In 2005, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a nationwide organization that works to prevent gun violence and lobbies for greater restrictions on gun ownership, awarded New Jersey an “A-” for its strong gun laws, particularly some of its juvenile controls.
New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine’s (D) Strategic Actions for Violence Elimination program for New Jersey schools challenges President George W. Bush to encourage other states to use New Jersey as a model for tougher gun laws. (See story, this page.)
New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness spokesman Roger Shatzkin said Corzine is addressing the fact that guns used in a New Jersey school attack might not come from New Jersey stores.
“While New Jersey has strong gun laws, we do not see strong laws uniformly across the states,” Shatzkin said. “Governor Corzine is concerned about the ease of access, and the effect it has on school violence here in New Jersey.”
But Gregg M. Edwards, president of the Center for Policy Research of New Jersey, a free-market think tank, is skeptical. He asked why Corzine would shift his energies outside of New Jersey and noted tougher gun laws do not necessarily make schools safer.
“New Jersey has among the most restrictive laws in the nation,” Edwards said. “I question whether more gun control is the solution to this problem. If you are acknowledging that violent crime is rising, and you already have tough gun laws, then you have to wonder if we are doing the right thing.”
— Kate McGreevy
For more information …
Nearly 100 documents addressing the effectiveness of gun control efforts are available through PolicyBot™, The Heartland Institute’s free online research database. Point your Web browser to http://www.policybot.org and choose the topic/subtopic combination Crime/Gun Control.
