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Bloomberg, Gun Control and the Gun Lawsuit
December 4th, 2005

In his weekly radio address, Mayor Michael Bloomberg focused on gun control, tying it into two events this past week. Last Monday, Police Officer Dillon Stewart was shot dead with a gun bought legally and later stolen in Florida. On Friday, federal judge Jack B. Weinstein allowed New York City’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers to move forward, despite the passage by Congress in October of the “Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act,” a law sponsored by the Bush administration to end just such lawsuits.

Bloomberg touted some of the efforts of his administration “to take illegal guns off our streets — such as Gun Courts to adjudicate violations of gun possession laws — and reiterated his campaign pledge to increase mandatory minimum sentences for such violations “to 3 ½ years — and to at least 5 years for those with prior convictions. In addition, we will work to push the State Legislature to pass legislation that closes the loophole in the state’s illegal gun sale law.

“But even as we expand our efforts to take illegal guns, and those who carry them, off our streets, guns are flooding into the city from states like Pennsylvania and Virginia, where people can buy guns easily and then sell them in cities like New York to those who cannot legally acquire them, including drug dealers and other dangerous criminals. Does anyone actually believe this is what the Second Amendment was designed to protect?…

“We will continue our legal fight to hold unscrupulous dealers accountable for their actions, but the fact remains that we need national legislation to stop the insanity of illegal guns on our streets.”

An editorial in The New York Sun disagrees with Bloomberg, and with previous editorials in the Times and the Post that called for strengthening gun control laws, saying that the understandably “high level of emotion” in the wake of the Stewart murder has fostered opinions that “throw all logic out the window” —- “The criminals, not the guns themselves, are the real menace,” the Sun argues, there are already plenty of laws on the books, and, though there are some 200 million guns in the country, there were “9,326 gun-related murders in 2004, according to the FBI,” which is “about a 0.005% chance that a gun will be used in a murder.”

Jeff Soyer of the blog Alphecca, who describes himself as “a libertarian, gay gun nut in Vermont,” also criticizes Bloomberg’s logic, particularly when it concerns the murder weapon used against Officer Dillon Stewart: “If the gun was legally purchased and then stolen, how the hell is that the fault of the gun maker, distributor, or dealer?”

But The Daily News reprinted excerpts from Judge Jack Weinstein’s ruling as a guest editorial. Among his comments: “A teenager in the United States is more likely to die from a gunshot wound than from all natural causes combined.”

By Jonathan Mandell on December 4, 2005, 2:08 pm
In category: Crime & Safety, Law | 9 Comments »

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9 Responses to “Bloomberg, Gun Control and the Gun Lawsuit”

  1. Leo Guy Says:
    December 6th, 2005 at 10:39 am

    Mayor Bloomberg is blaming everyone, except the shooter! A firearm is only a device neither good or bad it’s the user aka criminal etc that’s the problem. Think what else can be used to hurt someone, shouldn’t they also be banned? One of the reason why the crime is so bad that the criminals know only they will have firearms, they could care less about the laws. Seems to me the worst crimes are in poor minority gang and drug infested areas. So I wonder what’s the real problem? It’s a shame that Officer Stewart was murdered. The person is to blame not the firearm.

  2. Lisa Says:
    December 10th, 2005 at 8:28 am

    I agree with Mr. Guy’s statement. Although I do not own any firearms, I agree it’s the user to blame not the firearm. My heart goes out to Officer Stewart family and friends and fellow officers. The person who killed officer Stewart should face the death penality if applicable in New York. Mayor Bloomberg in his rant never blamed the person who killed Officer Stewart but instead blames the manufacturer. When tragic events occur people over react and allow their emotions to get the best of them. Mayor Bloomberg should resign, since he can’t stand the pressure, bring back former Mayor Ruldolph Giuliani.

  3. Kate Says:
    December 15th, 2005 at 11:42 am

    Sure, handguns do not shoot by themselves, but they are made to shoot at what, deer? NO people! With one shot you can fatally wound a person from a wide distance, unlike a club or a fist or even a knife. They don’t need to be out there in mass quantities, they need to be limited and their distribution controlled. Why should it be easier to get a gun than a contraceptive?!!

  4. Tom Says:
    December 24th, 2005 at 12:39 pm

    Kate,

    Have own firearms for more then 40 years and probably almost as long as you have been born? And a wet behind the ears don’t know a thing about Mechanical Engineering. Cars are made to drive and more people are killed with them then firearms. Think what else that can used to hurt or kill shouldn’t they also be band? Some women on birth control pills sometimes die from strokes, so shouldn’t they also be band? Have you tried buying a firearm? Have you ever shot a firearm? Have you ever taken a safety course? Do firearms get into the wrong hand, of course they do, most have been stolen. The majority of crimes are poor minority drug infested areas, the city and States with the toughest Laws have the highest crime rate,Why? Because criminals love gun laws, the more the better. Ask a criminal if he’ll rather go to a place where he has a good chance of facing an arm citizen or go to a place where there less of a chance. Guess what the answer will be? Criminals are also big supporters of Handgun Control Inc. and I wonder why? Gun control should be left up to the states and not the Federal Goverment. The people that killed those poor police officers were not Law abiding citizens. 80% – 90% of the violent crimes are in poor minority drug infested areas. Guns were made for defensive and offensive purposes, according to the FBI shooting crimes are at it’s lowest in 25 years. Don’t believe everything you read and hear. Media loves negative news, because it sells. I won’t get into contraceptives, one thing I’m Catholic, a male, and it’s what’s best for the person regardless if it’s right or wrong. I do not judge and ask the same. Want to wish everyone a happy and safe holidays.

  5. Tom Says:
    December 24th, 2005 at 12:41 pm

    Sorry for the spelling errors.

  6. Lasa Says:
    December 25th, 2005 at 3:13 pm

    Firearm are made in mass numbers this is true but are sold world wide and not just sold in the United States. people sure like looking at numbers and they sure look impressive, but they are only numbers some truth some not. Here is an example have you ever seen those bill board signs that flash the number of thoses killed by firearms? What the numbers don’t tell you how many are justfied, how many are by Law Enforcement etc. Anti Gun activist say a Handgun is made every 20 seconds. Most parts are assembled by hand, have you ever tried to put one all together in 20 seconds? It can’t be done! Again bogus numbers. To thoses Anti Gun activist out there, think about what you believe in, rather pro abortion or any sensitive subject or belief. Tell me how does or would it feel if someone tried taking them away from you. How would you feel if you have been doing nothing wrong and have own something for 40 years and a 20+ year old comes and tells you sorry but I’m going to take those beliefs, rights etc away from you? FBI statictics show that the chances of someonedying from firearm violence is around 1%. Get rid of drugs and gangs. Educate our youth and give a helping hand.

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  8. Reeve Says:
    November 21st, 2006 at 11:33 am

    Kate,

    I hate to say this to a woman but you are ignorant. You only read what you want to read and not the other side of the story. Sure handguns aren’t made to kill deers but they are made to kill criminals who are trying to rape or kill your loved ones. Primary purpose of a handgun is to defend. Its very rare you see a SWAT team member go into buidling with a handgun in his hands. Do you think a knife can keep a determined criminal from raping you or your daughter. I’m a New York City Paramedic and I’ve seen criminals attack victims after they had been stabbed 20-30 times. Stabbing or clubbing someone would not stop them from attacking. Especially if you’re a weak person. But a .45 cal round into the chest will stop a criminal. Or atleast it will slow them down. A few more shots will stop them 100%. Knife or anyother tools won’t do what a gun can. Its unfortunate that guns go into wrong hands. If you want to stop gun crimes, go after gun smugglers. Statistics shows that majority illegal guns in US are smuggles from other countries.

    I’m just tired of hearing people say “Gun kills”. Gun doesn’t kill the person behind the trigger does. Banning handguns or any firearms will only make the criminals more brave. A handgun is a amazing device that saves a life in US every 27 seconds. I agree with Tom. Should we ban cars because crazy women drive over there husbands? More people die of car accidents than gun crimes or firarm accidents and yet those politicians won’t do anything about making more safe traffice laws. People need to think more instead of just jumping into conclusions. Do research, read and gain some knowledge before making a statement like ” You don’t need a handgun to kill a deer”. Thats is just stupid and childish. Thats what you would expect to hear from a 2nd grader. And Ms. Kate, you def. have to do some research. Getting a fatal shot with a handgun isn’t as easy as you just said. Even at close range.

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