Bill Clinton

“ I urge all Americans to pause and remember the victims of crime and to join in honoring those who serve crime victims and their families by working to reduce violence, to assist those harmed by crime, and to make our homes and communities safer places in which to live. ”

“ Every year, more than 36 million people in America become the victims of crime. Offenders prey on our daughters and sons, sisters and brothers, parents, grandparents, and friends. Violent crime is creating fear and insecurity in communities across our Nation.
To ensure justice and promote healing, a grassroots crime victims' movement has worked to enact numerous initiatives in State legislatures across the country-laws that now provide crucial rights for crime victims and their families. ”

“ But no government can be truly effective without the active involvement of its citizens. Victim advocacy-the work of the more than 8,000 organizations and the countless individuals we honor this week-can be a lifeline to emotional survival. When random bullets wound a child, when a battered woman needs shelter in the night, when a rape survivor seeks help-victim advocates are there to comfort and support. Many of our Nation's crime victims and advocates work tirelessly in schools, neighborhoods, and youth custody facilities. ”