THE TIME FOR TOUGHER GUN LAWS IS NOW!
Although much of my time in front of a television camera occurs while I am seated at a round table filming “Today’s Verdict”, the killing of the two U.S. journalists during a live television broadcast really hit home this week. Several reporters who work on packages for my show sometimes venture into areas of the City that are not as safe as others. And although New York’s gun laws are the strongest in the nation, violent crime in New York City is on the rise this summer. And what about gun violence in the rest of the Country?
Before the murder of the two journalists and wounding of their on-camera guest, no one really thought of major gun violence occurring in the sleepy western Virginia town of Roanoke. In the words of the Mayor David Bowers of Roanoke, Virginia, “How many massacres do we have to have… before the public cries out and says what it is they want us to do?”
It’s always the same argument: the Second Amendment allows me to bear arms, so the government should not have the power to take away my right to buy a gun. But times have changed since the enactment of our Second Amendment. Surely, the framers of our Constitution did not foresee a society whereby the mentally unstable have access to firearms and kill innocent victims.
Members of Congress have been hesitant to put through any legislation that would limit access to guns in fear of angering voters. It seems that the lawmakers are more concerned with diagnosing those with mental health issues –and therefore preventing them from gaining access to firearms– than limiting the sale of firearms altogether.
How many more massacres do we really need for our country to make the tough decision to enact gun laws that are so strong that it would be virtually impossible for someone to buy a gun unless they were a member of law enforcement? Sidestepping the issue is no longer an option. Not for reporters, and not for law abiding citizens who don’t have a chance to even duck for cover.
David Lesch is an attorney and host of ‘Today’s Verdict with David Lesch‘ on Bronxnet. Today”s Verdict airs Tuesday nights at 6:30pm, Cablevision channel 67, Fios channel 33.
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