The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided no longer to wait for congressional sluggish action against the gun violence epidemic, and just two weeks after the Monterey Park Lunar New Year massacre, it unanimously approved four ordinances restricting access to assault weapons and ammunition.
“We know the failure of Congressional leaders to enact even the most basic federal gun laws is at the heart of the problem, but we have identified actions we can take at the county level to protect our residents,” the council said in a statement. Observers President Janice Khan.
“One of the things we will do today is ask Congress to use common sense to ban assault weapons, but if Congress fails again, we, the County of Los Angeles, will act; We are going to take every possible action to save lives,” Khan added.
The rulings were written by Supervisors Hilda Solis, Lindsey Horvath, and Khan herself, who introduced four bills against gun violence in Los Angeles County.
The ordinance prohibits the sale of .50 caliber weapons and ammunition within the county. Supervisor Khan emphasized that with huge bullets “designed for combat, they can be easily killed due to the damage they do to the body.”
The second prohibits anyone who is not on active duty or in law enforcement from carrying firearms within the county, such as at beaches, parks, playgrounds, and public buildings.
The third measure establishes a “buffer zone” of at least 1,000 feet between gun shops or any businesses that sell guns and places where children congregate, such as schools, parks, or kindergartens.
The fourth order requires firearms dealers in the county to take what Inspector Khan says are common sense measures, such as keeping children out of the business, having a fingerprint registry and a security camera system.
Gun dealers will also be required to constantly restock and warn buyers of the risks associated with owning firearms.
“These are steps that I personally believe are necessary to protect our residents in the county. I urge the county’s cities to adopt similar ordinances,” Supervisor Khan said.
Supervisor Hilda Solis recalled that just over two weeks ago, an attack was recorded that claimed eleven lives and injured nine people, but stressed that so far this year there have been 59 mass shootings in the country in 38 days.
“That means almost two mass shootings a day,” said the chief of District 1.
In addition to pushing last week for the gun violence epidemic to be recognized as a public health crisis, Supervisor Solis announced her support for two initiatives by Democratic Senator Dianna Feinstein of California.
This is a bill to ban the sale of combat-type assault weapons, and a proposal to raise the age of permission to purchase weapons from 18 to 21 years.
Supervisor Lindsey Horvath supported the county doing its best to protect Angelenos.
Horvath shared that for her, gun violence is a personal matter. She lost a teenage friend to her parents keeping a gun unprotected, and her brother and his brother’s girlfriend survived the Las Vegas concert massacre.
County Attorney George Gascon expressed regret over the recent shootings in Monterey Park, Half Moon Bay, Oakland and Los Angeles. “This is a national public health epidemic and we must all demand action.”
The prosecutor explained that the majority in the country supports the regulation of firearms, which “is not partisan, but humane.”
“The social, emotional and physical impact on the health of our communities is something that not only traumatizes those directly affected by gun violence, but we know it traumatizes the entire community and generates more crime and violence,” he said. Gascon.
Monterey Park Mayor Jose Sanchez said he twice had to deal with a shooting that turned a Chinese New Year’s party of life into a massacre.
On the one hand, as the new mayor of the city, he took the responsibility of the local authorities for the tragedy, but Sanchez is also an elementary school teacher.
“Explaining the next day in class was the most difficult task I had to face as a teacher,” he said.
Although the measures have already been approved, in two weeks two regulations (Khana and Solis) must be submitted to the final vote.
Source: La Opinion
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