Celebrate this sudden victory for gun control
Yael T. AbouhalkahIt’s a small but sudden and maybe eventually important victory for gun control: Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Tuesday afternoon vetoed a bill that would have let gun owners carry concealed weapons in public schools.
It was the proper decision, especially coming just four days after 20 children were gunned down in a Newtown, Conn., school.
From the Detroit Free Press:
“In his veto letter sent to the legislature shortly before 4 p.m EST, Snyder said the bill had a fatal loophole that didn’t allow for those institutions to opt out of the new legislation and prohibit weapons from their buildings.
“I believe that it is important that these public institutions have clear legal authority to ban weapons from their premises,” he said in his letter. “Each is entrusted with the care of a vulnerable population and should have the authority to determine whether its mission would be enhanced by the addition of concealed weapons.”
Last week’s massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown has appropriately sparked a call for more reasonable gun control laws in this nation.
Finally, it appears President Barack Obama and some members of Congress may be working up the courage to talk about banning assault weapons and drastically reducing the amount of ammunition that can be sold in this country.
They are needed first steps toward even more restrictive gun laws - like much of the rest of the civilized world has. Congress should not stop until it has approved such laws in the next few months - as difficult as that will be to do.
However, last Friday’s shootings also have prompted some gun nuts to call for arming principals in schools - or to allow more people to carry guns in schools, as the Michigan bill would have done.
The veto by a Republican governor - who just last week celebrated signing a bill making Michigan a right-to-work state in defiance of its many union members - should be at least a sign that not all GOP members will blindly follow the NRA talking points on guns.
This is encouraging - even though it’s just one bill in one state and for a reason that might have little to do with the Newtown shootings.
Gary Sappington
5 months, 1 week agoAs a member of the press, I would expect better from you than name calling “gun nuts”. but on the other hand you are not the press just another blogger with a opinion.
Mark Robertson
5 months, 1 week agoYael, The U.S. already had an assault weapons ban from 1994 to 2004. When it was allowed to sunset in 04, there was no increase in crime with assault weapons. And there is a huge difference between an AK 47 allowed for civilian use, and one used in the military. The AK 47 for civilian use is one pull of the trigger, one shot. For military, it is a machine gun. Yes, there are civilians who have the machine gun version, but it is already very hard to get one and it is a long process. Once again, those of us(gun nuts) who want allow principals and/or other administrators to carry guns, want it to be allowed for the protection of children. It is you on the left who seem to be driven by your anti-gun mentality, and not what is best for the children. Those of us who favor having guns in gun free zones, are all about protection first and foremost. Yes, we want to protect the Second Amendment, but we want to protect it for specific reasons of safety. (Suggested reading: More Guns, Less Crime, by John Lott.) Thank you. Mark Robertson Independence
Michael Kerner
5 months, 1 week agoIt was exactly the wrong decision. It is a victory only for the next school shooter in Michigan who can be sure that he will not face effective opposition for several minutes, until the police arrive with their guns. Why not have the guns on site, ready for trouble. The police will be there in 5 to 10 minutes, when seconds count.