Pull the Trigger on Gun Laws :: 12/28/2012

In the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn., the country has been struggling with unanswered questions. Why children? Why did Adam Lanza do what he did?

In moving forward to prevent similar acts of violence, many are questioning whether gun laws should be changed.

Guns can be purchased from a wide variety of local and chain stores. In light of the recent tragedy, the Associated Press reported that Dick's Sporting Goods has suspended the sale of certain rifles in stores across the country. The company's website lists a number of hunting rifles and shotguns for adults and children, along with ammunition and other products, though firearms and ammunition can only be purchased from the store.

Walmart, however, has not stopped its sale of firearms.

Kory Lundberg, director of national media relations for Walmart, said that the company only sells low capacity magazines for modern sports rifles, and that handguns are only sold in stores located in Alaska. Similar to Dick's Sporting Goods, customers are unable to purchase firearms online.

"We don't sell guns online, and we have made no change to the assortment of guns we sell in our stores," Lundberg said. Walmart has a variety of firearms listed on its website, ranging from hunting rifles and shotguns to semi-automatic rifles. Retail stores represent a small portion of where firearms can be purchased.

Richard Greenberg, owner of Mechanicsburg Ordinance Company, located at 711 S. York St., has been in business for 19 years. His store sells firearms of all types, ranging from rifles and shotguns to hunting rifles, semi-automatic rifles and handguns. Despite recent gun control discussions, Greenberg sees things differently.

"It's not the weapon that is the cause ... it's the person," Greenberg said.

Buying a firearm takes more than a wad of cash or a swipe of a credit card. Greenberg outlined the process of buying both a handgun and a rifle or shotgun, both of which require different paperwork.

He said that customers have to fill out a record of sale application for the purchase of handguns, and an over-the-counter transaction record for rifles and shotguns. He then calls the Pennsylvania State Police, who then run a background check through the Pennsylvania Instant Check System to determine if the applicant is eligible to legally own the firearm. If the background check comes back and no irregularities are found, the customer is able to complete the purchase and take the gun home.

"I have about 2 percent of my customers that are denied," Greenberg said. "The rest are approved."

Lately, Greenberg said that a lot of his customers tend to be elderly citizens and women looking to buy weapons to protect themselves. In particular, he said that women are taking a keen interest in not only buying handguns, but also in how to use them and how to get enrolled in self-defense classes.

Should the laws change?

Talk of changing the gun laws across the country has only picked up steam since the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in Connecticut.

Politicians have proposed reinstating the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which expired in 2004. President Barack Obama recently appointed Vice President Joe Biden to take control on gun reform, and has promised action in response to the Sandy Hook shooting. He has also recognized that gun reform may not need to be a sweeping, all-inclusive action.

"I am also betting that the majority - the vast majority of responsible, law-abiding gun owners would be some of the first to say that we should be able to keep an irresponsible, law-breaking few from buying a weapon of war," Obama said.

In Pennsylvania, the state Constitution states that "the right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned."

State Rep. Stephen Bloom, R-199, said that despite the tragedy, gun laws in Pennsylvania should not be touched.

"My major concern is that we not react to this horrible crime in Connecticut by further restricting the rights of law abiding citizens," Bloom said.

Examining measures that would keep children safer should be a focus, according to Bloom - however, he said that further restricting citizens' second amendment rights will not accomplish that focus. Amid talks of the revival of the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which he said were "more hype than substance," Bloom said that he currently does not see any movement to impose additional restrictions on firearms in the state.

The Sentinel asked its readers in an online poll if they thought there should be a ban on assault weapons. By Friday evening, 310 said yes, while 387 said no, and 23 were undecided.

Sen. Pat Vance, R-31, was open to the idea of changing gun laws.

Beyond the scope of Pennsylvania's own laws, she said gun laws should be at a federal level in order to be effective. A federal ban on assault weapons, according to Vance, was a federal issue, which echoed Gov. Tom Corbett's response to the ban. Reflecting on the details of the Sandy Hook shooting, she said that the use of body armor has been something that she has thought about.

"If you're in the military, that's one thing," she said.

When talking about changes to firearm regulations, Vance said that doing so was teetering on a fine line on infringing that freedom. With regard to Pennsylvania law, Bloom said that requiring a permit to purchase firearms would be something he would oppose and that it is "an infringement on our second amendment rights to keep and bear arms," which he linked to vulnerability.

"Statistics indicate that the places in the United States with the strictest gun control laws often suffer the highest rates of gun crime because the good people are defenseless," Bloom said.

Vance said that her office has been looking at laws about both mental health and firearm laws.

In a statement from Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., in response to the shooting, he stressed for "discussion about the best way to better identify and protect ourselves from dangerous and mentally deranged individuals who seek to carry out such atrocities." He also stressed discussion to improve public safety and to protect children, but did not mention any potential discussions about changes in firearm laws.

Vance said that she has never understood why background checks are not conducted for firearm purchases at gun shows. While the major focus of the gun regulations deals with keeping firearms out of the hands of questionable individuals, Vance said that the answer to keep them in the hands of law abiding citizens is not clear. The nature of the attacks at Sandy Hook, however, posed another question for her.

"I wish I knew why we are such a violent nation compared to other nations," she said. "No one should be able to come in and take little children's lives like that."

Also among nationwide discussions are proposals to station armed guards in schools, or to even arm teachers. On Friday, the National Rifle Association said that it wants Congress to fund armed officers in every American school.

Bloom said that should a school district feels there is a legitimate threat, they should be able to make the decision to have armed guards in schools, and that it "makes sense."

Vance, however, said she was apprehensive about arming teachers within the classroom. She added that as the issues are discussed, she does not believe that a simple answer exists for all of them.