Wvw, Hoban To Decide Wvc Championship

Adele Jancik 
Feb. 11, 1994 
Adele Jancik, Of Third Avenue, Kingston, Died Friday In Summit Health Care 
Center, Wilkes-barre.

Sunday, February 13, 1994 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Gun control: yes or no? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Yes &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A nation that used laws to make its highways much safer can do the same
with firearms &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If ever there is an issue ripe for harvesting by the nation's political
leaders, it is gun control -- honest, effective, national, gun controlUnlike
most pending legislation including universal health care, the shape of
desirable gun control legislation is ready for adoption. It is simple. It can
be easily enacted, and quickly and cheaply implemented. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It would require the national registration of all firearms; a national
permit system for transporting such weapons; and a procedure for the national
licensing -- required of anyone using a firearm -- of those who have
satisfactorily completed a training-and-use course. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Modest fees would cover the costs of the program. Adequate penalties for
violation would compel compliance. When done, it would still allow for the
private ownership of weapons for hunting, marksmanship, and other appropriate
and legitimate uses, which are the traditional concerns of such organizations
as sportsmen's clubs and the National Rifle Association (NRA). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 There is at least one more element which should be either part of the
initial legislation or a prompt companion to it: provision for a program of
public education on the proper -- and improper -- uses of firearms. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Furthermore, unlike much of the other pending legislation, there is
evidence of a great and growing groundswell of public support for national gun
control -- a movement that any incumbent or aspirant to a career in public
office would find to be even more rewarding than being on the NRA payola
roster. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 For what is driving the public is the rising tide of terrible experiences
resulting from today's unregulated gun culture. Some lump it under the word
"violence." Others use phrases like "loss of family values." Still others talk
of "gangs,""lawlessness," and "teenage madness." Those experiences are
personal for thousands of Americans. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But it is their collective numbers -- the statistics they create -- that
have caught the attention of millions of others who, whether from compassion,
fear, or an aroused sense of responsibility, are reacting, too, with demands
for gun controls. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 A nation that boasts of its dedication to its children can't help but be
stunned to learn that in just a dozen years, 50,000 American children and
teenagers were killed by firearms. That is almost as many American soldiers,
sailors, marines, and airmen as were killed in twelve years of fighting a war,
the Vietnam conflict. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But these 50,000 children were victims in a nation that was supposed to be
enjoying the blessings of peace. Worse, if possible, their numbers were
multiplied many times over by their psychologically and socially wounded
survivors -- their peers who were left scarred for life by those deaths,
afraid for themselves, their families, and each other, and robbed of hope for
a better future. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Too dramatic? Well, those same statistics find that while about half of
those 50,000 deaths were homicides, more than half of the remainder -- about
64 percent -- were suicides. Another 28 percent of the fatalities were a
result of accidents -- the "unloaded"gun, the "being in the wrong place at the
wrong time." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Adults don't have a better record. In just one year, 1991, automobile
fatalities in the United States totaled 43,536 -- and an additional 38,317
men, women, and children in this country died from gunshot wounds. Again,
statistics show that the number of deaths from firearms in this country have
climbed almost steadily since the 1960's while, during the same period, the
number of automobile fatalities almost as steadily declined. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And it is this last statistic -- the declining automobile fatality rate --
that gives encouragement to gun control and public education about firearms. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It was public alarm about automobile fatalities that led to tighter
regulation of automobile design and use, and to intensified driver education.
Together, these changes are credited with reducing the fatality rate. The
obvious reasoning then is, if it worked for the automobile, why not for
firearms? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Of course, there are those who object to any gun controls at all as a
violation of their inherent rights. Yet, as one advocate pointed out, we have
more regulations controlling children's toys than we have for guns. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No, the time for "playing pretend," for fantasies about "How The West Was
Won," has run out. Reality time is here. Today it is the drug trade and the
immature disaffected who wield the guns. Consequently, the public is clamoring
for more than control of cannon, machine guns and assault weapons. Public
opinion polls continue to confirm that a majority of Americans want realistic
and effective control of all firearms now. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And while a majority of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives still
haven't got it (and this would be the year to give it to them), those who want
to stay in public office are, at long last, listening and heeding. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Tom Bigler, professor of communications at Wilkes University, is a Times
Leader columnist. His column appears on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Gun Control: Yes Or No? 
Yes 
A Nation That Used Laws To Make Its Highways Much Safer Can Do The Same With 
Firearms 
If Ever There Is An Issue Ripe For Harvesting By The Nation's Political 
Leaders, It Is Gun Control -- Honest, Effective, National, Gun Control.

Gun Control: Yes Or No? Yes A Nation That Used Laws To Make Its Highways Much Safer Can Do The Same With Firearms If Ever There Is An Issue Ripe For Harvesting By The Nation's Political Leaders, It Is Gun Control -- Honest, Effective, National, Gun Control.