THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 18, 1994 TAG: 9408180004
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A16 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
I knew it was coming. I just didn't know what spin the new Virginian-Pilot and Ledger-Star editorial page editor would take in rejoicing over the setback for the $33.2 billion federal crime bill.
It was predictable that your position would be ``too much pork'' but, really, to lead off with the need to ``Bury it for good'' because of the research and education center that Rep. Jack Brooks of Texas slipped into the bill is ludicrous. This was $10 million fluff for his own home district that could easily be omitted from the bill by amendment. Why would you pick on this minor point? Is it because any amount of prevention is too much, in spite of the overwhelming two-thirds of the $33.2 billion that would be used for 100,000 police officers ($1.1 billion), and prisons ($10.5 billion)?
The amount to be used for crime-prevention programs is $7.8 billion. Yes, it may seem at first glance to be unrelated to crime to use this money for community programs such as late-night recreational basketball leagues, but these programs are not for children who have dinner waiting for them and loving parents to tuck them into bed. These programs would pay for themselves by keeping many youths constructively occupied and off the streets where they could be the target or the perpetrators of rapidly increasing youth violence.
The real insult in not passing this bill is to the American people who overwhelmingly support prevention along with just punishment. Americans know that the right choice for our country is to take control of the firearms industry instead of being held hostage by it and its highly financed lobby.
Firearms should be subject to the same controls as any other consumer product. Just as we do not allow race cars on our highways, we should not allow military-style assault weapons with their large-capacity ammunition magazines to be freely exchanged by our civilian population. Police throughout the country have spoken out in favor of the ban on these weapons. Let's give them a better chance to defend our neighborhoods, our children and themselves.
Virginians, like the rest of the American people, want and deserve a crime bill now, not next year. Let's encourage our legislators to work out the details and give us a good bill.
If you had a heart, you'd see the value of prevention as a long-term solution, not pork. If you had courage, you'd admit that this bill has merit, that it requires refinement, that it can be salvaged and should be passed.
ALICE MOUNTJOY, president
Virginians Against Handgun
Violence Inc.
Norfolk, Aug. 15, 1994 by CNB