Protesters want stronger state gun lawsDemonstration at Charleston City Hall prompted by killings at Virginia Tech By Noah Haglund (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
The protesters' gestures were loaded with meaning as they lay on the sidewalk Tuesday outside Charleston City Hall. The 32 people next to Broad Street symbolized the students and teachers massacred at Virginia Tech by a student who had purchased guns despite his history of mental illness. Local residents organized the 11 a.m. event as part of the Protest Easy Guns movement to draw attention to what they feel are weaknesses in federal and state gun laws. "We are outraged about what is happening, and we want to see change," organizer Sallie Duell said after the demonstration. "It's more about the responsibility of gun ownership ... it is too easy for somebody who is mentally unstable." The protesters dressed in black with maroon and burnt orange ribbons representing the school's colors. They remained prone on the sidewalk for three minutes, the amount of time the April 16 shooting spree lasted. The protest coincided with the first day of this year's session of the state Legislature in Columbia. The nonpartisan group handed out a list of changes they would like to see to state laws: background checks at gun shows, limits on military-style firearms, requirements for child safety locks, waiting periods before gun purchases and a permit to purchase guns. Mayor Joe Riley addressed the crowd, saying, "We need to make the use of guns for criminal activities a more serious offense." All but one of Charleston's 15 homicides and all but six of North Charleston's 26 homicides last year involved a firearm. Reach Noah Haglund at 937-5550 or nhaglund@postand courier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 19 comment(s)
Posted by mggoose2000 on January 9, 2008 at 7:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What a joke! Citzens protesting about something they know nothing about.
There are enough laws on the books to cover all their concerns. There just aren't enough judges and attorneys that want to see the problem go away.
I feel for the families of the victims of gun violence, but we aren't going to fix the problem by disarming law-abiding citizens or making it more difficult to purchase a gun.
If you want to protest, protest the way that judges are appointed, how they fail the system by letting violent criminals out of jail to prey on the honest citizen and the Trial Attorneys that make their living from defending the trash and vermin that use guns to hurt and kill.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on January 9, 2008 at 7:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about NO guns.
Posted by urvoucher on January 9, 2008 at 7:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Guns don't kill people, insane people with guns kill people. If not a gun then a knife, chair, heavy book or a tree limb. To the 32 people: Get a life.
Posted by usccarl on January 9, 2008 at 7:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey_u_Guys:
Since we're at it, why stop at deleting the 2nd amendment to the Constitution: We should also erase the 1st amendment, then the 4th amendment. Heck, while we're at it, lets just scrap the whole thing...it just seems to be getting in the way.
Posted by ImplantedYankee on January 9, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
usscarl: You're right. Without the second, we might as well not have the others. That's why our forefathers made it such a priority. The history of other nations proves they were correct.
Posted by skyguy51 on January 9, 2008 at 8:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Let's see? 28,000 plus Federal and State gun laws on the books already. Or we could do what England did, confiscate ALL handguns. Their murders are up along with all other violent crime. Look at Washington D.C. almost impossible to own a firearm in D.C. yet it is usually the murder capital of the US every year.
Posted by dmwallac on January 9, 2008 at 9:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Everyone please do this little exercise. Imagine you are a criminal and plan on committing a crime involving a firearm. Guns exist. 30,000 different laws say you cannot have a gun.
Your assignment is to determine if there is any way, given the above scenario, that you could still get ahold of a gun to commit your crime.
Hey_U_Guys, you new to the planet?
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on January 9, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hardly.
Posted by ricktib on January 9, 2008 at 10:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Such backward logic. Criminals by definition don't obey laws. It's been said a millions times, if guns are outlawed, only criminals will have them.
Posted by Perspective on January 9, 2008 at 11:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You want to know what the problem is?
Go the the Charleston County .org website and look into the criminal courts section. Look up any thug that has recently been in the news and check out their crimianl charges. Check the "dispositions" on these guys. Taxpayers will be sadly disappointed. Very little punishment, mostly probation on top of probation they are already serving. Some get only a couple of days "timed served" for gun charges. My favorite is the disposition of "pled to other charges". Check the "other listed charges". Sometimes all the charges from that date/incident say pled to other charges. -
Posted by freedomlost on January 9, 2008 at 11:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If they did away with guns more honest people would be victimized,this is foolish article,they already have taken away alot of our rights dont let them take away our 2nd amendment too..tell govt to restore out 1st amendment,its almot gone...freedom..ron paul 2008.com.....the only man with real solutions,thats why they wont let him debate.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on January 9, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)
I just visited Ron Paul's website and all I can say is WOW. I won't be voting for him.
Posted by Early on January 9, 2008 at 1:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You now what would have been hilarious is if someone with a gun walked by seeing these people laying down and started pick pocketing them.
Posted by palstate1 on January 9, 2008 at 4:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
To Hey_U_Guys
From you post, I guess you are amoung the "Politacially Correct" who are trying to thrust their views down the throats of all Americans. The 2nd amendment was written for a reason-so that we have a choice. If your choice is to not have a gun, so be it. But don't push your views on others, let all have a choice.
Are you really nieve enough to think that if guns are banned that no one (including criminals) will have a gun. NOT! Then the only ones with guns will be the criminal. What an idea......
Posted by waterboard on January 9, 2008 at 8:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"If guns cause crime, all of mine are defective." - Ted Nugent
We don't need Washington DC's crime rate here. Anybody remember Marion Barry's comment on crime in DC? He said that the city's crime rate was no worse than other comparable sized cities "if you don't count the murders."
Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than all of my guns combined. The only people endangered by my firearms are the thugs who would threaten me or my family.
My 17 y/o daughter has been an enthusiastic shooter for several years. My wife has her concealed weapon permit, as do I. We do not intend to be victims. We do not live in fear of criminals. We do not intend to let a group of misguided emos infringe upon our Constitutional liberty.
Posted by bdr231 on January 9, 2008 at 10:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You know doctors kill more people annually than guns do. Maybe we should outlaw them.
Posted by Harpo on January 10, 2008 at 12:20 a.m. (Suggest removal)
If you live amongst scorpions, you'd be a fool to not
have a stinger and claws.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on January 10, 2008 at 1:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Palstate: I'm not THRUSTING MY VIEWS DOWN ANYONE'S THROAT. I stated MY opinion. I don't like guns. They cause more problems then they solve.
Posted by rollo on January 10, 2008 at 11:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Amazing, these people who would take away our 2nd amendment rights would scream like hell if they were faced with the loss of their 1st amendment rights. They fail to see that the 1st is undefended without the 2nd.
All individual rights are;
Given by God,
Named in the US Constitution,
Defended by armed citizens.