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Philly Dems Call for Gun Control After Colorado Murders

Phila Mayor Michael Nutter said strengthened gun laws would ensure better public safety.

This weekend, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and other prominent city officials joined a growing group of national voices advocating strengthened gun control laws in the U.S. after 12 people were killed during the midnight premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, CO.

“While the attention of the American people is focused on Aurora and the irrational acts of an armed assailant, I am appalled by the pervasive problem of gun violence in our malls and parks and on the streets of our cities and towns,” Nutter said in a statement released Friday.

“This truly sad moment should be an occasion to strengthen gun safety laws, to call for national reform and to better ensure the safety of the public.”

Echoing Nutter’s calls for gun control reform was Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey. During an interview with George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week,” Ramsey noted the obvious need for a national conversation on reform, but said it was unlikely one would arise.

“Aurora, Columbine, Virginia Tech, Ft. Hood, the list goes on and on,” Ramsey said.

“Unfortunately, in my opinion, the answer is absolutely nothing (will change). There will be a lot of talk, a lot of debate, but this will fade into the background like the other incidents that have occurred. People will continue to get their hands on guns.”

Ramsey also recommended a ban on assault weapons in the U.S., a provision originally contained within Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. The act expired in 2004 and initiatives to renew it have not reached the floor for a vote.

Ramsey’s and Nutter’s comments come after Philadelphia once again found itself inundated with gun violence over the last year. In fact, during a single week last April, the city reported 144 crimes involving firearms.

Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell joined Nutter and Ramsey by labeling the National Rifle Association’s influence on Congress’s ability to pass gun control legislation as “an act of cowardice.”

“We’re terrified of the NRA. We Democrats are as bad as the Republicans. Everyone is scared of the NRA,” Rendell said Friday on MSNBC. “There are some things worth losing for in politics, and to be able to prevent carnage like this is worth losing for.”

State Rep. Daryl Metcalfe (R-Butler) is arguably the strongest gun rights supporter in PA. In a Facebook post Monday, he said that communities are better off when responsible citizens own guns.

“The callous leftists who hope to disarm America are at it again since the Colorado murders,” he wrote.

“Our communities are safer when law abiding citizens are able to bear arms in defense of themselves, their family, their friends, their neighbors and their property. Our society would be better off if murderers were labeled as evil or wicked rather than crazy or mad.”

9 Responses

  1. A) come and take em.
    B) America needs culture control, not more anti liberty laws masquerading as gun control.
    C) Hollywood owns this massacre 100%. Hollywood’s power of persuasion and suggestion is completely to blame. Americans are desensitized to violence.

  2. The simple fact is, no new gun controls would have stopped this lunatic in CO. He came to the theater armed also with tear gas AND wired his apartment with an incendiary bomb designed to kill, then destroy the building. If he couldn’t have gotten a gun, he would have just used a bomb – and perhaps killed even more.

    You just can’t legislate away insanity, and that’s what this case and others like it are – and will continue to be.

    You also can’t legislate away lawlessness. We already have numerous gun control laws that don’t stop criminals. That’s why they are criminals; they will get what they need to continue breaking the law.

    As much as everyone is astounded and saddened by this tragedy, common sense shows that politicizing it/new legislation won’t stop other tragedies like it from occurring.

  3. When Nutter cleans up Philadelphia with the gangs and shootings, then maybe I will pay attention to what he has to say. Until then, he is still an opinionated Bloomberg.

  4. yeah, all the laws and regulation on “bombs” work real well, that’s why his apartment was full of them…
    the world is full of criminals (who’s sole objective is to do things ILLEGALLY and not get caught. hence laws and regulation do not phase them.)

    simple fact, if it were the last time I went to the theater, this guy would probably have been shot long before he could do the damage he did.
    armed citizens are a good thing.
    I carry daily to raise my odds of surviving any threat of death, severe bodily harm, rape. ect.ect.

    (now do we all want pat downs and body scans to enjoy a movie?
    How about background checks/waits to purchase most household chemicals, fuel or fertilizer.
    If you don’t protect yourself, that’s how you will be protected. And you’ll possibly still get shot, stabbed, clubbed with a branch/rock, guns are far from the end all be all of weapons.)

  5. it was not an automatic he used…it was a semi-automatic! get the facts straight…this means everytime you pull the trigger, you get a bullet…you can get a glock with 10 round magazines and do the same or more damage if you wanted…it only takes about 2 seconds to change out magazines…if guns were illegal, maybe he would have just used a bomb and killed everyone? oh wait, he wouldn’t have used a bomb because there are laws against them…and people who want to kill lots of people clearly will follow the laws…yep, makes sense

  6. There is no reason why anyone should be allowed to buy an “ASSAULT RIFLE” period !!!

  7. wow! i REALLY do not want my neighbors “packing”-every parking lot, every store will become a hazard to innocent bystanders!

    This is public health issue-30,000 people DIE of gunshot wounds in this violent country every year-year in and year out.The medical costs of the survivors are huge.
    How about a tremendous tax on ammo to recoup the costs to society of this insanity????

  8. Patrick McAteer-
    “after 12 people were killed ”

    My understanding is that 70 people were shot, 12 of whom died. 70 people hit because the of the automatic, high-bullet capacity of the guns.

    So, it’s more than just “after 12 people were killed”

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