Boys Persuade Panel to Back Ban on Ammo Sales
The three-martini lunch is probably not a weapon in the arsenal of lobbyists Niko and Theo Milonopoulos. They are, after all, 12 years old.
Still, the fraternal twins from Studio City got their career off to a good start this week when they persuaded the Los Angeles Police Commission to pass a measure calling on the City Council to ban all sales of gun ammunition in the city.
The two had been lobbying for the measure since the North Hollywood bank shootout in 1997 and the murder of Ennis Cosby. Those events scared them, they said, so they collected 7,000 signatures of young people demanding the ammunition ban.
“It’s time to stop the shooting of L.A. kids,” Theo told the Police Commissioners.
After their pitch, the commission voted 3 to 2 Tuesday in favor of the ban. Opponents said it would violate gun rights and would simply force gun owners to buy their ammunition in other Southland cities.
Commission President Gerald Chaleff, who supported the ban, conceded that it might never be effective. “But sometimes making a statement is enough,” he said.
The boys, who are students at Campbell Hall in North Hollywood, said the victory was sweet, even if it was just the first small step toward passage of the ban.
“It has been said that children will lead the way,” activist Joy Turner told the commission. “I say, lead on, Theo and Niko.”
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