June 29, 2010: Will capping gun sales stop gun violence?

 

>> Emily: TONIGHT ON "GREATER

BOSTON" -- WILL LIMITING GUN

BUYERS TO ONE PER MONTH CUT DOWN

ON STREET VIOLENCE?

PLUS, THE PSYCHIATRIST BLASTING

HIS PROFESSION FOR PRESCRIBING

TOO MANY DRUGS.

AND MEET THE LOCAL ACTRESS

 

GETTING READY FOR HER CLOSE-UP

IN "ECLIPSE" THE NEWEST FILM IN

THE "TWILIGHT" SAGA.

Closed Captioning

brought to you by AFLAC:

Ask about it at work.

GOOD EVENING.

THE DEATHS OF TWO 14-YEAR-OLDS

BY GUN FIRE THIS SPRING PROMPTED

OUTRAGE OVER VIOLENCE IN THE

CITY OF BOSTON.

YET, THERE HAS BEEN NO CONSENSUS

ON HOW TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.

NOW, GOVERNOR DEVAL PATRICK IS

PUSHING A CAP ON MONTHLY GUN

SALES WHICH HE SAYS WOULD MAKE

IT HARDER FOR CRIMINALS TO GET

WEAPON, BUT AS THE LEGISLATURE

PREPARES TO VOTE ON PATRICK'S

PROPOSAL, GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES

ARE CRYING FOUL.

KIM ODOM'S 13-YEAR-OLD SON

STEPHEN WAS SHOT AND KILLED IN

DORCHESTER THREE YEARS AGO.

NOW ODOM IS LOBBYING FOR THE

GOVERNOR'S GUN CONTROL BILL

WHICH WOULD LIMIT GUN PURCHASES

TO ONE PER CUSTOMER PER MONTH.

ODOM SAYS ITS SHOULD BE A

NO-BRAINER.

>> IT'S ALL ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.

WHEN I THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW,

911 AT THE 911, ALL THE

PRECAUTIONS THAT WERE TAKEN.

YOU KNOW?

NATIONALLY.

THIS GUN VIOLENCE IS A NATIONAL

ISSUE.

AND WE SHOULD BE DOING THE SAME

THING.

>> Emily: AND THIS WOMAN ALSO

AGREES, AND SHE SAYS STRAW

PURCHASING MAKES IT TOO EASY FOR

THEM TO GET GUNS.

>> A STRAW PURCHASE IS WHEN ONE

PERSON WITH A CLEAN BACKGROUND

STANDS IN AND BUYS A GUN FOR

SOMEBODY WHO CAN'T BUY IT

LEGALLY.

AND RIGHT NOW, A STRAW PURCHASER

IN MASSACHUSETTS CAN BUY DOZENS

OF GUNS IN A SINGLE TRANSACTION.

>> Emily: AND SAYS LEVINSON

THERE'S NO GOOD REASON FOR GUN

OWNERS TO OBJECT TO A MONTHLY

CAP.

>> SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS THAT I

HAVE HEARD THEM MAKE AGAINST THE

GOVERNOR'S BILL IS IF GUN

OWNERS -- IF LAWFUL GUN OWNERS

ARE LIMITED TO ONLY ONE GUN A

MONTH, THEY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A TWO FOR ONE

SALE.

AND SO WE ASK THEM TO BE

REASONABLE.

>> Emily: BUT JIM WALLACE OF THE

GUN OWNERS ACTION LEAGUE SAYS

THE GOVERNOR AND HIS ALLIES ARE

BEING IRRATIONAL.

>> IT'S ABSURD ON THE VERY

NOTION THAT A LAWFUL CITIZEN

EXERCISING THEIR CIVIL RIGHTS

AND SIMPLY BY O -- BUYING TWO

GUNS AND PUTTING THEM IN THE

SAFE IS GOING TO GO TO PRISON.

>> Emily: IF STRAW PURCHASES ARE

A PROBLEM, THE STATE CAN USE

EXISTING LAWS TO CRACK DOWN.

>> THERE ARE SEVERE PENALTIES ON

THE BOOKS AND IF THOSE CRIMES

ARE HAPPENING, OUR QUESTION

WOULD BE WHERE ARE THE

PROSECUTIONS?

>> Emily: WALLACE BACKS A RIVAL

BILL FILED BY GEORGE PETERSON

WHICH FOCUSES ON FINDING AND

PENALIZING ILLEGAL GUN USE AND

THAT THE GOVERNOR'S APPROACH

WON'T WORK.

>> THE GREATEST, SADDEST IRONY

OF THIS ALL, EVEN IF THE BILL

PASSES, NOTHING IS GONNA BE DONE

ABOUT INNER CITY PUBLIC SAFETY.

>> Emily: BUT ON BEACON HILL,

THOSE MAY BE TRUMPED BY THE PLEA

OF MOMS LIKE ODOM.

>> PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE BEING

TAKEN SENSELESSLY AND IT'S

BECOME AN INJUSTICE.

>> Emily: THE MASSACHUSETTS

HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON THE

FINAL VERSION OF PATRICK'S BILL

NEXT MONTH.

JOINING ME NOW ARE STATE

REPRESENTATIVE DAVID LINSKY, A

FORMER PROSECUTOR WHO'S FOR THE

BILL.

AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE GEORGE

PETERSON WHO IS AGAINST IT.

WELCOME TO BOTH OF YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Emily: JUST ON THE FACE OF

IT, ON

THE PRINCIPLE OF ONE GUN

PURCHASE PER MONTH, PER

CUSTOMER, DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM

WITH THAT PART OF IT?

>> YES, I DO, BECAUSE IT'S NOT

GOING TO SOLVE THE UNDERLYING

PROBLEM.

>> Emily: THAT'S TRUE.

BUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE IDEA?

>> BUT IF WE'RE DOING IT TO

SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF THE INNER

CITIES, THEN LET'S GO AFTER THE

PROBLEM THAT WE ARE FACED WITH.

THE STRAW PURCHASE, ILLEGAL

GUNS, TEENAGERS WITH GUNS THIS

THEIR POSITION -- IN THEIR

POSSESSION.

>> Emily: HAVEN'T WE TRIED TO DO

THIS IN THE PAST?

>> EVIDENTLY WE HAVEN'T BEEN TOO

SUCCESSFUL.

>> Emily: NO LAW IS GOING TO

CHANGE THAT.

WHAT LAW IS GOING TO CHANGE

THAT?

>> THAT'S TRUE, UNTIL WE START

TO PROSECUTE UNDER THE EXISTING

LAWS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

WE PASSED THE TOUGHEST GUN LAWS

IN THE COUNTRY IN 1998.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, 85%,

WE HAVE LOST 85% OF THE LAWFUL

GUN OWNERS LEGALLY LICENSED GUN

OWNERS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

YET, GUN-RELATED HOMICIDES HAVE

GONE UP 7 0 % SINCE 1998.

AND GUN-RELATED ASSAULTS HAVE

GONE UP 200%.

WE ARE NOT ENFORCING THE LAWS

THAT WE HAVE ON THE BOOKS NOW

AND THE FIRST THING OUT OF THE

GATE WHEN THERE IS A TRAGEDY

THAT COMES ABOUT IS TO GO

REGULATE THE LAWFUL GUN OWNER

AGAIN.

>> Emily: WELL, NOT THE LAWFUL

GUN OWNER.

THE IDEA IS TO TARGET THE

UNLAWFUL GUN OWNER, BUT HOW IS

THIS GOING TO DO THAT?

>> WELL, THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS

IN BOSTON WHERE IT'S LITERALLY

EASIER TO BUY AN ILLEGAL FIREARM

THAN IT IS TO BUY A PIECE OF --

>> Emily: BUT THAT WON'T CHANGE.

>> WE HAVE TO CUT DOWN THE

NUMBER OF GUNS OUT THERE ON THE

STREETS.

THE REASON THAT --

>> Emily: THEY'LL GO SOMEWHERE

ELSE TO GET THEM.

>> WE HAVE TO CUT DOWN ON THE

SUPPLY.

IT IS SO EASY RIGHT NOW TO FIND

A GUN TO PURCHASE IN THE INNER

CITY THAT WE HAVE TO CUT DOWN ON

THE SUPPLY.

THE WAY THAT THE GUNS ARE COMING

IN, THEY'RE COMING IN A LOT OF

FROM OUT OF STATE, BUT A LOT

FROM IN STATE.

PEOPLE ARE BUYING MULTIPLE GUNS

AT THE SAME TIME AND SELLING

THEM TO PEOPLE WHO AREN'T

LEGALLY AUTHORIZED TO BUY THOSE

WEAPONS.

>> SO IF WE LOOK AT THAT

PREMISE, AND I MIGHT AGREE THAT

A LOT OF THESE COME FROM OUT OF

STATE OR EVEN IN STATE WITH

MULTIPLE GUN PURCHASES, UNDER

CURRENT FEDERAL LAW, YOU BUY

MORE THAN TWO HANDGUNS IN A

FIVE-DAY PERIOD IT HAS TO BE

REPORTED TO ATF WITHIN THE CLOSE

OF THAT BUSINESS DAY WHEN THE

SECOND FIREARM IS PURCHASED.

>> Emily: YOU MEAN THE FIRST ONE

YOU DON'T HAVE TO --

>> WELL, IT IS RECORDED, BUT IF

YOU BUY MORE THAN TWO HAND GUNS

IN A FIVE-DAY PERIOD IT HAS TO

BE REPORTED ON A SEPARATE FORM

TO ATF.

>> Emily: LOOK, ISN'T IT THE

BIGGER PART OF THIS THAT THE

SALES HAVE TO TAKE PLACE IN A

LEGITIMATE GUN STORE, THEY CAN'T

TAKE PLACE AT SOME FAIRGROUND,

YOU KNOW, OUT IN BRIMFIELD OR

SOMETHING.

>> IT CAN'T BE DONE NOW.

>> Emily: WELL, THERE ARE GUN

SHOWS, THEY GET AROUND THE LAWS,

WE KNOW THAT.

>> YOU CAN'T BUY A HANDGUN AT A

GUN SHOW AND HAVE IT TRANSFERRED

TO YOU WITHOUT GOING THROUGH A

LICENSED DEALER.

OUTSIDE OF AN INDIVIDUAL -- ONE

INDIVIDUAL TO ANOTHER, FOUR

PURCHASES IN A YEAR OR SALES --

>> Emily: WHYIT THAT IN THE LAW?

WHY MAKE THAT PART OF THE LAW

THEN?

>> THEY HAVE TO REPORT THAT SALE

WITHIN SEVEN DAYS.

>> Emily: HELP ME OUT, I'M

TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

WHY ARE YOU GUYS MAKING THAT

PART OF THE LAW?

>> SEE, THE REALITY IS THERE ARE

A LOT OF LOOPHOLES OUT THERE.

WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO CREATE HERE

IN MASSACHUSETTS A SITUATION

WHERE WE START PLUGGING SOME OF

THE LOOPHOLES THAT ARE OUT THERE

IN FEDERAL LAW.

THE REALITY IS THERE ARE GUN

SHOWS OUT THERE AND YES, YOU DO

HAVE TO GO AND REPORT IT, BUT IT

DOESN'T ALWAYS GET DONE.

WE ARE TRYING TO CUT DOWN HOW

EASY IT IS TO PURCHASE A FIREARM

AND THE REALITY IS THAT THE ONLY

EFFECTIVE WAY WE'LL DO THAT IS

TO CUT DOWN ON THE SUPPLY.

TO MAKE IT TOUGH.

YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO GO OUT

AND BUY TEN GUNS AT ONCE.

YOU SHOULDN'T BE ABLE TO BUY 15

GUNS AT ONCE.

I HAVE YET TO HEAR ONE COHERENT,

COGENT ARGUMENT WHY SOMEBODY

NEEDS TO DO THAT.

>> Emily: DO WE KNOW WHO IS

DOING THAT?

IF ALL ARE REPORTED, WHO ARE THE

GUYS?

>> BUT THAT'S WHAT I WOULD

LIKE --

>> Emily: TRACK THEM BACK AND --

>> THAT'S WHAT I'D LINE TO KNOW.

>> Emily: WHY AREN'T WE NOW?

>> I DON'T KNOW.

>> Emily: YOU TOLD ME ALL THAT

DATA IS RECORDED.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

SO YOU THE TRACE ANY FIREARM

SALE FROM ITS MANUFACTURER, A

HANDGUN SINCE THE -- I BELIEVE

THE 1915, THOSE SALES ARE

RECORDED.

FROM THE MANUFACTURER ALL THE

WAY TO THE WHOLE SALER, TO THE

RETAILER, TO THE NEXT

INDIVIDUAL.

NOW, IF THAT GUN IS STOLEN, AND

THAT GETS ON THE STREET, THAT'S

ANOTHER MATTER.

BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE THE DATA ON

WHERE THESE GUNS ARE COMING

FROM.

BECAUSE THE FACT OF THE MATTER

IS IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WITH A

STRAW PURCHASE OF MULTIPLE

HANDGUNS SELLING THEM TO AN

UNLICENSED INDIVIDUAL, THEY

COULD BE INCARCERATED FOR LIFE.

IF YOU SELL ONE TO AN UNLICENSED

PERSON, YOU COULD SERVE TEN

YEARS.

THAT'S THE LAW ON THE BOOKS

RIGHT NOW.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

>> WE NEED TO FIND OUT --

>> THE PROBLEM WITH THAT

APPROACH IS IT'S AFTER THE FACT.

IT'S AFTER THAT 14-YEAR-OLD HAS

ALREADY BEEN SHOT AND KILLED,

THEN YOU GO BACK AND START TO

TRACE IT.

WE HAVE TO KEEP THOSE

14-YEAR-OLDS FROM GETTING

KILLED.

AND THE WAY THAT YOU KEEP THOSE

14-YEAR-OLDS FROM GETTING KILLED

IS BY CUTTING DOWN ON THE

SUPPLY.

CUTTING DOWN ON THE AVAILABILITY

OF FIREARMS OUT THERE.

NO ONE HAS EVER TOLD ME, NO ONE

HAS EVER TOLD ME WHY SOMEBODY

NEEDS TO BUY MORE THAN 12 --

>> Emily: THAT'S LAUGHABLE IN

THE FACE.

>> THAT'S TRUE.

BUT WHAT ABOUT A COLLECTION?

THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO

COLLECT FIREARMS, SOME MULTIPLE

COLLECTIONS.

>> Emily: I MEAN, ANTIQUES COULD

HAVE A SEPARATE CATEGORY.

>> I UNDERSTAND, THE WINCHESTER,

IT'S AS FUNCTIONABLE TODAY AS A

HUNDRED YEARS AGO.

>> YOU DON'T HAVE A

CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO COLLECT

ANYTHING YOU YOU WANT.

YOU CAN'T COLLECT DRUGS, YOU

CAN'T COLLECT PORNOGRAPHY.

YOU CAN'T DO THAT IT.

>> IF THOSE GUNS WERE ON THE

STREET, I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.

THOSE ARE NOT THE PROBLEM

FIREARMS.

THEY HAVE BEEN REGULATED FOR A

NUMBER OF YEARS.

WE HAVE LAWS ON THE BOOKS

AGAINST STRAW PURCHASES.

YOU KNOW THAT AS WELL AS I DO.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

BUT IT'S AFTER THE FACT.

AFTER THE KID IS KILLED.

>> WHEN IS THE LAST TIME

SOMEBODY HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF A

STRAW PURCHASE?

>> I DON'T KNOW, GEORGE.

>> THEN WE SHOULD FIND OUT WHY

BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE

SELLING THE GUNS TO THE

TEENAGERS ON THE STREET AND

THOSE ARE PEOPLE YOU NEED TO

TAKE OFF THE STREET.

>> Emily: THERE'S ANOTHER FORM

OF LEGISLATION THAT YOU SUPPORT.

>> YES.

WE ARE FILING A COMPREHENSIVE

BILL THAT REWRITES THE LICENSING

LAWS AND SEPARATES OUT THE

LICENSING LAWS AND VIOLATIONS

FROM THE CRIMINAL USE OF

FIREARMS, AS WELL AS WE PUT OUR

MIND TO SETTING UP A SPECIAL

UNIT OF THE STATE POLICE.

THE DIVISION WOULD BE ATTACHED

TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE

TO START DIGGING INTO THE EXACT

PROBLEM.

TO PROSECUTE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE

SELLING THESE GUNS TO THE

TEENAGERS.

>> THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH

THAT.

THERE'S NO REASON WE CAN'T HAVE

A SEPARATE UNIT OF THE STATE

POLICE THAT GO DO THAT TYPE OF

ENFORCEMENT.

WE CAN DO THAT BOTH.

THE PROBLEM WITH YOUR BILL,

GEORGE, THERE'S A SECTION THAT

MAKES IT EASIER TO GET A FIREARM

LICENSE.

BY TAKING THE AUTHORITY AWAY

FROM THE LOCAL POLICE CHIEFS.

THAT'S THE REAL PROBLEM.

 

ITN'T -- IT SHOULDN'T BE EASIER

TO GET A FIREARM.

>> Emily: AND WE GO BACK TO THE

PREMISES OF THE LICENSED GUN

DEALER, IF THAT'S ALREADY THE

CASE, WHY DO WE NEED THIS LAW?

>> THE ONLY TRANSACTIONS THAT

ARE NOT -- THAT HAVE NOT GONE

THROUGH THAT PROCESS RIGHT NOW

ARE AN INDIVIDUAL LICENSED

INDIVIDUAL TO ANOTHER LICENSED

INDIVIDUAL.

YOU'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT FOUR

TIMES A YEAR.

>> Emily: LIKE A --

>> YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT THE

FA-10, THE STATE FORM AND THEN

SEND THAT IN TO THE CRIMINAL

RECORDS HISTORY.

AND IF YOU FAIL TO DO THAT

WITHIN SEVEN DAYS, YOU COULD BE

CHARGED AND INCARCERATED UP TO

TEN YEARS.

>> Emily: BUT YOU'RE TALKING

ABOUT THE LEGAL USE OF GUNS.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HEART OF

THE MATTER NONE OF THE GUNS ARE

BEING OBTAINED LEGALLY IN ANY

WAY, SHAPE OR FORM.

EXCEPT GOING -- ANY WAY, WHO

KNOWS WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.

THEY ARE BEING SUPPLIED MAYBE

DIRECTLY FROM THE MANUFACTURER

FOR ALL WE KNOW.

IT'S POSSIBLE.

I DON'T RULE ANYTHING OUT.

I DON'T SEE HOW A LAW IS GOING

TO CHANGE THAT.

>> WELL, THE REALITY IS, A LAW

ISN'T GOING TO CHANGE THAT.

SO WHERE WE HAVE TO CUT BACK IS

CUTTING BACK THE SUPPLY.

THAT'S THE REALITY.

THERE ARE WAY TOO MANY GUNS ON

THE STREET.

>> Emily: START WITH THE

MANUFACTURERS.

>> THERE NEEDS TO BE EFFECTIVE

WAY TO LIMIT THE SUPPLY.

>> TO THINK THAT LIMITING THE

LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN TO PURCHASE

A FIREARM IS GOING TO REDUCE THE

NUMBER OF GUNS ON THE STREET IS

LUDICROUS ON ITS FACE.

THERE ARE MILLIONS OF GUNS IN

THE COMMONWEALTH OF

MASSACHUSETTS.

MOST OF THEM ARE OWNED BY

LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS.

>> Emily: ARE YOU SURE ABOUT

THAT?

>> YES.

>> Emily: HOW DO YOU KNOW?

I BET YOU YOU'RE WRONG.

>> THERE ARE MILLIONS --

>> Emily: WELL, THEY HAVE A

SINGLE GUN, BUT NOT 20 OR 30 IN

THEIR STASH.

>> YOU'D BE AMAZED AT HOW MANY

LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS HAVE --

>> A COLLECTION OF GUNS.

WHY DO YOU NEED MORE THAN 12 A

YEAR?

>> I HAVE NO IDEA.

I DON'T NEED THEM, BUT IF I

WANTED TO BUY A COLLECTION I

WOULD.

THE GOVERNOR'S BILL TALKS ABOUT

CHANGING THE DEFINITION OF A

FIREARM.

WHICH MAKES ITS ACTUALLY IT

COULD BE A PIECE OF A FIREARM.

INOPERABLE, BUT IT COULD BE A

BARREL OR A FRAME.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE

CONSIDERED A FIREARM, SO NOW IF

YOU WANTED TO BUY THAT GUN IN

PIECES YOU WOULD HAVE TO BUY THE

12 PIECES TO PUT IT TOGETHER

OVER A MONTH.

>> THE OBVIOUS REASON FOR THAT

IS SO THAT PEOPLE CAN'T GET

AROUND THE LAW BY BUYING PIECES

 

OF FIREARMS.

>> I UNDERSTAND THAT.

>> Emily: AND WASHINGTON, D.C.

SAYS IT'S HELPED BECAUSE

VIRGINIA PASSED IT.

GEORGE PETERSON, MAYBE A LITTLE

STUDY WHAT CAN I SAY?

DAVID LINSKY, THANK YOU VERY

MUCH.

DRUGS AND MENTAL HEALTH, WHY ONE

LOCAL PSYCHIATRIST IS

CRITICIZING HIS PROFESSION.