Gregory Freeman: Firearms Need More Controls To Save Lives. 9/14/1990

Headline: FIREARMS NEED MORE CONTROLS TO SAVE LIVES
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman

Publication: ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Fri. Sept. 14, 1990
Section: WAR PAGE, Page: 1C, Edition: FIVE STAR

BEFORE YET ANOTHER expert points to smoking, alcohol or myriad other problems that are killing black people, someone had better take a good, long look at guns - and what can be done about them.
Guns are killing and maiming black people at an alarming rate.

Earlier this week, four people, including two children, were wounded when a man on a street and another in a car began firing at each other through a crowd in front of an apartment building in northwest St. Louis.
None of the men with pistols was hit. But bystanders who were diving for cover were shot.
It was only one of the most recent in a long list of tragic crimes in black neighborhoods involving guns.

Civil rights leaders, quite appropriately, are the first ones to speak out on so many issues involving the death of blacks. They are heard speaking out against the causes of high infant-mortality rates among African-Americans.
Many have begun speaking out against cigarettes and alcohol because of a belief that the producers of these products target black consumers, and because the percentage of black people suffering from lung cancer and alcoholism is higher than for whites.

But nowhere do we hear the moral outrage that one would expect over gun violence - a very serious problem in black neighborhoods, particularly in poorer areas.
That is disturbing, because gun violence is one of the most serious problems that blacks in this country face. Consider this:

One in 21 black men will be killed by a bullet this year. That compares to one in 131 white men.
Nearly 10,000 black people are killed by guns each year.
An additional 75,000 blacks are wounded by bullets.
Of course, blacks aren't the only ones killing each other. America has a fascination with guns that is greater than in many other cultures. Our murder rate is 13 times higher than that of Britain, 10 times greater than that of Japan, and 8 times that of Australia.
But the murder rate is even higher in black communities. For example, in Washington, D.C., which is predominantly black, the murder rate is 23 times that of London.

The devastation to black Americans is staggering. The cost of medical expenses, the loss of income, the grief and fear that result from shootings should be enough to make black leaders jump up and demand some serious changes.
Instead, that leadership - like much of black America - remains silent on the issue.

Most blacks who own guns argue that they are necessary to protect themselves and their families in the case of a break-in.
But statistics show that it is 21 times more likely that a household gun will be used to kill a family member during an argument than to stop an intruder.
Because of the devastation caused by guns, blacks can no longer afford to sit back and allow the issue of guns to be debated only among whites.

The ideal solution would be to ban the sale of handguns.
But that idea is unrealistic because it would attempt to reverse a 200-year history of Americans owning guns. And with some 70 million handguns in circulation, it's unlikely that anyone could ever confiscate them all.

But there are other ways to deal with the problems guns cause.
The problem demands a three-step approach.

The first step would have to be an educational process, in which a campaign would be undertaken to teach people that there are ways to resolve arguments without blowing each other away. Too many people are using guns to handle their problems.

The second step would be a push for a strong nationally uniform procedure for the issuance of licenses and permits to gun dealers and gun owners.
     Such a move would include a standard 10- or 15-day waiting period before gun permits were issued to allow local, state and federal law enforcement officials to determine whether applicants had criminal records.
     Why a national procedure?
     Right now, states and municipalities regulate the way gun permits are issued. The result is a potpourri of laws that vary from one place to another, making all of the laws virtually useless. If it's difficult to get a permit in one place, all one has to do is to go to another area where they're easier to obtain.
     All of this is big business for gun runners. And if you don't think gun runners exist anymore, check with your local street gang member.

Finally, to get a permit, one should have to pass a test on firearms safety, not unlike the exams required for people to get driver's licenses. If people must own guns, they should know how to use them.

Black people are caught in the line of fire when it comes to guns. Black leaders should be in the forefront of developing ways to reduce the carnage that has resulted from these weapons.

Daniel Schesch - Webweaver

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