2012 conventions 2012 election 2013 session arts arts and culture author ballot measures basketball bomb books boy scouts budget bullying business charlie hales children clackamas climate change coal college courts crime culture culture club democrats drugs economy education environment family film fluoride food gay rights guns handguns health health care health insurance high school history housing immigration internet kitzhaber law legislature lgbt literary arts living marijuana marriage media medicine mental health military minor parties mohamed mohamud movies music native americans news newspaper obama olympics oregon our town parenting pers photography police politcs politics port portland portland business journal president prevention public safety religion republicans rnc romney rural salem sam adams sandy hook schools science shooting sports suicide supreme court taxes technology television terrorism theater third parties transportation union university of oregon washington wildfire women

It is clear to me that Oregon's lax gun laws contribute to too many gun deaths and injuries.  Ceasefire Oregon works to reduce gun violence by strengthening commonsense gun legislation, such as background checks and child access prevention laws, whereas organizations like the Oregon Firearms Federation work to remove or prevent such laws, like background checks. 

And the tired attempt to compare gun deaths to deaths by cars or power tools is ridiculous.  Guns are purpose-made to kill quickly and efficiently, yet don't even require a moment of training to purchase them, or registration and licensing, and parents are not held responsible to keep the guns safely in their home (unlike regulations to keep small children in child safety seats in cars, for instance).  Such legislation makes us safer, without infringing on our right to self-defense.

My blog post on this interview:  http://newtrajectory.blogspot.com/2011/02/guns-in-our-lives-interview-on-opb-part.html

posted 2 years, 3 months ago
view in context