Editorial: Protect life. Pass the assault weapons ban and better background checks
Thursday, May 26, 2022 -- This is not about the 2nd Amendment. This is about responsibility. Assault weapons more appropriate for war zones than suburban neighborhoods. Does every front yard need a Howitzer beside the lawn gnome? Should a military-style assault weapon be as easy to buy as an RC cola and a pack of Nabs? No. Most voters support banning assault-style weapons - including most Republicans.
Posted — UpdatedThere are places in the world where just going to school is a life and death matter.
They didn’t die because the school has too many doors. They didn’t die because their teachers were not armed. They didn’t die because they were some place they shouldn’t be.
They were where they were supposed to be and where they assumed was as safe as any place on the planet.
They are dead because a person, protecting himself with body armor and ladened with weapons of mass destruction and ammunition he’d purchased just days earlier, entered a classroom and in just a few minutes blasted away at as many as he could.
They are dead because some politicians are more fearful of campaign retribution from the well-financed gun lobby than they’re concerned about the safety of their constituents.
This is not about the 2nd Amendment. This is about responsibility. Assault weapons more appropriate for war zones than suburban neighborhoods. Does every front yard need a Howitzer beside the lawn gnome?
Should a military-style assault weapon be as easy to buy as an RC cola and a pack of Nabs?
The General Assembly needs to pass that legislation now.
Why is it such a struggle to pass common-sense laws that would require criminal checks on those who purchase firearms at gun shows and through the internet? Why is it such an onerous slog to pass legislation to lengthen the waiting period for gun-buyers who are flagged by instant background checks so law enforcement can do further investigation?
Two pieces of legislation – passed by the House of Representatives – are sitting in the Senate and deserve passage. They’ll in no way inhibit any law-abiding citizen from buying a firearm – but will help keep them out of the hands of those who might abuse them.
These are common-sense steps. They will not keep any kind of gun away from law-abiding citizens. But they but will help keep them out of the hands of criminals and otherwise unstable individuals.
While no guarantee, they’ll help prevent the next Columbine, Sandy Hook, Stoneman Douglas or Robb Elementary and not sacrifice anyone’s 2nd Amendment rights.
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