Increase the peace

Stricter gun control legislation is needed

The fatal shooting of Kayla Rolland at a Mt. Morris Township elementary school last week answered a couple questions. Could school violence get any worse after Columbine High School? Could it get any worse than Conyers, Georgia? The death of one six-year-old by the gunshot of another six-year-old answered those questions - it could. But Kayla Rolland's death also posed a new question - what now? The answer should be a vehement effort to impose stricter gun control laws, as well as a complete reexamination of the meaning of the Second amendment in the future.

After most high profile shootings, a call for increased gun control follows. Anti-restriction advocates counter by arguing that danger can be avoided not by new laws, but through enforcement of existing ones. In this most recent case, gun control opponents will likely point out that the six-year-old responsible for the shooting found the gun in his house, left unprotected by his uncle's friend, who obtained the gun illegally. This does not mean that anti-gun control forces are correct in their rhetoric. The point is no longer who is right or who is wrong, but that something must be done. Another child is dead and it is past time to be proactive. While an effort to enforce existing laws must be made, new laws can only help to curb gun violence.

There are a number of good laws being considered on a state and national level right now that should be passed. Last Thursday, the state House of Representatives postponed a vote on two gun control bills. One would require gun dealers to include trigger locks with each sale of a firearm. This is the type of new legislation that can be used to combat gun violence. In fact, three local chain stores - Gander Mountain, Sports Authority and Dick's Sporting Goods - have already agreed to voluntarily offer free trigger locks to gun buyers. A trigger lock on the gun used to shoot Kayla Rolland could have prevented her death.

The other bill the state House is considering is legislation to hold a gun owner responsible if his gun is used by a minor to commit a crime. A 1998 survey showed that 43 percent of U.S. households with children have guns, and of those, 28 percent keep guns hidden, but not locked. Considering this level of negligence, a bill holding gun owners responsible for the use of their firearms could help. On the national level, President Bill Clinton is urging legislation to require background checks on anyone buying a weapon at a gun show. Passage of these bills would be a step in the right direction.

While increased gun control legislation will help to curb gun violence, the country needs to reevaluate the fundamentals upon which it rationalizes private gun ownership. The current interpretation of the Second Amendment, originally drafted to secure protection against the government, has become outdated. While the Second Amendment is still valid, current gun ownership is doing more harm than good. The country will be truly safe only when guns are banned completely.

The six-year old responsible for shooting Kayla Rolland will not be prosecuted, nor should he be. Too young to realize the consequence of his actions or have a clear distinction between right and wrong, the fault for Rolland's death falls solely upon the shooter's family and a culture that continues to allow easy access to guns. It is possible that gun locks would not help and that background checks would prove equally unsuccessful. But it is time to find out.