Littleton Shooting Scars U.S. Psyche, Spurs Change
July 28, 1999 - 0:0
WASHINGTON Even in a country inured to gun violence, April's massacre at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, has left a deep scar on America's psyche. "Littleton was the straw that completely broke the camel's back," Joe Sudbay, director of State Legislation for Handgun Control Inc., the largest U.S. gun control organization, said. "As long as mothers are afraid to send their children to school, we have a national crisis." In the wake of the April 20 massacre, in which 15 people were killed in a shooting rampage by two disaffected students, a unique combination of soccer Moms, minority activists and lawmakers is successfully pursuing tighter gun control legislation across the country.
Legislatures in more than 15 states have either passed major gun control laws or withdrawn bills supported by the National Rifle Association. Handgun control reports a 20 percent rise in membership and twice the usual donations since April. "The public is more sympathetic to gun control than it has ever been," Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Cortland, said.
California's state legislature passed some of the toughest gun control legislation in the country after Littleton. Breaking the Back of the NRA' "We were able to pass gun control legislation by breaking the back of the NRA. If Columbine had not occurred, this would never have happened," said democratic state representative Wally Knox Los Angeles, author of the bill prohibiting Californians from buying more than one handgun a month.
Gov. Gray Davis, also a democrat, is expected to sign it into law. In Illinois a child access prevention bill finally became law last month after 10 years of efforts. It requires gun owners to lock their firearms away and equip them with safety locks or face up to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine. "People are now looking at gun control as a public health issue and not as a second amendment right," said Lisa Morel Las, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, the oldest and largest state gun control group.
The NRA argues that the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution enshrines the right of citizens to bear arms. Even in strong gun rights states such as Colorado and Florida, officials have withdrawn or vetoed a string of NRA-backed legislative moves, fearing political consequences of passing pro-gun laws after the Columbine tragedy. "For now, embracing the NRA and the legislation they support would be political suicide," Spitzer, author of "The Politics of Gun Control," said.
Even so, the NRA is putting up a formidable fight against the surge for gun control. "I don't think any particular incident has any long-term impact," said Bill Powers, NRA director of public affairs, about the Columbine tragedy's influence on gun control politics. NRA Bragging Rights The NRA has already earned bragging rights at the federal level after a significant victory in Congress last month.
Spending more than $1 million in June, it played a critical role in the rejection by the house of representatives of a bill requiring background checks for all gun show transactions. Powers said politicians wrongly blame gun rights groups for the Littleton massacre because they are the easiest targets. Representing more than 2.9 million American gun owners, the NRA has successfully reinforced their strength in many areas by lobbying state legislatures.
Eight states including Oklahoma and Arizona passed NRA-backed legislation this spring banning municipal lawsuits against gun manufacturers. Some lawmakers say gun control is a national issue that can only be truly resolved at the federal level, but Congress remains deadlocked. Because of the well-established and well-financed NRA, experts believe gun control will remain at the forefront of American politics for the foreseeable future.
"In the short-term, the NRA will continue to be the most powerful interest group in Washington," Spitzer said. "But in the long run, incidents like Littleton are chipping away NRA's influence and people are slowly turning away from guns." (Reuter)
Legislatures in more than 15 states have either passed major gun control laws or withdrawn bills supported by the National Rifle Association. Handgun control reports a 20 percent rise in membership and twice the usual donations since April. "The public is more sympathetic to gun control than it has ever been," Robert Spitzer, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Cortland, said.
California's state legislature passed some of the toughest gun control legislation in the country after Littleton. Breaking the Back of the NRA' "We were able to pass gun control legislation by breaking the back of the NRA. If Columbine had not occurred, this would never have happened," said democratic state representative Wally Knox Los Angeles, author of the bill prohibiting Californians from buying more than one handgun a month.
Gov. Gray Davis, also a democrat, is expected to sign it into law. In Illinois a child access prevention bill finally became law last month after 10 years of efforts. It requires gun owners to lock their firearms away and equip them with safety locks or face up to five years in prison and a $1,000 fine. "People are now looking at gun control as a public health issue and not as a second amendment right," said Lisa Morel Las, executive director of the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence, the oldest and largest state gun control group.
The NRA argues that the Second Amendment to the U.S. constitution enshrines the right of citizens to bear arms. Even in strong gun rights states such as Colorado and Florida, officials have withdrawn or vetoed a string of NRA-backed legislative moves, fearing political consequences of passing pro-gun laws after the Columbine tragedy. "For now, embracing the NRA and the legislation they support would be political suicide," Spitzer, author of "The Politics of Gun Control," said.
Even so, the NRA is putting up a formidable fight against the surge for gun control. "I don't think any particular incident has any long-term impact," said Bill Powers, NRA director of public affairs, about the Columbine tragedy's influence on gun control politics. NRA Bragging Rights The NRA has already earned bragging rights at the federal level after a significant victory in Congress last month.
Spending more than $1 million in June, it played a critical role in the rejection by the house of representatives of a bill requiring background checks for all gun show transactions. Powers said politicians wrongly blame gun rights groups for the Littleton massacre because they are the easiest targets. Representing more than 2.9 million American gun owners, the NRA has successfully reinforced their strength in many areas by lobbying state legislatures.
Eight states including Oklahoma and Arizona passed NRA-backed legislation this spring banning municipal lawsuits against gun manufacturers. Some lawmakers say gun control is a national issue that can only be truly resolved at the federal level, but Congress remains deadlocked. Because of the well-established and well-financed NRA, experts believe gun control will remain at the forefront of American politics for the foreseeable future.
"In the short-term, the NRA will continue to be the most powerful interest group in Washington," Spitzer said. "But in the long run, incidents like Littleton are chipping away NRA's influence and people are slowly turning away from guns." (Reuter)