International Herald Tribune Editorial - Struggling with guns
International Herald Tribune Editorial - Struggling with guns
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: July 17, 2007
Leadership of the U.S. Congress has shifted to the Democrats, but the National Rifle Association's power to block sensible steps to curb gun violence endures. Last week, a bipartisan majority of the House Appropriations Committee bowed to the NRA's warped agenda and rebuffed two attempts to repeal a four-year-old measure that denies police and local governments broad access to federal data needed to effectively combat illegal gun trafficking.
The outcome was a defeat for public safety and for the efforts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and more than 30 national and state police organizations to repeal the so-called Tiahrt provision.
Notwithstanding this disappointing denouement, progress on another significant gun issue is tantalizingly close. Just a few weeks ago, senior congressional Democrats reached agreement with the NRA on a measure that would improve screening of prospective gun buyers for disqualifying mental health problems. The measure, a direct response to the massacre at Virginia Tech, was approved by the House last month. A compromise with the gun lobby, the measure isn't perfect, but its enactment would further the goal of keeping dangerous people from obtaining guns.
Copyright by The International Herald Tribune
Published: July 17, 2007
Leadership of the U.S. Congress has shifted to the Democrats, but the National Rifle Association's power to block sensible steps to curb gun violence endures. Last week, a bipartisan majority of the House Appropriations Committee bowed to the NRA's warped agenda and rebuffed two attempts to repeal a four-year-old measure that denies police and local governments broad access to federal data needed to effectively combat illegal gun trafficking.
The outcome was a defeat for public safety and for the efforts of Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York and more than 30 national and state police organizations to repeal the so-called Tiahrt provision.
Notwithstanding this disappointing denouement, progress on another significant gun issue is tantalizingly close. Just a few weeks ago, senior congressional Democrats reached agreement with the NRA on a measure that would improve screening of prospective gun buyers for disqualifying mental health problems. The measure, a direct response to the massacre at Virginia Tech, was approved by the House last month. A compromise with the gun lobby, the measure isn't perfect, but its enactment would further the goal of keeping dangerous people from obtaining guns.
posted by Carlos T Mock at 9:19 AM
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