Candidates play down gun control

To Leah Sheaffer, the words "gun control" used to mean about as much as the word "Columbine." That was, of course, before the April 1999 day when two gun-toting teenagers grabbed worldwide headlines with their brutal massacre of classmates and teachers at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo. Since then, gun control has become a primary concern for the College junior, leading her to organize anti-violence workshops on Penn's campus and to take a decidedly strong stand on the topic during the presidential election. "I see gun violence today as a health epidemic," Sheaffer said. "It's something that's harming not just the people who are dying and wounded, but also their families and friends. It's a more serious issue than people are giving it credit for being." As the weeks wind down to Election Day, Sheaffer isn't alone in her concern for the issues surrounding guns and their availability. All across the nation, advocates for both gun control and the Second Amendment are vigorously pushing their cause to an electorate that has yet to decidedly swing to one particular presidential candidate. But much to the dismay of many on both sides of the spectrum, neither Texas Gov. George W. Bush nor Vice President Al Gore has yet to prominently discuss the issue. "I think guns are an issue that's of central importance to precisely the key demographic in this race," said Eric Gorovitz, Policy Director for the Million Mom March Foundation, a California-based organization that promotes gun control laws. "And I think the candidates need to be spending a lot more time explaining their positions." While both Bush and Gore have offered official positions on the issue, some criticize the contenders for not making gun control a bigger part of their election strategies. Neither candidate, for example, mentioned the issue during the first presidential debate. According to Penn Political Science Department Chairman Jack Nagel, the candidates' reasoning behind that strategy may be based on their own protection. "It's interesting how low a profile the issue has had," Nagel said. "And I think the reason is that there are enough people on both sides that are so passionate about it that it can potentially cause damage to both candidates." In the wake of Columbine and similar school shootings across the country, gun control immediately topped the nation's political agenda. But since a gun control bill was defeated in Congress soon after the tragedy, the issue has largely fallen off the radar screen. Democrats and gun control activists have focused their efforts on toughening licensing procedures, mandating child-proof trigger locks and closing legal loopholes that allow same-day gun purchases at gun shows. Republicans, by comparison, have tied the gun-control issue with the fight on crime, centering their crusade not on the guns themselves but on their criminal users. The GOP advocates tough sentences for gun-related crimes and more vigorous prosecution of gun offenders. So far in this election cycle, it appears that neither of the two main candidates has wandered far from their party's official platform. "The governor believes strongly that the best control measure is to vigorously prosecute those who are involved in violent crime and gun offenses," Bush campaign spokesman Ken Lisaius said. "He's already cracked down on gun violence in the state of Texas, and the proof is that violent crime has decreased 20 percent and overall crime is down 13 percent." Lisaius added that Bush would support legislation mandating voluntary-use trigger locks, as well a ban on the importation of high capacity ammunition clips. To Democrats and gun control advocates, though, Bush's policy -- which they say stems directly from the GOP's close association with the pro-gun National Rifle Association -- does little to address the real problem: the wide availability of dangerous weapons on the market. The NRA refused to comment on either of the candidates' stances. "If Bush gets elected, it will turn back the clock on gun control in this country," Texans Against Gun Violence lobbyist Nina Butts said. "I'd like to see the vice president take Bush to task for his terrible record on gun control in our state." But for the most part, debate has focused on what's not being said, rather than what is. "I certainly thought that it had the potential to become a major issue after tragedies like Columbine," Nagel said. "I think there are potentially a lot more people on the pro-control side than the other side, and it will be interesting to see if the Democrats use that potential, which I think is still out there."