The Duel over Gun Control

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Lafe Pfeifer, secretary of the Texas State Rifle Association, puts it bluntly: "Punish those who misuse firearms, but leave me alone." This approach predominates in Southern and Western states, but the laws are rarely enforced—and thus serve as no deterrent. In Montana, one survey showed that of 141 people convicted of armed crimes, none were sentenced to additional time for using a weapon. In Florida, where a similar law was passed in 1975, murders have steadily climbed to a record 1,387 last year, an increase of 28% over 1979. In Miami, 29,000 handguns were legally sold in six months last year, up more than 100% from the year before.

> Registration of handguns. While registration would not infringe on the right of citizens to own weapons, it would in theory give police some control over gun sales. Some form of registration is used throughout the country, but the strictness of rules varies enormously. In Arizona, guns can be purchased by simply filling out a form. In New York, by contrast, a purchaser must pass a background check and complete a marksmanship course before getting a permit to carry a gun. Registration has a limited impact on crime. "From the standpoint of homicide prevention, it is meaningless whether a gun is registered," says Detroit Psychiatrist Emanuel Tanay, a gun-control advocate.

> Banning handguns. Massachusetts, New York and Washington, D.C., have tried this by imposing severely restrictive permit requirements, backed by mandatory penalties for violations. But these tough laws will not work if nearby communities have easier ones. Mark David Chapman brought a legally purchased gun all the way from Hawaii to kill John Lennon in Manhattan. Bernard Welch stole a gun in Virginia and used it to kill Michael Halberstam, a noted cardiologist and author, in Washington. A ban would attempt to prevent any new handgun from coming into circulation; it would not affect hunting rifles and shotguns, which are more effective than pistols in defending homes, yet are rarely used by muggers or robbers. But even if Congress were to pass a statute banning handguns, the enormous nationwide cache—an estimated 2 million illegal guns in New York City alone—means it would be years before the black-market availability of these weapons was restricted.