Debate Grows over Gun Laws in Wake of CT School Massacre
GREEN BAY, WI -- The shooting in Newtown, Conn. is sparking debate over gun control. Lawmakers around the country are taking a stance, saying we need tougher laws to prevent future shootings like the one in Newtown. But opponents say more restrictions are not the answer.
The Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort or W.A.V.E. says the shooting is a way to lay all options for gun control on the table.
But the Assistant Manager of Gus’s Guns in Green Bay thinks more laws won’t necessarily stop tragedies from happening.
“You can't blame the law-abiding people for what one guy did,” said Bronson Smith.
But the Executive Director of the W.A.V.E. says there is more to it.
“Clearly it's not one person, we deal with this every day in our country,” said Jeri Bonavia, the Executive Director of W.A.V.E.
The group is calling on legislators to pass tougher laws, enforcing background checks for everyone, even private sellers.
“The majority of gun owners think there should be common-sense laws, like background checks,” said Bonavia. “This is not a radical idea.”
But Smith believes it needs to be easier to carry guns, and places like churches and schools don’t need to deny access for firearms.
“You're just advertising to the sickos, this is a place to commit a crime, because no one here can defend themselves,” said Smith. “Maybe not every teacher, but at least some of the faculty needs to be armed.”
Bonavia has a problem with that idea.
“I don't know how we would continue to call ourselves a civil society,” she said.
It is a debate that is far from over.
Democratic Assembly Minority Leader, Peter Barca, said he plans to speak with Gov. Scott Walker on Tuesday, about a bipartisan commission to examine mass shootings.
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