1996 CRIME VICTIMS SERVICE AWARDS

REMARKS BY

AILEEN ADAMS

APRIL 25, 1996

GOOD MORNING. I AM AILEEN ADAMS, THE DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT. IT IS MY PRIVILEGE TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU HERE TO MARK THE 14TH COMMEMORATION OF NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK. EACH YEAR OUR OFFICE COORDINATES ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK: THE PRESENTATION OF THE CRIME VICTIM SERVICE AWARDS -- THE HIGHEST FEDERAL HONOR FOR VICTIM ADVOCACY.

THIS WEEK REPRESENTS A TIME OF REMEMBRANCE -- REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE DIED AND BEEN INJURED BY CRIME. IT IS ALSO A TIME WHEN WE COME TOGETHER TO RECALL OUR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR CRIME VICTIMS; AND TO CELEBRATE THE EXTRAORDINARY INDIVIDUALS, LIKE THE ONES SEATED ON THIS STAGE, WHO HAVE DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO HELPING VICTIMS OF CRIME.

THIS WEEK IS ALSO A TIME FOR REDEDICATION -- REDEDICATING OURSELVES TO PROVIDING JUSTICE AND HEALING FOR ALL CRIME VICTIMS. WE HOPE THAT FOR EVERY VICTIM IN EVERY PART OF THE WORLD THAT A NEW DAY OF VICTIM JUSTICE WILL INDEED DAWN.

WE ARE ESPECIALLY PLEASED TO BE JOINED THIS MORNING BY THE HONOR GUARD OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA FIRE DEPARTMENT. CHIEF LATIN AND THE DEPARTMENT ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH U.S. ATTORNEY ERIC HOLDER AND MANY OTHERS TO REFURBISH AN OLD FIRE STATION. THEY ARE TURNING IT INTO A CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER -- A PLACE WHERE CHILD ABUSE VICTIMS CAN RECEIVE THE SERVICES THEY NEED FROM MANY DIFFERENT PROFESSIONALS IN ONE CHILD-ORIENTED FACILITY. WE THANK THAT DEPARTMENT FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO CRIME VICTIMS. PLEASE STAND AS THEIR HONOR GUARD PRESENTS THE COLORS AND AS GEORGE WESLEY, JR. OF OKLAHOMA CITY SINGS OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM.

MANY OF US HEARD GEORGE SING AT THE MEMORIAL SERVICE IN OKLAHOMA CITY LAST FRIDAY. HE JOINS US HERE TODAY WITH A VERY POWERFUL VOICE AND A YOUNG SPIRIT DEDICATED TO MAKING THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE.

NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE THE PEOPLE SEATED TO MY RIGHT ON THE STAGE -- WHO WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR OFFICE EACH AND EVERY DAY:

SEATED NEXT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL IS LAURIE ROBINSON, THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR THE OFFICE OF JUSTICE PROGRAMS;

DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL NOEL BRENNAN;

OVC'S DEPUTY DIRECTOR CAROLYN HIGHTOWER;

ADA MELTON, NATIVE AMERICAN PROGRAM MANAGER;

AND LAST, MY GOOD FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, BONNIE CAMPBELL, THE DIRECTOR OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT.

YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT I MISSED SOMEONE -- ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO. NO ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS HAD A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF CRIME VICTIMS ISSUES OR A GREATER COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING JUSTICE FOR ALL VICTIMS. AS ONE OF THE SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS SAID TO ME AT LAST YEAR'S CEREMONY, "SHE IS NOT ONLY VICTIM-ORIENTED. SHE IS VICTIM-CENTERED." THAT SHE IS. PLEASE WELCOME THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED STATES, JANET RENO.

IN CONCLUDING THIS CEREMONY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE MANY VICTIMS OF CRIME FROM ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD -- WHO HAVE JOINED US HERE TODAY. AMONG THEM ARE SURVIVING FAMILY MEMBERS OF VICTIMS KILLED IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER BOMBING IN NEW YORK, THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBING, AND THE RECENT TERRORIST BOMBINGS IN ISRAEL. OUR CONCLUDING SONG IS DEDICATED TO ALL VICTIMS HERE AND TO OUR EXTRAORDINARY AWARD RECIPIENTS WHO YESTERDAY MET WITH BOTH THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT. THEY ALSO ATTENDED THE HISTORICAL SIGNING OF THE ANTI-TERRORISM LAW. AS WE LISTEN TO THE SONG, I HOPE YOU WILL THINK ABOUT THE WORDS OF PRESIDENT CLINTON IN HIS PROCLAMATION DECLARING NATIONAL CRIME VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK. HE SAID: "AS WE REFLECT ON THE EVENTS OF 1995, LET US REMEMBER BOTH THE HORROR AND THE COMPASSION WE FELT LAST APRIL. LET US NOT SLIP INTO COMPLACENCY WHEN WE HEAR OR READ ABOUT ANOTHER CRIME VICTIM. WHETHER WE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS OR TEACHERS, CLERGY OR PHYSICIANS, NEIGHBORS OR COLLEAGUES, WE MUST JOIN THE COMMUNITY OF CARING AND LESSEN THE BURDENS OF OUR NATION'S CRIME VICTIMS. LET US JOIN TOGETHER TO BUILD SAFE AND RESPONSIVE COMMUNITIES AND TO PROMOTE JUSTICE AND HEALING FOR ALL WHO HAVE SUFFERED FROM VIOLENT CRIMES."

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING PART OF THAT VAST COMMUNITY OF CARING.

GEORGE, WE WANT A YOUNG, COMMITTED, AND HOPEFUL VOICE TO HAVE THE LAST WORDS AT THIS COMMEMORATION.