Phoenix, AZ – Federal law used to ban the manufacture of any clip that
held more than 10 bullets. But that expired in 2004. And while
some states and communities have enacted their own restrictions,
Arizona has not. The issue arose anew with the killing of six
people and wounding of 13 others in Tucson. Witnesses reported
they were able to tackle the assailant only after he had emptied
the clip and had to reload. But Gov. Jan Brewer said the sole
blame for the shootings should be on the person who pulled the
trigger.
(This man is accountable for what he has done. And he should be
held accountable. But I don't think it has anything to do with
the size of the magazine or the caliber of the gun. The guy is a
mad man. And he is accountable.)
Brewer also brushed aside questions of whether the shooter would
not have been able to kill and wound as many as he did had his
weapon held a fewer number of bullets.
(He'd have another gun, maybe. Maybe he could have three guns in
his pocket. You know, I just don't want to go there, Howie. It's
all hypothetical. I believe in the Second Amendment, as did Gabby
Giffords.)
Senate President Russell Pearce called the question of high
capacity magazines a difficult issue. But he said it's wrong to
look at the question of whether individuals need a weapon with
more than 30 bullets for self defense.
(And our founders not only believed that it was your God-given
right, an inalienable right to bear arms. They also believed as
an adult citizen, 18 years old, you must be prepared to defend
your nation. So it had more than self-defense implications. It's
about we all are obligated to protect and defend this republic.)
Pearce was the sponsor of last year's legislation to eliminate
the requirement that those who want to carry a concealed weapon
must first get a permit. That entailed not only a background
check but also some basic training on when deadly physical force
can be used. Pearce said the fact that the law allowed the
alleged assailant to legally carry a hidden weapon without a
permit is irrelevant.
(Bad guys are bad guys. They're called bad guys for a reason.
Because they're bad guys. They don't follow the rules or the
laws. Good citizens do. Whenever you pass those kind of
restrictions, all you do is put citizens in jeopardy.)
And Pearce said it's possible that if there were more people
carrying guns at that shopping center, some lives might have been
saved.
(A good, armed citizen is the best security you can have
anywhere. Police come after the incident. They respond after
things are over. You have a right to defend yourself or those
around you. I'm not going to un-arm citizens and allow them to be
victims.)
A spokesman for House Speaker Kirk Adams said his boss has no
interest in enacting more restrictive laws on guns or ammunition.
For Arizona Public Radio this is Howard Fischer.