, we are going to hear from Aneuris Melo the Second.
He is in the 7th grade from the Nativity Preparatory School
in Boston.
Aneuris?
[ Applause ]
[ Background Noises ]
>> Aneuris Melo: 18 years ago, my uncle was a victim of gun violence.
He was just 18 years old.
His friends stole his father's gun to show off and use for protection.
But instead, used it to kill my uncle.
My family still does not know the truth
about what happened that night.
I think if my uncle was not killed,
we would of had a very good relationship.
From what I've heard about him from my mother, we had similar hobbies,
like playing video games and playing basketball.
His death brought a lot of pain for my family because my siblings
and I have never met him.
All of my family has to remember him by our old photos and memories.
Violence affects my life directly and indirectly.
Before school ended before summer last year,
I went to [inaudible] street with two friends.
After school that day, we went there and played for a bit.
And then we went to get some snacks for a bit.
When we came back we played a game with a group of boys.
When we were done, my dad was there and I left.
In the car, he told me that I couldn't go
to that basketball court again because there were fights
between two gangs and that there were a lot
of violent incidents at that court.
I felt mad because I couldn't go to that park anymore
because it was dangerous.
In the end, I respected my parent's decision not to allow me
to go play basketball there with my friends.
One of the causes of youth violence is young people are lacking
something or someone positive in their life.
The lack of jobs and opportunities can make a teenager feel
as if there is no choice other than selling drugs to make money.
Selling drugs is a fast and easy way of making money.
Another example is if they lack a positive role model
who can lead them in the right direction.
The lack of good youth centers to hang out with friends
and where there are positive people
to help teens make the right choices,
can also lead youth to violence.
A good youth program can be a place to find a better friend
than the friend they have now
because that friend might be an influence
to pressure them to violent acts.
Finally, peer pressure is a cause of youth violence, because at school,
the pressures to have the best sneakers and cloths could lead
to kids selling drugs or delivering drugs to make a quick buck.
There are many other things other than the lack of something
in a youth's life that cause youth violence.
One such thing is, violence in their home or community.
Being addicted to drugs can lead to a life of crime.
If all you see is violence in your home or in your neighborhood,
you have no other way of behaving because this is all you know.
Another thing is the absence of a parent
because their parent is in jail or divorced.
A third one is, they have seen a violent act in their neighborhood
that could change how they act towards others.
If you see someone you love get shot, you might want
to avenge their death by acting just like the murderer,
and the cycle of violence continues.
Being addicted to drugs can lead to a life of crime.
There are many things I can do about the youth violence in my community.
I can be a good role model to younger kids in my school
by helping them when they ask for help.
I can be a good friend by listening
to a friend's problems and giving them advice.
I could approach problems with calmness instead of aggression.
If I see violence happening at school,
I can tell the teacher what happened.
I could go to youth centers instead of hanging out in the street
where there is nothing to do.
If I am able to change the way I act towards others,
other people then maybe then they might come to me for advice.
I could speak up and tell a teacher when I see bullying happening,
because bullying is just a form
of youth violence that happens at school.
If many of these things existed with my uncle was alive,
then perhaps the person who killed him,
might've found other options than possessing a gun.
[ Applause ]
I
>> Lisa Cone: Thank you very much for those very moving words
and with great ideas as to how we can reduce youth violence.
Next, we're going to hear from Madison Miller.
And Madison is an 8th grader from North Parkway Middle School.
And Madison represents Jackson, Tennessee.
[ Applause ]
[ Background Noise ]
>> Madison Miller: On December 14th, 2012,
shots rang out at Sandy Hook Elementary School
in Newton, Connecticut.
20 children and six staff members are killed.
My heart pounded as sadness consumed my heart and thoughts.
The one place outside my home that I felt completely safe is no longer.
This could happen at North Parkway Middle School in Jackson, Tennessee.
What would I do if it did happen?
I have no idea.
I am afraid.
As I walk to the bus stop each morning, I'm more alert.
It's dark, so I look around a lot.
I stay away from anyone that looks suspicious,
but now everyone looks suspicious.
I meet up with friends along the way and I feel better.
The walk home after school is not so bad because it's light outside
and there are more people present.
People I know.
When I think about what causes youth violence, many things come to mind.
There are a lot of children faced with pressures of joining a gang.
Many of them grow up in neighborhoods
that promote gang activity.
Some children are born in the gangs
because their parents are gang members.
They get involved in violent activities such as shootouts
and home invasions because their parents are involved
in those activities.
Some youths don't have friends and turns to gangs for friendship.
Many children have parents that are addicted to drugs
and don't see them for days.
So, there's no one there to teach them valuable life lessons.
Some parents don't care about what their children are doing
and allow them to do whatever they want.
And some teenagers are bullied and turn to violence either
on the bullies or themselves.
Bullying is a major problem for teenagers.
Even though schools discourage bullying,
it still happens more than adults think.
Kids that are being bullied are afraid to tell
because they will be labeled as a snitch
and snitching is a no no among teenagers.
Snitching will get you bullied even more.
Some other ways children get involved
in violent activities is lack of mentoring to stay on the right path.
There are also a lack of after school programs
to keep them off the streets.
We need more programs in the schools that teach children how
to be someone great and stay on the right path.
Help them understand the importance
of getting good grades and going to college.
Not only help them understand the importance of getting good grades
but have programs in place to help struggling students to succeed.
Show them they can be a doctor, lawyer, teacher
or even the President of the United States.
A lot of children have talents that are never revealed to others
because they don't have the support they need in their lives
to develop those talents.
What can I do about youth violence?
I can continue to be involved in positive community activities.
I can be a positive role model to my younger sister by mentoring her.
Never participate in bullying and report bullying
to the proper authorities.
Encourage my friends to get involved in extracurricular activities.
Stay in school and get good grades.
Go to college.
And most of all, continue to love God and always do the right thing.
[ Applause ]
>> Lisa Cone: Thank you Madison.
You certainly have gotten the picture
of this program and we appreciate it.
Finally, we would like to hear from Nathan Steilman.
And Nathan is an 8th grader at East Middle School and is from Montana.
[ Applause ]
[ Background Noise ]
>> Nathan Steilman: My first thought was,
violence was not affecting my life.
I am lucky.
I have a fun family.
There are six of us.
My mom, my dad, my older brother, younger brother and little sister.
We are really busy.
Always doing different activities and on the go.
But there is no violence in our lives.
At first, I did not think
that violence had anything to do with my family.
Then I remembered something important.
About seven years ago,
a young single girl found out she was pregnant.
This young girl had a tough life.
She had been in trouble with the law.
She had been sent to a juvenile facility.
She had dropped out of high school and had to give up one child already
to child protective services.
This girl had a big problem with addiction and violent behavior.
Child protective services learned that she was pregnant
and still had addiction problems.
This young girl had promised that she had changed
and that she was not abusing alcohol or drugs.
She had a baby girl on December 18th, 2006.
She agreed to work with protective services so she could keep her baby.
Well, that lasted for about six weeks.
On January 30th, 2007, a meeting was held
at the child protective service's office with a case worker,
this girl and her mother.
Her mother was concerned that she was not behaving appropriately
and had not changed.
The young girl became angry and took her six week old baby into a room.
Locked everyone out and threatened to harm and commit suicide.
In 2006, I was seven years old.
I remember asking my parents to have another baby.
I had a big brother and a little brother.
And I really wanted a baby sister.
My mom couldn't have any more children,
but my parents liked the idea of adopting a baby girl.
In December 2006 and January 2007, my parents took classes
to become licensed foster parents.
On January 30th, 2007, we got a phone call
from child protective services asking if we were ready
to become a foster family.
We were told that it was an emergency situation
and three families had been contacted about this child.
My mom and dad had to make an instant decision.
We were the first family to call back.
My grandparents came over and my mom and dad left.
About two hours later, they came home with a baby girl.
She had not been taken care of very well and was sick.
She never cried like most babies do.
The people from protective services told us that she didn't cry
because at six weeks old, she had already learned
that crying did not help her get any positive attention.
We did not know for sure if she was just neglected
or if she had been punished for crying.
But she never cried.
After two weeks of living with us,
she learned that crying got her lots of attention and love.
[Chuckles] it wasn't long before she was healthy and happy.
From January 2007 to July 2008, we were a foster family and had
to take care of my little sister.
We had to take her to visit with her birth family.
We heard stories of her birth mom being arrested for breaking windows
out of her neighbor's house because they disagreed about something.
We also heard about her birth mom fighting in a bar, getting hurt,
assaulting medical staff at the hospital,
and assaulting a cop while being arrested.
In July 2008, the judge decided that her birth family did not approve
that they could take care of my little sister
and the judge asked my mom and dad if we wanted to adopt her.
On December 12th, 2008, I got to go to the judge with my family and sit
in the courtroom while the judge made my little sister an official
member of my family.
I think the violence that occurs
in my little sister's birth family was mostly caused
by drugs and alcohol addiction.
I also think that they didn't know any better.
They believed that there was nothing wrong with their behavior.
I think that violent behaviors are unacceptable.
Violence towards a child does not seem normal
and it should never happen.
Writing this paper has made me think about what life would be
like for my little sister if she was still with her birth family.
She is my closest sibling and it is hard for me to think
about her being in that other life.
I think it would be one of the worst things,
that a baby girl her age, could go through.
Being exposed to drugs, alcohol,
and violence from parents would be a terrible way to live.
I think that we should be taught more about violence against kids.
Most people don't realize how many families have violence
in their homes.
I think I would be able to help another kid
if they were being abused.
I wouldn't be shy or pretend I didn't know anything.
I would ask them if they were okay and see
if I could help them in any way.
I would also would try to get them to talk
to an adult that could help them.
If they are afraid to do that, I would talk to an adult for them
because no kid should have to go through any violence.
My family has helped by giving a safe and loving home to my sister.
Sometimes the best ways to help might be
to give a person a new life, free from violence.
I have not been directly exposed to violence,
but violence has affected my life.
Violence in another family gave me the little sister
that I always wanted.
My sister is lucky now too because she is loved very much
and she doesn't have to grow up with violence in her life.
[ Applause ]
>> Lise Cone: Thank you so much Nathan.
I think you can see from just these three essays, the wonderful stories
that are, Do The Write Thing 2013 ambassadors have had
to share and have told us.
I wish we could hear from all of you but, again, we are grateful
for the three of you reading your writings.
I wanted to introduce John Cole.
First of all, the Library of Congress is the largest library
in the world, as you've said.
And our speaker, John Cole, is lucky
that this is the only place that he has ever worked.
In fact, he has been there so long that he's become one
of the library's historians and written several books
about next activities and buildings.
In fact, Sunday, the book that you got
on these walls was written by John Cole.
So I hope you enjoy that book.
John has always loved books and reading.
And today, he is a director of a Library
of Congress office called the Center for the Book.
So he gets to spend a lot of time promoting books
and reading his two favorite things.
Two of his favorite projects are the National Book Festival each year
on the National Mall, which he helps organize and the Young Reader Center
in the library's Thomas Jefferson Building.
Finally, two of his personal heroes are,
Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.
Thomas Jefferson was very important in the development
of the Library of Congress.
And George Washington was also important in John's development
because he was born in Washington State, came to work at the Library
of Congress here in Washington, DC after he graduated
from the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington.
[Chuckles] so, without further ado, we'll turn the time to John.
[ Applause ]
>> John Cole: Well, thanks Lisa.
Now you know I'm an Washingtonian through and through [chuckles].
And I can't do much about it.
Not that I would want to.
I want to just share two reading stories with you.
Both related, of course, to the Library
of Congress and our youth program.
One of the activities we've been able to develop
with the Children's Book Council,
which is the professional trade association for books
for young people, is something called the National Ambassador
for Young People's Literature.
And each year, every two years actually,
we're able to name a famous author who specializes in books
for children or young people, to travel the country, promoting kids
and their books and the importance of reading
and literacy, to young people.
And I have been very lucky in my job to have worked
with the three national ambassadors.
And I'll just mention their names
as wonderful people who've written books that I hope someday,
if you have not read any of them, that you will enjoy.
Because all three of these writers are concerned about young people
and their problems and especially reading and the importance of books
and literacy and helping solve those problems.
The first was a man named Jon Scieszka.
I'm an older John, so I have an H in my name.
Jon is a younger Jon, which is J O N. And he is a very funny writer.
And he is especially concerned about getting boys reading.
And has his own website called Guys Read.
And he writes funny stories about his family and his brothers.
And he's someone I could hardly recommend
if you see that funny Polish name.
But remember the J O N. Another is a wonderful American writer named
Katherine Paterson, who has won many, many awards.
And I think some of you may know about Katherine.
She is an award winning person as I said, but also,
a wonderful Christian woman who works very hard
at relating her stories to young kids.
And at the National Book Festival four years ago,
a child had written a letter to Katherine about Bridge
to Terabithia, which some of you may know about.
And it was a book about a tragedy and a death
in a family of a death of a child.
And the young person asked Katherine about that book.
And it turned out, it was based on an experience of violence
in Katherine's own family.
And it was the death of one of her children.
A third person is Walter Dean Myers.
And he is a wonderful African American writer.
I shouldn't say, getting close to retirement age, because he
and I are roughly the same age.
So, I have to be very careful.
But his major interest is fiction stories for kids who live in cities.
And he is known best for his depictions of some of the things
that our guests have talked about, violent situations
and how they're taken care of in the city in different situations.
And he is someone to watch out for.
When we named him national ambassador,
we'd normally set up lots of tours.
And one is to start children's book week in New York.
And the second is to come, of course,
to our National Book Festival.
But it turned out, Walter Dean Myers already had a preferred tour
schedule, and that was to visit young people in prisons
or incarcerated situations, to talk about how he grew
up in an illiterate family and inspire them.
And we have wonderful pictures on this stage
of this entire room filled for Walter Dean Myer's talk.
And we had to have kids on the stage, he was so popular
and he's such an inspiration.
So, think of those three names.
Jon Scieszka, Polish, you can't understand it.
I still can't spell it and Katherine Paterson and Walter Dean Myers.
Finally, a quick little plug for our Young Reader Center, which is for 16
and under here in the Library of Congress.
We're very proud of it.
It's only been open for three years.
It was a big deal for the Library of Congress to open up to 16
and under , as long as people are accompanied by an adult.
And when you come back here, I hope someday you will visit it.
Well, in honor, actually of today.
And in honor of what is really being done
with this wonderful Do The Write Thing program, we have an exhibit
for at least the rest of the month in the Young Reader Center
which talks about some of the very problems.
Books that talk about, as all books can talk about subjects very close
to us, and in this case, the books about bullying and books
about peer pressure and some of the problems
that are being discussed today.
So you've helped us in our own young reader's program,
take a look at this problem and try to do something about it,
at least in the way we know best, which is through books
and reading and talking with kids.
And bringing kids and adults together
to face some of these problems.
Thanks for being here.
It's been an honor to host you.
[ Applause ]
I'm told to stand here [chuckles].
[ Background Noise ]
So, you want to go over here?
Okay.
>> Lise Cone: Keep going.
[ Background Discussions ]
Madison is going to present to Mr. Cole, the book,
your book that will are go into the collection
at the Library of Congress.
[ Background Noise ]
[ Applause]
[ Background Discussions ]
[ Applause ]
[ Background Discussions ]
[ Applause ]
And the lights go down.
[ Background Noise ]
Thank you.
Mr. David Esquith is the Director of the Office
of Safe and Healthy Students.
His office is part of the Department of Education and he reports
to the Secretary of Education who is Secretary Arne Duncan.
Mr. Esquith has been the director there for several years now.
Prior to that, he served in the Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services for many, many years.
As a matter of fact, I learned last year
that when Mr. Esquith began doing work in the area of disability
and rehabilitation, he actually had his business cards made in braille
so that they could be read by the people he was working with.
Some of the people he was working with.
Which I thought was a very innovative idea.
I have never received another business card in braille.
He has worked as a special education teacher, an administrator,
a Peace Corps volunteer in North Africa,
which he says were the best two years of his life.
He was born in New York City and grew up in Ohio and then returned
to New York City for high school.
And we're going to turn the time over to Mr. Esquith.
[ Applause ]
>> David Esquith: Well, thank you Lisa.
And good morning to everybody.
Being a former teacher, I'm going to make this a little more interactive.
Give you some questions.
Ask people to speak up.
I do want to, first of all, say how sincerely impressed
and affected by all of you.
I've read through this year's writings
and they are tremendously powerful.
And I think the reason why they are tremendously powerful,
at least for me, is that they are spoken from the heart.
And they are true.
There are many different ways to kind of express the truth.
I'm going to put some slides up that talk about the situation in Chicago.
And I want to give credit.
That's not me.
Bryan Samuels is the Commissioner on the Administration
on Children, Youth and Families.
And Bryan was the chief of staff to my boss, Arne Duncan,
who is the Secretary of Education
and who sends his regards to all of you.
When Arne was the superintendent of schools
in Chicago is there anyone from Chicago here?
Good, good.
You're going to recognize the maps that I'm going to put up.
And these maps tell a very difficult story.
It's a story that all of you appreciate profoundly.
But it's about the connection between exposure to violence
and the lives that people lead.
So, I'm going to show you some maps.
But I also want to give you a preview
to a question that I'm going to ask.
In a moment of two, I'm going to ask you
and I want you to think about this.
I'm going to ask you to make a connection
between two very tragic events that occurred this year.
To make a connection between the Newton tragedy
and the killing of Trayvon Martin.
And I'm going to ask you to give me your thoughts
on what are the connections between those two events.
So, first of all, I'm going to help you kind
of I know this is a little difficult to see.
But, what you're looking at here are two maps.
And on this side, on kind of our left facing the maps,
you have kind of student reading test scores is
in the city of Chicago.
And on the right side, you've got community violence.
So, what the legend tells you is that, the first in green
on the left, is where you have high suspension rates in schools.
And then reading levels going from less than 205
to more than 235 with the red.
Red being kind of the lower reading levels.
And the blue being the higher reading levels.
On the right hand side.
Again the green, you've got kind of the high suspension rates
in certain localities in the city.
And then you've got the total per capita violent crime per
square miles.
It's pretty easy to see a pattern here.
The folks from Chicago, does this look like something
that seems true to you all?
I'm getting a nodding.
Yes, thank you.
So, here's a connection between community violence and reading.
If I could have the next slide, please.
On the left hand side, you've got student misconduct.
And on the right hand side, you've got community violence.
So, here is this connection between what's going on in the community
and the total number of, quote on quote,
misconduct that may be going on in the school.
With less than five being in blue.
And more than 75 being in red on the left hand side.
On the right hand side, you've got, again,
kind of the total per capita violent crime.
You can see clearly the connection between what goes on in schools
and misconduct, and the impact of exposure
to violence in the community.
And the connection and relationship between the two.
Could I have the next slide, please?
Student fights and community violence.
On the left hand side, the darker blue is less than five.
The right hand the red is more than 35.
On the right hand side is again the total per capita violent crime.
And, again, kind of the connection, the pockets.
Student fights and community violence,
the spill over impact is undeniable.
And, I don't know if there's one more slide or not.
This is community violence
and student shootings on the left hand side.
And on the right hand side are child welfare cases.
I'll let you all take that in for just a moment
to see the connection again.
So, the young people here from Chicago,
what are these maps could one of you please if you don't mind,
kind of stand up and tell us.
Seeing these maps, what does it say to you?
Would someone be willing to stand up and speak?
Nice and loud so everyone can hear you.
Oh, great, we've got a mic.
[ Background Noise ]
>> Can you repeat the question again, please?
The connection between the schools and the community?
>> David Esquith: Could you speak up a little bit, please?
>> Talking about the connection between the schools
and what's going on in our community?
>> David Esquith: Right.
>> The violence.
Well, I see that the more suspension and fights and stuff that go
on in schools, is I don't know.
No, it's connected to the community.
Because, I think, the more violence is going
on around us it affects the children and then we go to school,
so obviously, if we're violent out the school,
it's going to come into the school.
>> David Esquith: Exactly, exactly.
>> It spills over.
Yeah, thanks a lot.
>> David Esquith: Thank you.
Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
So, this is one kind of truth.
And there's another kind of truth.
And so much of that truth is kind of embodied in what you wrote.
And I wonder if Tiana Henry is Tiana is the audience by any chance?
Tiana, you're here?
You mind standing up?
Tiana wrote a very, very powerful story.
And in that story -- Tiana?
Correct me if I mischaracterize what you wrote.
But, what you wrote was that you kind of witnessed something
in your neighborhood; is that correct??
>> Yes.
>> David Esquith: And then there was a lot of pressure.
The police came and kind of asked what you'd witnessed.
And how did your writing end up?
Because at first, when you were first asked to talk
about what you'd witnessed, you gave one reaction.
And then you gave it some thought.
Do you mind kind of sharing your thought process with everyone?
>> At first, I kind of like lied
because I didn't want to be in the drama.
And then after a while, I thought about it.
And I felt kind of bad.
So then, I mailed a letter saying what I saw.
And then I felt better.
>> David Esquith: Yeah.
So did everyone catch that?
[ Applause ]
So, I mean, what I think that transition that you made
to the truth and kind of the power of the truth, again,
is embodied in everything all of what you've written.
And what was just a very, very courageous thing to do, Tiana.
So, thank you.
>> You're welcome.
>> David Esquith: Thank you very much.
[ Applause ]
Okay. Let's go to my quiz.
The quiz was: What's the connection between the Newton tragedy
and the Trayvon Martin tragedy?
Would anyone like to venture a guess as to or make a statement
as to what they see as the connection between the two.
Anyone? Yes, ma'am.
>> Good morning.
My name is Annette Albright.
I'm from Charlotte, North Carolina.
And I think I made two connections.
First is the loss of innocent young lives.
The second connection that I made was the access to weapons
that both the shooters had.
I think that is a problem.
And I think if you had not had a combination of a lot
of different factors going on.
I also see some mental health issues in both the shooter
in the Newton tragedies and also with George Zimmerman.
I think he has some things going on that should have been addressed.
And I think if you've taken away the guns and the access
to the mental health for both of the shooters,
then we might have had the tragedy.
>> David Esquith: Very good.
Thank you.
Thank you.
[ Applause ]
I think there were two young people down here.
Can we would you all like to just speak in terms
of what you understood as the connections between the two?
>> Good morning.
My name is Charles Adams.
I'm from Jackson, Tennessee.
And what I believe that the two connection well, one connection,
is the killing of innocence
because I'm pretty sure what they said was that, the venue,
in the shooting of the school, that he was just he was crazy.
But he was jealous of the children
because his mother was teaching there or something like that.
And it's the killing of innocence through ignorance.
>> David Esquin: Very good.
Thank you, sir.
[ Applause ]
>> Hi, I'm Jordan Anderson from Las Vegas.
And I just think that where the shootings happened, that it's going
to cause more crime activity around those parts.
That's all I got.
>> David Esquin: Thank you.
[ Applause ]
Thank you.
And there's one other person.
I'm wondering if she's here because I think she made an in one
of her writing she said something that really struck a chord with me
and helped me think about this connection.
Is Janelle Hernandez here?
Janelle? Could you stand up?
And Janelle, I'm going to read the line two of the lines
in your writing that I thought were extremely powerful,
and as you to elaborate a little bit on, kind of,
where this thought came from.
And what Janelle wrote is that, "It's just messed
up to know it's easier to get a gun than a job."
Janelle, would you like to ?
[ Applause ]
Would you like to speak to that a little bit?
>> I think that for some people it's easier for them to turn to violence
to make money instead of finding a job because it's harder,
or because of where they come from.
They're race or their parents and their background.
And everybody looks at that when applying for a job.
But to get a gun, nobody's going to look
at where you come from or who you are.
They'll just give it to you.
[ Applause ]
>> David Esquin: Thank you.
And thank you all.
So, I'm going to finish up with a poem.
And I'm not going to ask any questions
about what the poem means to any of you.
You know, I think you all are excellent writers.
I think clearly, many of you have writing in your future.
And so, I hope what you'll do is kind
of appreciate the beauty of this poem.
And it got my attention because it's called, The Secret of Life.
And so, I hope that when you leave here, you'll think about,
kind of the artistry of the poem itself.
But also what the poet and her name is Diana Der Hovanessian.
I may be massacring that name, but, she's the poet.
And so, I want to finish with this
and give you you all a little food for thought.
And the poem, again, is called, The Secret of Life.
Once during the war, on a bus going to Portsmouth,
a navy yard worker told me the secret of life.
The secret of life, he said, can never be passed
down one generation to the other.
The secret of life, he said, is hunger.
It makes an open hand.
The secret of life is money.
But only the small coins.
The secret of life, he said, is love.
You become what you lose.
The secret of life, he said, is water.
The world will end in flood.
The secret of life, he said, is circumstance.
If you catch the right bus at the right time, you will sit next
to the secret teller who will whisper it in your ear.
Thank you all very much.
[ Applause ]
[ Background Noise ]
>> Lisa Cone: And this book has been signed by all
of our 2013 student national ambassadors and Mr. Esquith,
we'd ask if you could give it to Secretary Arne Duncan.
>> David Esquin: I'd be happy to.
Thank you.
>> Lisa Cone: Thank you.
[ Applause ]
>> David Esquin: And I want you all to know that this book
that I got last year and [inaudible] this year, I stole a number
of things from this book [chuckles].
In speeches that I gave, in presentations that I made.
So, thank you.
I'm sure, I'll [inaudible].
[ Applause ]
>> Lisa Cone: Thank you.
Again, we'd like to thank David
for all the very interesting words he shared with us.
And for taking the time, most importantly,
to read all of the essays.
I only a few days ago was able to get him the book.
And as you can see he has already read, if not all,
many of your essays and has made notations of them.
So, thank you for that David.
We thank you for being here.
Our students, parents and chairs are going to now move
to the library I mean, I'm sorry the Supreme Court.
And for those of you that we invited here, unfortunately,
do not have room in the Supreme Court.
So, we hope you have a wonderful day from herein out.
[Chuckles] thank you.
[Applause]
>> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress.
Visit us at LOC.gov.