It is fitting that at a time when violence in schools has captured the headlines, the Independence Party of Nassau County chose to honor individuals who have made significant contributions in preventing violence. For their efforts, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy and Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon were given awards by the party for the promotion of nonviolence at a party fund raiser at Carltun on the Park earlier this week.

The evening provided a forum for many of the county's political figures - both Republican and Democrat - to come together as a symbol of the bipartisan effort needed to combat violence.

Independence Party Executive Vice-Chairwoman Beth Anderson presented the awards to McCarthy and Dillon for their efforts in preventing violence. The awards served as an encouragement to continue to fight for peace.

Congresswoman McCarthy was thrust into the public spotlight by a horrendous act of violence, which killed her husband and badly wounded her son, over seven years ago.

Since that terrible tragedy, McCarthy has served two terms in Congress and was re-elected in November for a third term. Her initial goal as a congresswoman was to work for gun safety legislation.

One initiative McCarthy plans on working toward is preventing the easy access of guns. With recent legislation signed into law by Governor George Pataki, New York has become a leader in gun safety legislation. However, McCarthy said most of the guns used in crimes in New York aren't coming from New York. "They are coming from other states that don't have good laws. It's called gun trafficking," she said.

McCarthy said she would fight on the federal level to close the gun show loophole, which was closed not long ago in New York State. The loophole allows anyone, including criminals, to purchase guns at shows without a background check. The congresswoman said she is encouraged that the loophole will be closed this year for all states.

"We can do a better job on criminals not getting their guns. It's not going to hurt the average citizen. It's time," Congresswoman McCarthy said.

Pointing out that while statistics on those being killed each year in acts of violence involving guns, over 200,000 are injured each year, costing billions of dollars in healthcare. "This has become a health epidemic in this nation," McCarthy said. "I am working on trying to make sure children and criminals don't get guns, but there is more that we have to do. You have to look at this holistically."

With that, the congresswoman also addressed the subject of school shootings, which has become a matter of concern ever since the incident on Columbine High School. "We have to work with those young children at an early age to make sure they get the help they need so they don't go into the world with drugs, alcohol and violence," she said. "It's time to stop the killing in the schools. It's time to start reaching out to our children."

While visiting the schools in her district every Monday morning, based on the questions asked to her by some students, McCarthy said some children are afraid. "If they're afraid, that means they can't study and work. They are scared even though we know the majority of our schools in this country are safe, even though we know that 98 percent of the children in this country are good kids. We have to work at that smaller percentage. We have find a way to reach out to them," she added.

District Attorney Dillon, another recipient of an award for the promotion of nonviolence has worked on programs that discourage youth involvement in gangs, drugs and violent crime.

The Nassau District Attorney's office has also been active in cooperating with local, sate and national authorities in trying to reduce the number of gang-related incidents as well as the use of drugs and guns possessed unlawfully. "We've been very strong in the law enforcement effort, but in addition to that, I felt we had to do something more," the district attorney said.

One initiative that was launched by Dillon's office about five years ago was the Rising Star program, a community intervention program that not only discourages youth involvement in gangs, drugs and violent crime but teaches young people the virtues that will help them choose the right paths in life. Rising Star mentors young people through after school remedial programs, youth sports programs, outreach to parents and community leaders and interaction with local organizations such as Big Brothers Big Sisters as well as local colleges.

"It's good people that make a good society. A gun is just an object and it's true that we have to get these guns off the streets. But it's what's inside a person that is really going to decide how that gun is going to be used. We have to form these young people to make them good and productive citizens," Dillon said.