By Dan Murphy
Three years ago, Yonkers community leader London Reyes brought his children’s program, the AAA All Stars, to Yonkers City Hall in support of a rally held by Mom’s Demand Action, and their call for something to be done about the recent shootings across the country.
Now three years later, after two more shootings in recent weeks, the people of Yonkers and citizens across the country are asking the same question and wondering how and when gun violence can end.
“This has been a problem that has cursed the United States for too long. It disheartens me to know the people are putting politics before common sense. Whenever I can team up with an organization like Mom’s Demand Action, I like to bring the kids from my program along and educate them and tell them to stay away from guns and gangs. We need more community leaders to be more enganged and focus on saving lives,” said Reyes.
Reyes outrage was shared by State Senator Shelley Mayer, who said the “school shooting at Robb Elementary School, and the death of at least 18 children and 1 teacher, is completely unacceptable. How can it be that our youngest children in an elementary school, a place that we once believed was safe, can be gunned down in a few moments? How can it be that families will face a lifetime of unbearable loss and pain because guns are so available and so lethal that they can murder 19 people, children and adults, in a few moments?
“After each horrific incident, we are heartbroken and vow that we cannot let this continue. We are left to wonder what it will take for Republicans in Congress to stand up for our children and families. Make no mistake – after last week’s racist murders in Buffalo, carried out with a semi-automatic rifle modified to use a high-capacity magazine and now today’s carnage at an elementary school – we must call out the willful inaction. How much is enough? This is enough.”
Several business organizations, including the Business Council of Westchester, have called for the return of the assault weapons ban. “The tragic, brutal, and senseless shootings that we have witnessed over the last two weeks must be a final wakeup call that new federal legislation has to be adopted to finally address the glaring holes in the criminal justice system,” said John Ravitz, Executive Vice President & COO, Business Council of Westchester.
U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and Congressman David Cicilline have introduced legislation banning assault weapons in the United States. The legislation: Bans the sale, manufacture, transfer, and importation of 205 military-style assault weapons by name. Owners may keep existing weapons.
Westchester County Executive George Latimer signed a law last week which requires the posting of notices warning of the dangers of weapons or firearms at the point of sale and at the point of the issuance of a firearm license. Latimer said: “We all know that the key driver of gun violence in the United States is the wide availability of firearms. When a gun is easily accessible, the risk of homicide, suicide, and unintentional shootings rises dramatically. We as a County are limited as to what we can do when it comes to preventing access to firearms, but as we banned the gun show at the County Center we can take steps to strip away the glorification of weapons. Similar to the Surgeon General’s Warning on cigarettes, this warning will remind people just how dangerous guns are.”
New York State Legislators and Governor Kathy Hochul passed and signed into law ten bills that will raise the age from 18 to 21 to purchase a semiautomatic rifle; prohibit the Purchase of Body Armor with Exception of Those in Specified Professions, eliminates Grandfathering of High-Capacity Feeding Devices, Requires Social Media Companies to Improve Response to and Reporting of Hateful Content, and expands the Red Flag law.
“Thoughts and prayers won’t do it, but strong action will,” said Hochul urged, adding “Heaven help you if you look at those images and don’t have a change of heart.”
The Red Flag law in New York will be expanded to allow more people, including health-care professionals, to file risk orders that could lead to weapons confiscations from potentially dangerous people. And it requires, rather than allows, law enforcement to seek an order if credible information is provided.
“We will be ready to defend these laws against challenges,” Attorney General Tish James said.“The Second Amendment is not absolute.”
“We never want a tragedy like Buffalo to happen again. We had red flag laws. We don’t understand what happened,” said State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins “That’s why we’re making sure that we close that loophole so that more people can apply for extreme risk protection orders.”
