By James S. Brady; James S. Brady was President Ronald Reagan's first press secretary.
Published: April 3, 1990
I wheeled my way up to both houses of Congress in recent months to testify in support of legislation bearing my name: the Brady bill. It would require a national seven-day waiting period for handgun sales from gun dealers. The bill is intended to give police departments time to run a background check on the purchaser, to deny instant access of a concealable weapon to a known felon or to another John W. Hinckley Jr. I believe that if the bill had been law in March 1981, Mr. Hinckley would not have been able to purchase the handgun he used against President Ronald Reagan, and I would not have been wounded and disabled.
It was surprising that Representatives who made a point of voting against the bill last time were conspicuously absent when I put in my two cents at the hearing. Perhaps they didn't want to see what a handgun wound can do to a human being. I'm sure it's easier to deal with the gun issue when you're talking about abstract statistics or contributions from political-action committees.
The Brady bill, still pending in both houses, is a political winner. Few pieces of legislation are endorsed by every major law enforcement group in America and backed by the overwhelming majority of voters. The point left unsaid was that voting against the bill could make the legislator a loser in November.
One thing I've learned on the campaign trail is the need to cloak political candidates in law and order positions. The average voter has a high regard for police officers, knowing they not only work for the public safety but put their lives on the line daily.
In recent political campaigns, from Presidential campaigns on down, there has been a heavy emphasis on law and order themes. Come this fall, with the growing drug-related violence in America, we'll see even more TV spots focusing on this subject.
That's why all politicians should reassess their position on guns. Concealable handguns, especially assault pistols like the Tec-9's, Mac-10's and Uzi's, are increasingly the weapon of choice of crack peddlers and drug addicts.
Law enforcement officials - police chiefs, sheriffs and the rank and file - are united in their call for tough curbs on access to these weapons.
Just recently in Broward County, Florida, the police responded to a robbery in progress at a fast-food restaurant. They confronted two criminals armed with an assault pistol. One deputy sheriff was killed and another seriously wounded. The alleged killer - wanted in Massachusetts on three separate criminal charges - was arrested. In his wallet was a receipt for the assault pistol, which he had easily purchased from a Florida gun dealer.
There was the expected rush of politicians to the bedside of the wounded sheriff. But there was a notable lack of action in the state capitol to prevent another such tragedy from occurring. Too many legislators seem to fear lobbyists of the National Rifle Association more than they do armed drug dealers.
But if I have anything to do with it, that's going to change. I'm a Southern Illinois boy who grew up hunting and at home with guns. Assault pistols aren't used for hunting; they're only used to stalk human prey.
Responsible gun owners don't object to a handgun-waiting period and background check. The only inconvenience is for the gun dealer who can't pocket the money right away. Is this what N.R.A. lobbyists really care about?
Get ready for the next round of pious speeches from politicians on law and order issues. But you'll hear more from those in the police community asking, ''How can our politicians win the drug war when they're arming the enemy?''
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