Saturday, February 12, 2011

By Robyn Ringler

Thirty years ago, my life changed when I became President Ronald Reagan’s nurse for ten days at the George Washington University Hospital after he, his press secretary, a Secret Service agent and police officer were brutally gunned down after a political event. I imagine I felt very much like Gabrielle Giffords’ nurses are feeling right now.

It is amazing to me that 30 years after the Reagan shooting, a similarly deranged gunman shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, her staff members and others at a political event in Tucson.

Where has our legislature been for the past 30 years? Yes, some legislation has been passed. Yes, New York has some of the best gun control legislation out of all the states. But, on a federal level, we have made no progress whatsoever. If we had, the apparently mentally ill gunman who shot Giffords would not have gained access to a semi-automatic weapon with multiple high-capacity magazines designed to kill many people in seconds.

Since the shooting in Tucson, I have waited for legislators to act. Most have said and done nothing. But a few courageous individuals are trying to make a difference and they deserve our support.

First, Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy has proposed legislation to ban high-capacity ammunition magazines such as that used in the tragic shooting in Tucson. The Tucson shooter had four magazines with his Glock pistol: two high-capacity magazines of more than 30 rounds and two standard clips of 15 rounds. We all saw how many people can be killed in just seconds with such high-capacity magazines.

Second, Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a group made up of nonpartisan mayors from around the U.S, is gaining momentum in its efforts to fully fund the National Instant Background Check System Improvement Act so that many more records — of the mentally ill, drug abusers, convicted felons, and domestic violence abusers — will be listed in the national database. This way, those who should not have guns will not be able to buy them because their information will be in the system.

Third, the mayors are also fighting to require background checks at all gun shows. Background checks at gun shows are not required in many states. These are all reasonable measures supported by more than 90 percent of the public, including gun owners.

As a member of The League of Women Voters (LWV), I encourage you to show strong support for these efforts. The LWV believes that the proliferation of handguns and semi-automatic assault weapons is a major health and safety threat. The LWV supports strong federal measures to limit the accessibility and regulate the ownership of these weapons by private citizens. The League supports regulating firearms for consumer safety.

Go to votesmart.com to find out how to contact your legislators. Then, please, call them, e-mail them, visit them and ask them to support these efforts so we, as a nation, do not have to experience these tragic shootings over and over again.

Robyn Ringler is a nurse, lawyer, writer and blogger for The Saratogian. She owns East Line Books in Clifton Park.