[Page H3459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PREVENTING CHILD ABDUCTIONS
(Mr. LAMPSON asked and was given permission to address the House for
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. LAMPSON. Mr. Speaker, I have been getting up every day for the
last several months and talking about Ludwig Koons who has been held in
Italy illegally after being taken away from the United States of
America, and by now we all know the name Elizabeth Smart, the young
girl who was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. In
light of the tragedy of her disappearance and on behalf of the Missing
and Exploited Children's Caucus here in Congress, I would ask and send
our prayers to Elizabeth and to her family, but I would also like to
remind parents all across this country to talk to your kids about their
personal safety, talk to them about the ``Know the Rules'' educational
program put out by the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children. And I would urge every parent to log on to
www.missingkids.com and learn what they can do to protect and educate
their children.
Nearly 2,000 children are reported missing every day in the United
States of America, and we all must be prepared as parents and
grandparents to deal with the tragedy, should it occur. That means
having updated quality photographs and knowing our children's height
and weight. We should be aware that looking at pictures of missing kids
brings them home and that we commit ourselves to looking at the photos
we get in the mail or we see in a grocery store. If we all do our part,
together we can prevent abductions and bring children like Elizabeth
and like Ludwig Koons home where they belong.
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