In Recent Violence, Gun Laws Examined

Saturday, April 09, 2005

With more than four out of five states allowing law-abiding
citizens to carry concealed weapons, that argument is finished.

Now, the nation's long-running argument over guns turns on how
much to loosen the rules - should guns be allowed in judge's
chambers? Bars? In workplace parking lots?

The work in state legislatures following the latest spate of
fatal shootings shows how much the debate has changed. The 1999
Columbine (search) school shootings sent moms marching into the
streets for tougher gun laws, but this year, many state
legislators are looking at ways to broaden access to weapons and
ease training and other requirements.

"Where do you stand on self-defense?" said New Mexico state Rep.
Thomas Anderson (search), a Republican who said local judges
asked him to change the law to let judges carry weapons into
their court chambers. "I believe in it."

His bill died in committee, but it will be back next year. New
Mexico this year already broadened its concealed-weapons law,
passed just two years ago, to drop the age requirement to 21 and
allow the state to reach agreements with other states so
gun-carriers can cross borders without worry.

The push for concealed weapons began in the late 1980s, when all
but 10 states refused to allow residents to do so, or only
allowed it in special circumstances. But starting in 1989, those
barriers fell. Now it's up to 46, with 35 states allowing just
about anyone who is not a felon to get a permit.

The late 1990s saw a rise in gun control legislation. In 1999,
after 15 were killed, including the gunmen, at the shootings at
Columbine High School in Colorado, gun control gained a sharp
edge and legislators' attention.

Violence hasn't subsided this year, from courthouse shootings in
Atlanta and Tyler, Texas, to the school killings at Red Lake
(search), Minn., the most deadly since Columbine. But the
reaction has spurred something far different, drawing on the
idea that if the victims had weapons they might not be victims.

"At the scene of these crimes, despite all the good intentions
of the police, the prosecutors, the courts, the judges - they're
all coming in later," said Wayne LaPierre, chief executive of
the National Rifle Association (search). "The country as a whole
is taking another look, across the board, at the idea that maybe
it makes good sense to allow people to protect themselves in as
many situations as possible."

Current legislation in some cases is a direct response to the
recent shootings, though often predates it. In recent weeks:

- Florida legislators passed a measure allowing people to "meet
force with force" to defend themselves without fear of
prosecution, extending the right from their homes to anywhere
they're legally allowed to be. Gov. Jeb Bush said he intends to
sign it.

- Arizona's Senate approved letting people carry guns into bars
and restaurants, as long as they're not drinking. The House has
yet to act.

- North Dakota legislators approved removing the shooting test
needed for a concealed-weapon permit, though the bill awaits
final approval from the governor.

Even schools and workplaces, the scene of some of the most
horrific violence, saw restrictions fall. A new Virginia law
lets people with concealed handguns onto school grounds, as long
as they and the gun remain in their car. A 2004 Oklahoma law
lets employees with permits keep guns in cars in job parking
lots.

"Employers have a responsibility to make their workplace a safe
place. For them to let workers with guns onto the premises is
insane," said Brian Seibel, senior counsel at the Brady Campaign
to Prevent Gun Violence. And bars? "Hello? Do you want to mix
alcohol and guns?"

The shift in opinion and legislation comes directly from the
election outcomes of 2000 and 2004, and the national focus on
security after Sept. 11, both sides agree.

"There's an ebb and flow," Seibel said. "There's no question
that the NRA is on the offensive trying to roll back the gun
laws on the books. ... Their vision of society is everyone ought
to have a gun. That's not our view of a safe society. I don't
think it's Americans' view of a safe society."

Still, the struggle hasn't all been one-sided.

Missouri, where legislators approved a concealed-weapon law even
though a statewide referendum rejected it in 1999, gave cities
the right to restrict weapons on city-owned property.
Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell and Philadelphia Mayor John Street,
both Democrats, are studying sweeping changes.

Illinois, one of the significant battlegrounds, saw legislation
that seeks to ban .50-caliber ammunition, close a loophole that
allows sales at gun shows without background checks, and require
guns to be sold with "trigger lock" safety devices. Gun-rights
interests scored a victory last week by killing a bill that
would allow lawsuits against gun dealers.

Anderson, in New Mexico, said restrictions are outlawing the way
he grew up, when he learned about guns before he was a teenager.
In his view, restrictions make crime more likely, and his view
seems on the rise.

"There should be the possibility that any house on the street
should have a weapon," he said. "Do I think every house should
have one? No. But the bad guy should think so."



--
GunWoman - Armed and Safer in the USA

courthouse shootings in Atlanta<