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Janet Reno on Gun Control
Former Attorney General; Democratic Challenger FL Governor
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Can change culture of violence with conflict resolution
I have a dream that everybody graduating from a school of education with a teaching certificate will have coursework in how to teach kids how to resolve conflicts without knives and guns. I have a dream that we will teach every police officer in basic
law enforcement academies the same skills. I am convinced that if we focus on the illegal possession and use of guns, if we focus on conflict resolution, we can change the culture of violence.
Source: Clinton Cabinet Press Conf.: Criminal Justice Journalists
, Nov 23, 1998
As hard to get a gun license as to get a driver’s license
President Clinton signed the Brady bill, and the Bradys vowed to press on for even stricter gun controls, with the support of Clinton and Reno. Sarah Brady said at the signing ceremony that there was “one other woman” in the fight, “the attorney general
herself.” Brady enthused, “She’s been right along with us.”Within days of signing the Brady bill, Clinton ordered a study of a national gun-licensing system. Reno had been advocating such a system for years. She saw it in simple terms: “I think it
should at least as hard to get a license to possess a gun as it is to drive an automobile.“ And if safety on the road means drivers must prove proficiency behind the wheel, why shouldn’t gun owners be required to prove that they can safely handle a
firearm? she asked. An NRA gun-safety course would be just fine.
The administration also proposed raising the fee for gun dealer’s licenses. [When the NRA protested], Reno responded that owning a gun, like driving a car, is a privilege, not a right.
Source: Doing the Right Thing, by Paul Anderson, p.306-307
, Nov 30, 1993
Battle the NRA with common sense
Reno’s influence was clear in [several provisions of Clinton’s Crime Bill. Among other things, the Bill would] impose a five-day waiting period for purchasing a handgun-the so-called Brady Bill. Reno called the package “essential.” She also promised to
pursue a full ban on assault weapons, although lawmakers saw that as too high a hurdle to include in the bill. Reno advocated passage of the bill on all the morning television news shows, in speeches around the country, and even in a promotion for a
movie.
The National Rifle Association (NRA) labeled the bill “short on criminal justice and long on firearms restrictions.”
When asked how she would “battle the powerful NRA,” Reno replied, “You battle ‘the powerful NRA’ with common sense. America has for too long watched what guns have done to people on our streets.”
Source: Doing the Right Thing, by Paul Anderson, p.297-299
, Sep 15, 1993
Spearheaded “Cool It Florida” waiting period referendum
Reno launched the “Cool It, Florida!” campaign to impose a 7-day waiting period between the purchase and the delivery of a gun. That November, voters slam-dunked the referendum. In less than 3 years, computer checks conducted by the Florida Department
of Law Enforcement prevented some 27,000 people with criminal records from buying guns through licensed dealers. Moreover, there were warrants on 700 of those would-be buyers, and many were picked up when they returned to pick up their purchase.
Source: Doing the Right Thing, by Paul Anderson, p.120
, Nov 1, 1990
Waiting period for gun purchase; safety test for license
In her search for ways to stop criminals before she had to deal with them in court, and to stem the tide of injuries and deaths from handguns, Reno began calling for gun control in the mid-1980s.
To the irritation of the National Rifle Association’s Florida chapter, she advocated a waiting period for handgun purchases, gun registration, and gun owner licensing. The license would require a gun-safety course and a proficiency test.
Source: Doing the Right Thing, by Paul Anderson, p.119-20
, Jul 2, 1988
Page last updated: Jan 21, 2019