Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 27, 1993 TAG: 9301270271
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: WARREN FISKE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
NRA LEADS RICHMOND RALLY AGAINST GUN LIMIT
A flag-waving crowd of about 1,200 gun enthusiasts rallied Tuesday outside the state Capitol to protest Gov. Douglas Wilder's proposed one-a-month limit on handgun purchases.The rally, sponsored and organized by the National Rifle Association, came one day after a smaller demonstration by gun-control advocates.
Wayne R. LaPierre, executive vice president of the NRA, denounced the gun-a-month proposal as ineffective against violent crime and said it would unfairly restrict law-abiding citizens' rights to purchase arms.
Tougher sentencing of criminals should be the focus of politicians' efforts to reduce violent crime, LaPierre said.
"Gun laws are the junk food of the anti-crime movement. They're like putting Clearasil on skin cancer," he argued.
LaPierre denounced Wilder as "naive," and accused him of "grabbing headlines with catchy phrases and a sound-bite campaign. It's sad that this is what American politics has come down to."
LaPierre predicted that the handgun-a-month bill is the first step in an effort by Wilder and his supporters to ban all firearms purchases in Virginia.
Wilder, speaking to reporters inside the Capitol about the same time, stressed that "We're not after rifles. We're not after shotguns. We're not curbing any hunters' rights at all."
Clearly seeking to divert attention from the NRA, Wilder scheduled a news conference while the pro-gun rally was under way. There, flanked by law enforcement officials from several parts of the state, he announced the support of a half-dozen law enforcement groups and state prosecutors for his gun control measures.
"We hear that Interstate 95 is a drugs-for-guns corridor," said Waynesboro Police Chief Philip A. Broadfoot, representing the Blue Ridge Association of Chiefs of Police. "Well, it's fast becoming an I-81 problem. This is a small step and it's long overdue."
Later in the day, in a speech to state chief justices from across the nation, Wilder disputed the NRA's contention that citizens have a unrestricted constitutional right to purchase firearms.
LaPierre, in a 15-minute speech, said there is no evidence that gun control reduces crime. He noted that two of the cities with the highest murder rates in the nation - New York and Washington - also have the toughest gun restrictions.
LaPierre said reports that Virginia has become a major source of illegal gun-running to Washington and New York have been exaggerated. He said the cities should stop blaming Virginia for their problems and start prosecuting criminals more vigorously.
"The legal system has totally crashed," he said. "In New York, convicted felons are looking at only a 107-to-1 chance of going to jail. In Washington, someone can shoot a kid on a playground at 2 o'clock and get out on bail and be home for dinner by 6."
LaPierre dismissed polls showing that four of five Americans favor gun control. He said 70 million Americans own guns and contended that one of every six people has used a firearm to ward off violence. "We represent the grass roots," he said.
But House Minority Leader Vance Wilkins, R-Amherst, warned the crowd that "We are losing the battle for public opinion in the commonwealth." Pro-gun control forces are well-organized this year, he said, urging the crowd to step up lobbying efforts.
Wilder, in his speech before judges, said the gun-a-month bill "will not end illegal sales and possessions, but it will slow them. As a matter of public policy, it is a reasonable, effective step."
writer Bonnie V. Winston contributed to this story.
Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1993