N.J. Speaker Oliver: ‘Today, New Jersey can help stop the carnage of gun violence’

TRENTON) – New Jersey Assembly Speaker Sheila Y. Oliver had the following published Thursday in The Times of Trenton and www.politickernj.com as the Assembly plans Thursday to vote on 22 gun violence prevention bills:

“From Colorado to Connecticut to a courthouse in Delaware, far too many lives have been cut short by senseless gun violence.

“These were the mass tragedies that grabbed headlines. But every day, on the streets that wind their way all over America, even more innocent Americans fall victim to a bullet. In 2011 alone, 269 New Jerseyans were killed by gun violence.

“Today, the New Jersey General Assembly will vote on a comprehensive package of roughly two dozen bills aimed at curbing this epidemic.

“The measures are a blend of temperance and temerity — the temperance necessary to address the issue pragmatically without trampling on Second Amendment rights and the temerity to tackle the issue once and for all instead of punting it to the next tragedy.
The debate, thus far, has been passionate, to say the least.

“For those who argue that our efforts are an emotional response to the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, I don’t entirely disagree. To not be driven by emotion to address the incomprehensible slaying of 20 innocent children would be baffling.

“What this is not, however, is a knee-jerk response. The time to get serious about protecting our communities from gun violence is long overdue. Many of the proposals Assembly Democrats have put forth are the result of long-running discussions, expert advice and common-sense proposals to close glaring loopholes.

“Limiting ammunition magazines to no more than 10 rounds may help prevent would-be shooters from gunning down half of the people in a movie theater. Taking guns away from an individual deemed dangerous by a mental health professional may help prevent a future college campus tragedy.

“Many of the Assembly Democrats’ other proposals are designed, not to infringe on the rights of law-abiding citizens, but to keep guns out of the hands of criminals or those prone to violence due to severe mental health issues.

“Requiring government-issued photo identification cards to purchase a firearm is no more unreasonable than requiring photo identification cards to drive an automobile, especially since an automobile wasn’t designed with the intention to kill.

“Another proposal would prohibit anyone on the FBI’s Terrorist Watch List from obtaining a gun permit. In case you were wondering, nearly 250 people on the terrorist watch list bought guns in 2010 alone, according to the Government Accountability Office.

“Still other proposals would ban the sale of powerful, often battlefield-style, weapons of .50 calibers or greater; establish gun-free zones around schools; prohibit the sale of body armor-piercing bullets to protect law enforcement; require the state to submit certain mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System to help law-enforcement agencies nationwide conduct more thorough gun background checks; require all state law-enforcement agencies to report information relating to abandoned, discarded or seized illegal guns to the National Crime Information Center to determine whether that firearm has been reported stolen; and require ballistics tests to be conducted on such guns and reported to the National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network to determine if the firearm is associated with a crime.

“Our comprehensive package promotes common-sense measures without infringing on the Second Amendment rights enshrined in our Constitution. By keeping dangerous weapons off of our streets, cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and addressing mental health issues and school security, we can stop these tragedies from becoming all too common.

“We cannot expect to put an end to each and every gun crime, but we can responsibly close the gaps and make our laws stronger. With the vast majority of Americans now supporting stronger, smarter gun laws, it raises the question: If not now, then when?

“When will the cries of bereaved parents and the deafening silence on our playgrounds finally tip the scales toward action rather than inertia? If we sit on our hands, we will mourn not just the victims we have already lost, but the many more who will inevitably follow.

“The General Assembly will tilt the scales toward action today because, to borrow the words of our president, ‘They deserve a vote.’ ”

http://www.nj.com/times-opinion/index.ssf/2013/02/opinion_today_new_jersey_can_h.html#incart_river_default