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I want the violence among young people in this country to stop - particularly gang violence.

Gang violence in America is not a sudden problem. It has been a part of urban life for years, offering an aggressive definition and identity to those seeking a place to belong in the chaos of large metropolitan areas.

We need to send a clear message to gang members that violent crime will not be tolerated.

We need to do something about the culture of violence.

However, don't let these statistics mislead you, gang violence is not limited to California and or big urban areas - that might have been true a while ago but it is no longer the case today.

Sending our young men and women into battle is perhaps the most serious course of action a Nation can undertake.

We've got to look to our educational programs and focus on doing what we can to stem violence in the schools.

We must continue our fight to ensure that Federal, State, and local authorities have the resources and support necessary to combat this growing epidemic. This is a top priority for me and many of my colleagues here in Congress.

You know in my own area of Waltham Forest, we've had many murders as a result of the gang violence and often innocent bystanders get caught up in it.

With all the fighting we do and all the skirmishing we do, the reality is that New Yorkers can come together when they have to.