Headline: MOTHERS
ARE AIMING TO BALANCE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL
Reporter: By Gregory Freeman
Publication: ST.
LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Last Printed: Thu., Apr. 6, 2000
Section: METRO, Page: B1, Edition: FIVE STAR LIFT
A call for common sense
For Kirstin Ware,
the need for stricter gun control laws began when she taught in the Ferguson-Florissant
School District.
"I
had kids from Cool Valley, " she said. "I would often hear them talking
about handgun violence, how it was affecting their lives. It scared the heck
out of me." Ware no longer teaches. But the idea of guns being so readily
available scares her even more now that she's the mother of two. "I love
my children, " she said. "I want parents to keep their guns locked
up. I want to see some common sense used when it comes to guns."
For Ware -- and tens of thousands of mothers like her who organizers expect to be at the Million Mom March on Washington in May -- common sense means laws that don't take guns out of the hands of law-abiding folks but which will make the weapons less dangerous and keep them out of the hands of the young, the dangerous and the mentally unbalanced.
Of course, there
are those who don't see that as common sense. Some -- like the National Rifle
Association -- seem to view any call for strong gun laws as an assault on their
rights. It would be comparable to the automobile manufacturers, without reason,
regularly opposing speed limits on highways and suggesting that people shouldn't
have to register their cars. Such opposition doesn't make lots of sense.
The
NRA will say that there are already enough laws on the books. But that same
organization spends millions of dollars each year trying to keep those laws
from being enforced. And they regularly line the campaign coffers of state and
federal legislators who agree with them -- and, more menacingly, spend tons
of money to oppose those who don't.
But more and more
Americans are becoming aware of such tactics.
And
gun control supporters are starting to win. In two recent initiatives, one in
Missouri and the other in Florida, gun control supporters won despite being
outspent by the gun lobby. Missourians last year voted against allowing individuals
to carry concealed weapons; Florida recently approved a measure to allow counties
to close the so-called gun show loophole, which had allowed purchases at gun
shows without background checks.
In fact, polls
indicate that most Americans want tougher laws, despite the NRA's rhetoric.
The most recent Gallup Poll, done just last month, found 73 percent of Americans
saying that handguns should be registered. An ABC News/Washington Post poll
found 77 percent of voters favoring federal licensing of handgun owners. A whopping
90 percent of those surveyed in the same poll supported background checks on
people buying firearms at gun shows. Nearly 8 out of 10 Americans want a ban
on all assault weapons, according to a CBS News poll. And only 4 percent of
those surveyed are pleased by the way Congress has handled the gun issue, according
to an ABC News poll.
While
clearly there are some aspects of gun control that Americans aren't particularly
interested in -- only 28 percent supported the Justice Department's suing gun
manufacturers to get back health care and law enforcement funds spent as a result
of gun violence -- there's a strong sense by most people that we need to do
more than we're doing now.
Ware feels that
way. She'll be at the Million Mom March in May. And she'll be at a rally Saturday
from 1 to 4 p.m. at the upper Muny parking lot. It will feature speakers, family-oriented
activities and presentations on what parents can do to keep children safe from
handgun violence. Among the speakers will be U.S. Rep. Richard Gephardt.
Says
Ware: "I don't want people to give up their guns or give them away. That's
a personal choice. But if we care about our kids, we need to make sure they're
safe. That's what the rally and the march are all about."
Common sense.
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