From Senator John Ensign:
Quote:
Gun control's prospects after Tucson
Friday, January 14, 2011; 8:46 PM
What are the prospects for gun control?
JOHN ENSIGN
Republican senator from Nevada
The recent shootings in Arizona were a national tragedy and the acts of a lone gunman. Allegations have been made that they were the result of lax gun laws and heightened political rhetoric. Neither is the case.
Unfortunately, there will be knee-jerk reactions from lawmakers in Washington to make gun laws even more oppressive. Let me be very clear: Gun laws were not the reason that a socially isolated individual, an anarchist, chose to open fire on an elected official, her constituents and a federal judge. And changing the gun laws will not prevent such a tragedy in the future. Consider an example that may help change the dialogue on this issue.
The District of Columbia is home to the nation's most restrictive gun control measures. Logic would suggest that this city must be the safest place in the country. But the facts do not support this conclusion. Gun violence in the District was consistently among the highest in the nation throughout the 30 years that the city banned handguns.
A criminal or a madman such as the Tucson shooter will use other means to purchase handguns; in Washington, criminals used illegal guns purchased on the black market. Regarding the D.C. law, the Fraternal Order of Police stated that the handgun ban was a "miserable failure by any estimation." I certainly hope that Congress will not feel motivated to create more miserable failures across the country with tougher gun laws. [bold emphasis added]