Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 26, 1993 TAG: 9301260362
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY MARGARET EDDS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
SUPPORTERS TURN OUT TO RALLY FOR GUN-A-MONTH LIMIT
Gun-control advocates rallied in Capitol Square and unveiled advertising plans Monday as lobbying intensified over a bill to limit handgun purchases to one per month."Wake up, Virginia!" shouted Carolyn W. Bell, a Norfolk State University administrator, as a crowd representing religious, business, medical and educational interests echoed the refrain.
Gesturing toward legislative office buildings, Bell added: "For God's sake, General Assembly, the times dictate change. This is not a partisan issue. This is not a racial issue. This is a human issue. Show the courage to stand up to the NRA."
National Rifle Association members have scheduled their own rally this morning outside the Capitol in opposition to the handgun-a-month limit endorsed by Democratic Gov. Douglas Wilder, Republican U.S. Attorney Richard Cullen and others.
Meanwhile, members of Virginians Against Handgun Trafficking - an ad hoc group of mostly business and professional leaders - announced a television advertising campaign that begins today in Richmond and Norfolk in support of the handgun limit. Newspaper ads will begin Wednesday, they said.
Spokesmen for the group declined to say how much they hope to spend. But Randolph McElroy, president of NationsBank of Virginia, said almost all of what the group raises will be funneled into advertising. The group has collected $63,000 in cash and pledges, he said.
The 30-second television spots, developed by a Richmond firm, open with a woman holding a handgun. "This is a handgun," she says matter-of-factly, noting that 340 Virginians - "nearly one a day" - were slain with handguns last year and that criminals have easy access to guns under Virginia law.
"This is a telephone," the announcer continues, suggesting that interested persons call their legislators to join the campaign for stricter laws. "You can be part of the problem or part of the solution."
Monday's rally, sponsored by the Metropolitan Richmond Chamber of Commerce and about two dozen other groups working together as "Partners for Healthy Communities," drew a crowd estimated by police at 500 to 750. Sponsors passed out daisies and stickers reading, "I'm for Gun Control, And I Vote."
"We're worried. We're concerned. We're mad," said McElroy. "We're not safe at home. We're not safe on the streets. We're not safe in our cars . . . and most regrettably, our children are not safe at school."
McElroy noted that Richmond is reeling from the deaths of a 24-year-old security guard at a downtown McDonald's restaurant two weeks ago and a 71-year-old widow living in a quiet neighborhood last week. Over the weekend, shots were fired at a city detective who helped investigate a New Jersey-to-Richmond gang charged with murdering 11 people in 45 days last spring.
"Handguns are out of control . . . and we're going to do something about it," pledged McElroy.
Several groups submitted signatures - totaling more than 20,000 - of individuals supporting limits on gun purchases. The largest number, 15,000, was collected by Virginians Against Handgun Violence. The group was organized a year ago in Norfolk and now has affiliates across the state.