In response to my posting over a week ago, Mr. Gadberry says that in the case of the man shot in the head at Lake & Nicollet, the “firearm is not the main problem.” Since then, a toddler was shot in the Jordan neighborhood, and the public has started paying attention to gun violence a little more.
I am puzzled by the concept that the firearm is not the “main” problem and therefore should be ignored. I think the families of these victims believe that firearms are quite a problem. So do I. The whole city suffers every time there is a shooting. I am glad more police officers are being sent to help. I would like to see the brand new conceal-and-carry permit office of the Hennepin County Sheriff shut down so that resources can be allocated to neighborhoods that need them. The parks are shutting down for a couple of weeks this summer – why not the permit office? Dyna Sluyter is right that neighbors should not try to police the streets. Some might get permits to carry guns, thinking that having a gun is going to protect them against mean people. If you’re tempted to get a gun and go after the gangs, first read the Violence Policy Center report entitled “Unintended Consequences,” to be found at www.vpc.org. People who romanticize the protective magic of handguns should note that New York City Council member James Davis was carrying a gun at the time of his shooting death last week. I also need to respond to Mr. Gadberry’s speculation that the gun industry immunity bill before the Senate would only stop frivolous lawsuits. The NRA’ s strategy is to publish untrue statements like that, as it did recently on the Star Tribune editorial page. (A New York City court just last Monday threw out a suit by the NAACP against the gun industry on legal grounds – showing that weak suits get thrown out.) The immunity legislation would give dealers and manufacturers a free ticket to behave recklessly and negligently without fear of being sued. The gun dealer that was the source of the DC sniper’s weapons couldn’t be sued because he claims to have “lost” the weapons and that’s why he didn’t conduct the background check that would have kept the guns out of their hands. The family of a paralyzed youth is suing the manufacturer of a gun that requires the safety to be turned off during unloading. That isn’t a frivolous lawsuit, in my opinion. (Source: www.bradycampaign.org) The Women’s Press had an editorial about the legislation last week that was very good. It’s at: www.womenspress.com/newspaper/2003/1909edit.html The Minneapolis effect of this bill would be just as bad as anywhere else, so I won’t go into it more. Here is the source citation for the fact that some gun dealers willingly sell to straw buyers: Injury Prevention 2003, vol. 9, p. 147-150. Heather Martens Kingfield TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
