Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 31, 1995 TAG: 9507310025
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SARAH HUNTLEY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
- Christopher Hagood, Roanoke
The background:
A sharply divided General Assembly toughened Virginia's traditionally loose gun laws in 1993 with the passage of a bill limiting gun purchases to one a month. Since then, Second Amendment advocates and gun control activists have fought hard on the lobbying front, with varying success on both sides.
The most recent political battle over gun legislation took place earlier this year, when the assembly considered, then passed, a law that makes it easier for Virginians to obtain concealed-weapons permits. The new law went into effect July 1.
The General Assembly's role:
The legislature is responsible for setting Virginia's laws relating to weapons and violent crime.
The answers:
The question was directed to the candidates for the House seat that covers Northwest Roanoke, South Roanoke, Southwest Roanoke and six precincts in the Cave Spring-Hunting Hills section of Roanoke County.
Del. Clifton "Chip" Woodrum (D): ``The rights of life and liberty are sometimes won and protected by weapons; sometimes they are threatened and ended by them. I support the right to keep and bear arms. I also support the right of people not to live in fear of an armed camp. I hope and trust that our democracy has advanced to the point where not everyone needs a personal sub-machine gun. The protection of our children, our passengers on an airplane or neighbors from those with a record of violence - these are fundamental. And we cannot sacrifice fundamental freedoms and common sense on an altar of political rhetoric."
Newell Falkinburg (R):``In general, I'm a defender of the Second Amendment. I think it is clear that the Constitution gives Americans the right to bear arms. I view this question as a part of the issue of crime. The places in the country that have some of the most stringent handgun-control measures also have some of the highest murder rates in the country. Just look at Washington, D.C. I'm confident that handgun control does not deter violent crime. It only determines whether one will be shot with a legal or illegal handgun. There is no way we can keep handguns out of the hands of people who want them. The key, instead, is severe and long penalties for people who commit violent crimes."
Also on the record:
As a delegate, Woodrum has had several opportunities to consider weapon-related legislation. This past session, he fought for a bill that would have banned handguns in city parks. The proposal was defeated, but Woodrum has promised to introduce it again if Roanoke City Council continues its support for the initiative.
Woodrum voted against the looser concealed-weapon law that went into effect July 1. He voted for the so-called "saloon amendment," which prohibits people from carrying concealed weapons in bars. In 1993, he supported legislation that limited gun purchases to one a month. That same year, he voted against a bill that would have created a three-day waiting period for gun purchases. Woodrum has said he supports enhanced punishment for those who carry firearms in schools or use them to commit crimes.
Falkinburg promises to support legislation that would call for "quick, swift and predictable punishment" for individuals who use handguns for criminal purposes.
What other candidates say:
So far, other candidates haven't had much to say about guns one way or the other. The subject is, however, one area in which Del. Victor Thomas, D-Roanoke, and Republican challenger Jeff Artis agree.
"You can't legislate against owning a gun," Artis said. "But you can make someone pay the price if they use the gun in the wrong way." Thomas, a well-known Second Amendment advocate, did just that in 1976, when he introduced a bill creating Virginia's first mandatory sentences for using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Got a question for the candidates? Send it to Citizens' Agenda, The Roanoke Times, P.O. Box 2491, Roanoke, VA 24010, or fax it to 981-3346 or e-mail dyanceyinfi.net. Please include your name, address, daytime phone number and specify which candidates your question is for.
Citizens' Agenda is your opportunity to get answers from this year's General Assembly candidates.
Keywords:
POLITICS
by CNB