Brady Bill: It Works, Don’t Knock It : Thousands of guns kept out of dangerous hands

Last month, the first anniversary of the Brady gun control bill was marked with the news that it already had prevented about 45,000 individuals--including convicted murderers and rapists and mentally ill people--from walking out of stores with potentially lethal weapons.

For the majority in the United States that supports reasonable gun control, this information shows that the Brady bill, which mandates a five-day waiting period for handgun purchases, is working just as intended. What’s more, the success of the law in its first year demonstrates the value of a rational approach to gun control and the contribution such laws can make toward public safety.

BACKLASH: Despite a new study showing that in four of the five urban areas examined, more people were killed with firearms after concealed gun laws were relaxed, there is a growing movement on Capitol Hill and in many state legislatures to liberalize gun control laws. Prominent in this movement are congressional proposals to eviscerate the Brady bill and the federal assault gun ban. In addition, some legislators in 13 states, including California, want to allow major segments of the population to carry concealed arms in public. These calls for retreat pander to society’s growing fear of crime.

In an age when gun violence already racks the nation, sanctioned pistol-packing would only further imperil public safety. Easing of concealed weapon permit laws also would pose an enormous burden for police officers, who would be forced to distinguish between those legally and illegally carrying guns in public.

Lawmakers in Sacramento and elsewhere should pay attention to recent votes in California localities in which looser gun laws have been rejected.

Stockton: Already scarred by the 1989 schoolyard massacre in which five children were killed, the City Council in November turned back a proposal to allow as many as 130,000 residents to become eligible for concealed weapons permits.

Fresno: In January the City Council in this Central Valley city heeded the advice of its police chief and rejected the contention of gun proponents that legalizing pistol-packing would, as one put it, place Fresno in a “leadership position in California.”

Pasadena: Prompted by a sharp increase in juvenile gun violence, including a Valentine’s Day shooting that killed a 16-year-old girl, Pasadena last month became the nation’s first known jurisdiction to pass a law restricting local sale of ammunition. The law requires a purchaser to fill out a form that gives his or her name and the amount and type of ammunition purchased.

Redondo Beach: In a symbolic vote, voters in this beach city last week rejected an advisory measure supporting state lawmakers’ efforts to grant more concealed weapons permits.

This isn’t to suggest that the gun lobby has garnered no victories of late; bills loosening concealed weapons laws have cleared legislatures in Virginia, Arkansas and Utah. Even so, it’s important to note that most Americans reject the illogical notion that putting more guns in more hands would somehow make the streets safer.