Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.35) on January 07, 2001 at 14:46:
Let Us Resolve to Take the Steps Necessary to End Gun Violence
By Peter Franchot
I have a nephew who is a student at Columbine High School in Littleton,
Colorado. Never did I expect to hear the name of that school outside
of family gatherings.
But on April 20, I heard the horrible news that twelve students and a
teacher were gunned down at Columbine. And for a time, I had to hold my breath and just wait. By the grace of God, my nephew was unharmed - just as the tragedy began, he was at a friend's house eating lunch.
It is a sad statement about our political system that it takes a massacre to
pass modest controls on guns - sad but true. It took a schoolyard shooting
in Stockton, California to push legislatures and ultimately Congress to deal with deadly semiautomatic assault weapons.
Back in 1989, the Bush Administration licensed the importation of hundreds
of thousands of semiautomatic AK-47s and UZIs. Only after a public outcry
did President Bush use his executive power to ban the import of these weapons.
Today, another member of the Bush family is faced with public outrage over
guns. But Texas Governor George W. Bush, seeking the presidency in his
father's footsteps, has demonstrated even less sympathy to reasonable gun
laws than his father.
Shortly after the Columbine shootings, Governor Bush said he favored background checks for gun show purchases--but he announced his position hours after the Texas legislature killed a bill mandating such checks. Later, he refused to help revive that state legislation.
And when he was asked to take a stand on federal legislation to check gun show purchases, Mr. Bush twice sided with the National Rifle Association's loophole-ridden proposals - both the Craig Amendment in the Senate and the Dingell Amendment in the House. He also opposed amendments to require that gunlocks be sold with firearms.
In Texas, Governor Bush has done the gun lobby's bidding for years. In 1997, he ended that state's 125-year prohibition on carrying concealed weapons. And just as the Texas legislative session ended, Bush signed a law giving gun manufacturers special legal protections, effectively prohibiting cities from suing gun makers for damages.
I wanted you to know the Bush record so you can understand this: To promote the cause of gun control and protect our children both here and across the nation, Montgomery County Democrats have two important projects.
First, we must work to stop George W. Bush from becoming President. On the gun issue, Mr. Bush is simply a puppet of the gun lobby.
Second, we must fight for passage of new gun laws proposed by Governor
Glendening and Lt. Governor Townsend--especially a proposal requiring gun manufacturers to childproof their weapons.
The senseless slaughter at Columbine High has created an opportunity for
action. The public shock from this incident is almost unique. Americans,
and Marylanders, are demanding results from their lawmakers. In the wake of these events, it is simply inexplicable and unconscionable that the Republican Party has stubbornly continued its love affair with the NRA.
Let's not wait for another school massacre. Let's pass common-sense
restrictions on gun sales today. No one should ever have to hold their
breath and wait to hear whether their nephew--or their child-- has become
the next victim.
Peter Franchot, of Takoma Park, represents District 20 in the Maryland House of Delegates.