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Robert Reich on Gun Control

Former Secretary of Labor; Democratic Challenger MA Governor

 


Limit handgun sales to one per month

We must increase penalties for weapons trafficking, and pass legislation to limit handgun sales to one per month for those who are legally permitted to buy them. And we must have enough police on the streets and enough prosecutors in the courts to catch gun criminals and send them to jail.
Source: Campaign web site, RobertReich.org, “Keeping Families Safe” , Sep 17, 2002

If I had my way, I’d restrict handguns

If I had my way, there’d be laws restricting cigarettes and handguns. But this Congress won’t even pass halfway measures. Teenage boys continue to shoot up high schools, yet Congress won’t pass stricter gun controls. The politically potent cigarette and gun industries have got what they wanted: no action. Almost makes you lose faith in democracy, doesn’t it?

The goal of [recent litigation] efforts is to threaten the industries with the risk of such large penalties that they’ll agree to a deal--for the gunmakers, to limit bulk purchases and put more safety devices on guns to prevent accidental shootings.

But the way to fix everything isn’t to turn our backs on the democratic process and pursue litigation as the administration is doing. It’s to campaign for people who promise to take action against cigarettes and guns, and against the re-election of House and Senate members who won’t. In short, the answer is to make democracy work better, not give upon it.

Source: The American Prospect, vol.11, no.5, “Smoking, Guns” , Jan 17, 2000

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Page last updated: Apr 30, 2021