67°
FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Calls to strengthen the nation's gun control laws have come from parents and politicians — and even the president — in the days since 20 children and six adults were shot and killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown. Fairfield, tell us what you think in the poll and comments section below.
Fairfield, do you think gun control laws should be strengthened after the shooting deaths of 26 people in Newtown?
View ResultsFairfield, do you think gun control laws should be strengthened after the shooting deaths of 26 people in Newtown?
-
Yes. But only ban assault weapons and large-ammunition clips.
15% -
Yes. Ban assault weapons and also make it harder for people to buy guns.
31% -
Yes. Ban all guns.
31% -
No. It is our right to own guns.
23% -
Undecided
0%
President Barack Obama said the nation must "take meaningful action" when he spoke just a few hours after the shooting Friday. He repeated his call for the nation to discuss gun laws when he spoke at a vigil in Newtown on Sunday.
“We can't accept events like these as routine," Obama said in his speech. "Are we really prepared to say we are powerless in the face of such carnage — that the politics are too complicated?"
Gun-rights supporters, including the National Rifle Association, have been mostly quiet since the shooting. Republican U.S. Reps. Louis Gohmert of Texas and Don Richardson of Oregon have suggested arming more school faculty members.
U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, a Democrat who represents much of Fairfield County, said his constituents have told him the nation's gun law should be strengthened. “It’s important to remember that this perp broke every law. He was 20 -- you have to be 21 in Connecticut to own a gun. He had an assault rifle -- those are illegal in Connecticut," Himes said of Newtown shooter Adam Lanza in an interview with NPR.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., says she plans to introduce a bill banning assault weapons when the next Congress comes into session after the new year.
Comments (3)
I'm all for anti-gun laws but in this specific case, I don't see how any form of legislation would have prevented this tragic event. If assault weapons were banned and the mother got rid of it, he still had those two handguns at his disposal. This case is so complex and gun laws are just a piece of it.
I don't see a link to participate in the poll
There's no link. Just click your choice in the box within the story, click "Vote," and you're done. Thanks for reading.