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Hartford
Courant Editorial
May 17 2005
Tools Against Gun Violence
Despite more gun mayhem in Hartford, including
the fatal weekend shooting of an 18-year-old youth, the General
Assembly has failed to adopt sensible controls to help stem
the violence.
There is still time for action. Proponents
of a four-section bill hope to salvage one piece by attaching
it to other legislation.
That amendment would require owners to
report stolen firearms to local or state police within 72
hours or face a fine. That would eliminate the ruse used by
straw purchasers who buy guns legally, sell them on the black
market and later tell investigators that the guns were stolen
from them.
The worthwhile proposal should be adopted.
But three other important changes are being dropped from the
bill, despite a mounting toll of gun violence. They would
have:
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Extended to rifles and shotguns the
exclusions already applied to handguns. Currently, illegal
aliens, people committed to psychiatric facilities within
the past year and those found not guilty of crimes because
of mental illness may legally buy long guns.
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Required those who sell 10 or more
rifles or shotguns a year to obtain the same permit required
for the sale of handguns.
- Mandated background checks for those
who buy rifles and shotguns - the same requirement already
applied to handgun purchases.
All four provisions ought to become law.
Too many people who have no business owning guns are using
them in robberies and slayings. The federal government reports
that almost 90 percent of the guns found at crime scenes are
purchased from licensed dealers by people other than those
who use the guns to commit crimes.
Lawmakers ought to summon the courage
to pass a meaningful bill to dent black market gun sales,
reduce gun violence, make it easier for police to trace stolen
firearms and ensure that guns are kept out of the hands of
those not permitted to own them.
Copyright 2005, Hartford
Courant
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