Posted by the university of Chicago Institute of politics, this is an hour and 15 minutes. [applause] thank you on very much for being here. Ive been in this business a long time, at the century. There are occasions in American Life on one issue kind of galvanizes the country and it seems to me that as we begin this year, the, violence and their place in american lives and suddenly electrified the country. The university of chicago and lead institution on the main street of a small town i grew up in america, south dakota and montana, the big cities is not to chicago, but los angeles and houston and dallas and other places. We are in a kind of dark way a unique society in terms of violent and especially the place of guns. I want you to know something about me. Ive grown up with guns. Ive have a first gun when i was 10 years old. It was an extraordinarily important ritual for me for my father to give me my first in the family for a long, long time. Hunting was a very important passage for me and it continues to this day. I still have a collection of guns at their ranch in montana, where rahm has been. Im not a big hunter, but i guns that could be engaged in that. Im primarily a shotgun or, a bird hunter. As a shotgun or come you eat what you kill when you find them, shoot them. Ive been in the midst is culture for a long, long time and i find myself in a journalistic role as a kind of intersection in america because they know the kinds of weapons were talking about and i also know the consequences of pulling that trigger but what happens when you do. Moreover, when is that the great plains is a journalist, i immediately went to the urban areas and los angeles and spent a lot of time in washington d. C. In the course of my career, ive been utterly vexed by her inability of the civil society. The nation takes such great pride in the rule of law to have someone come to grips with the place of guns and violence. Before we begin this discussioncomes out to you on personal anecdote. Three days before the sandy hook shooting, as in Denver Colorado on personal business and i was driving to the denver suburbs and i passed into oruro, colorado and saw the sign that to myself, as journalists often do, my god, this just disappeared from our landscape. It happened not that long ago and a young man now appears to be utterly deranged, went to the theater and began shooting people with an assault weapon. And it went away. It is not part of a president ial debate, not part of the daily journalistic diet. So that wednesday night, i emailed the reduced their of the meet the press show coming up on that sunday in which they would be talking about big ideas that needs to be thinking about. And i said you should put shooting at the top of the list. Weve been through oruro, the sikh temple, the shopping mall. Think about this. This is before we got to sandy hook in it. We had a time of absolute carnage in america to see nothing going on in chicago in most urban areas around america. A hundred six homicides in chicago alone. So we have a lot of issues as we dive now into the 21st century. But it seems to me we have no more issues and to decide who we honor and what kinds of cultures would like to pass on to our children in the use of weapons, in the place of violence and their ability to do with this in some kind of a rational fashion. Cant think of a better group of people to talk about all that tonight, so im very grateful to have all of you here today and its important me to make the trip from new york to chicago when i had to go back because i feel so strongly about it. Let me begin with our two political figures here. A really Tipping Point . Do think newton change things . Yes. Heres why. Yes, you are at a Tipping Point. Theres no doubt with a better discussion in greater concentration. When i was a point person for president clinton and passing the brady bill and the late part of november 93 and the assault weapons ban in the house in the spring of 94, it was those to those very focused on criminal acts nice. President clintons legislation postcolumbine did not pass. So the notion that everybody should rely on the energy and force of newton, i would caution not to do that. Its galvanized to have a conversation internally and have a serious conversation, but for the assault weapons ban, were done with columbine would have been in virginia. I do believe in the last four years, the last eight years of politics, what happened there has made all of us have a discussion and appropriate politics to be focused for the president to introduce this legislation or package undecided what is going to do by executive order. But we are at a Tipping Point is postponed, delayed or for whatever reason hasnt happened. My small plaintiff caution anything but the last time i had success, goes back in 93 and 94. Those were pretty columbine. His entire package fell flat. Congressman, you had a reading from the nra. You voted for reducing the waiting time for weapons from reduced to one day. Do you think we are at a Tipping Point, but therell be some kind of a seismic change . Since the topic of politics, i would add a lot of people lately accredit 1993 crime bill for the reason republicans took a majority for the first time in 40 years and so it really has a lot to do with the politics. Im very grateful to be at the university of chicago. Only in chicago could use something called the nonpartisan and Bipartisan Center for apologies but David Axelrod and rahm emanuel. Is a whole different story. We have to come back with the bipartisan issue. And its sure if he goes so far. The conversation has changed and i will tell you, this goes to a no care whether its gotten discussion, fiscal discussion or anything else, at this moment in time you have republicans than i happen to be one of them with the ira they would be more than happy to sit down and begin to have a conversation about guns. It has to be there a conversation he can be one of the situations whether some people in the country they dont want anybody to have any kind of gun, said it cant be an overreach and what we get in these political settings sometimes is one party or the other fields that both the haircut that guy we want them and so did everything i want. This isnt an everything you want situation. If you think about the shooting, all but one were committed by a disturbed white male and were not talking about beginning a disturbed white men. So it has to be the right conversation that makes a difference and make sure youre reduced to silence. Let me ask the academy representatives. Im not using this from the ivory tower. As you look at the place of our society in the 21st century and champions as we see ourselves as if Ronald Reagan likes to see a city shining on the, lets befuddled most of all look at the place of gun violence of the Second Amendment . One of the most interesting things for me to see what the discussion is the idea that comes up over and over again about futility, efforts to regulate guns. One statistic is most people, almost Everybody Knows about guns in america is that we have 300 Million People in 300 guns and that leaves lots of people to throw up their hands and think anything we do in the reagan victory site is futile. Im actually not that pessimistic myself i hope this is one of the themes that comes up in the public discussion is to move forward for two reasons. One thing important to keep in mind if they are very concentrated and very sedentary. 10 of all people in the United States on about 80 of the guns. Theyre mostly middleclass, middleage people in rural areas and hold onto their guns for a long time. On the other hand, most of the people engaging crying our teens and young adults in most criminal careers are short. One of things that means if theres a new generation of young people trying to solve the problem fresh and getting their hands on guns and one way you could take about the challenge here, the situation here is if you think about the United States being like a giant bathtub with 300 million guns, but nothing to worry about the entire town. Just a few million guns changing hands every year and trying to divert them away from the high risk. The other thing i like to mention that the conversation right now is a bunch of stuff going on the federal level and a bunch of states to innovate on their own. One of the things important to keep in mind the slow side from hawaii, no state is an island. Every state is doing on the gun regulations that is relevant in other states as well. The city of chicago, state of illinois have the more restrictive gun laws in the country. I see another signature see. I drive every thanksgiving. Nobody stops me as they go. The coarseness of the state orders means theres reasons to think the National Regulation is going to be even more meaningful than what happens at the state and local level, so it does seem like a big moment in this discussion right now. I want to underscore one point to that. Let each eyster new jersey, youre going to go through indiana. 50 of the guns we pick up come from outside the state of illinois. To underscore that point, 250s that a little earlier is you can have a discussion on a set of policies, but were going to be his good for setting up national legislation. To go further, but the National Discussion among other priorities you can get bipartisanship on it. In the background was set up, 40 of the guns treated or bot are not covered in the background five day waiting period. Thats not a loophole. Thats an exception has to be dealt with to create a national for this comprehend is that what happens doesnt flood the city of chicago, cook county. It needs to be a national fixed and there has to better preemption because the patchwork of states or cities acted by themselves i went to the university of michigan because the drinking age is 18 and it was one in ohio. That explains a lot now. [laughter] and i was still a republican. So you cant have a hodgepodge patchwork. What are the chances some of the state laws will withstand the federal test and the judiciary, for example, new york has just passed and stringent laws in which, for example, Mental Health workers are required to report to the authorities they are suspicious of someone who may be a danger to society and they crack down the place of assault weapons are not inadequate inservice stateoftheart. It is after all a Second Amendment of the federal constitution to stand the kind of test a lot of people make challenges. Steve. Is pretty hurt to know what will stand up to the Supreme Court and what wont. We just have a ruling from the seventh Circuit Court of appeals in chicago at the element cannot conceal to carry some constitutional under the Supreme Courts Second Amendment. The federal Appeals Court in new york took exactly the opposite view. If you go back and read the Supreme Court decisions, they suggest theres a fair amount of latitude for the democratic government to regulate guns, but they also put a definite boundary on how far those can go. An outright ban on handguns like in chicago before, Like Washington d. C. Hackers to fraud. That is a Second Amendment right goes too far to extend the right of selfdefense that the Supreme Court found to emulate the home is another question entirely. I think ultimately probably what happens in congress is not going to be greatly affect getting greatly constrained by what the Supreme Court is going to allow. The court on things like regulation of a particular type of guns, waiting periods, background checks and things like that will probably be willing to allow that sort of thing. I watch you all to know that it just not been sending to my wife while shes away. Those of you getting here in time, i know this is a big appointment every day. You may not have seen nightly news tonight, the chuck todd had a report and i thought it would share that with you and then get with you, congressman. Universal background check will push hard for that. Prohibition of highcapacity ammunition magazines with anything above 10 rounds. 30 round magazines used to do. Some type of assault weapons ban, antitrafficking legislation to impose civil penalties, one unannounced actions, but will choose prosecuting people who feel background checks. Reinvigorating federal research of crimes. Also, recommendations will include more work on security, although not increasing funding and entertainment video games, although the stories is not what that means spirit or the situation in a minute. What do you think the chances of a racing here is an outline getting through the body you just left, congressman . Is really why he was talking about overreach. Then they talk about the democrats because harry reid talked about the assault by big dan and getting it to the United States senate controlled by the democratic party. It aint going to happen. So if you look at the red state senators up for reelection alabaster down south, thats what im talking about in terms of overreach. If this is something we such close the loophole, catch 40 escaping and im guns if they mentally disturbed had reasonable restrictions. The problem in the heller case is you couldnt have a can bus registered, but they would much reregister. That is in effect that you cant do it and that tesco to fire. So if its common sense, quite frankly i dont know why somebody needs 10 bullets. It doesnt seem like some magic number to me. To the gunowners, that sounds like something somebody made up. The president s executive orders can be accepted by the republican party. If they did close down 90 people buying guns. You think this through. Small items on ticket items. Yes. In the brady bill of 93, about effectively. For background check. The assault weapons ban was all about criminals and so, my views which you can do by executive order, take care of it. Executive order is not as good as legislation, but if you can do it, do it and make this focus on both the criminal access. Also marshaled Public Opinion and to get away or start the center of gravity to get the politics that get disenchanted literally. I do think, not to argue, but it will. Theres something magical about 10. Mike thompson into the california was late in the democratic effort in the house. Federal legislation today as it relates to shotguns that come within three at any one time. Wormer project is of ducks that we are kids. See federal legislation that covers alabama, mississippi, so tavistock magical enough, we can go to three. The clip does change the type of gun. It dramatically change that. Its a good comprehensive background checks for criminal dignity would be essential to anything on the loophole. Obviously filler pieces you can do. Usually people think the executive order is that the president would sign. Direct the attorney general as a measure of each u. S. Attorney. We at the u. S. Attorney position in chicago. Its opened up. You compare to others, like the other one. They should be measured and have to report it within the executive authority they do get prosecuted. I put the prosecution to a standard as part of the executive authority of a president can do. I want to share with the audience that kind of passion and im sure many of you are aware of it. Let me just do something how many of you have ever fired a gun . More than i wouldve expected. How many of you own a gun . Fewer obviously. How many of you feel strongly about my right to own a gun without conditions . A few. Let me share stand krystal, who was a special forces officer. The man whose lost his job, mostly made by his staff when he was running the war in afghanistan, Second Generation military man. Best of breed when it comes to military figure. Heres what he said on Television Last week. I spent a career carrying an m16 for m4 carbine. Thursday 223 caliber round. Not that big, they do a, this is how they talk in the gun business. About 3000 feet per second. But its a human body, the effects are devastating. It is designed for that is not the soldiers out. I personally dont think theres any need for that weaponry on the street and particularly when the schools of america. Weve got to take a serious look. I understand the desire to have what they want, but got to protect her children, police, population. Serious action is necessary. Sometimes we talk about limited actions. I just dont think thats enough. Then in the modern media culture in which we live for a lot of responses, including this one, always anonymously. Have they to differ the entire 15 should be possessed by the military. Order from governor sued tyrannically find ourselves in this second civil war, to be seeing the chance with revolvers and perhaps compound bows. General kristol seems to forget her country was an insurrection against each radical government . Heaven forbid if were forced to repeat history in that regard we must have the resources to be and anothers is, it is the constitution. I trace the men who wrote it a great tune within you. What is the battlefield becomes your backyard . If i could jump in, the stuff you just read captures some of the incoherence of this debate because were both opponents of assault weapons and makers of assault weapons, and use that term in quotes because its not a technical term, is to greatly exaggerate how different they are from other guns and theyre actually not. What distinguishes assault weapons as it is defined in 1894 law is not how fast he can fire. Its not how lethal the ammunition is. Its not accurate. Its mostly cosmetic, like whether it has a bayonet, whether it has a pistol grip. You look at these things. They look like military weapons. If you talk about how they function, they are no different from ordinary hunting rifles. Their semi automatic, often referred to as automatic weapons. The huge difference between what the military has said that civilians can buy. They look like with the army has, but doesnt do with those guns do and thats whats frustrating because you spend time with the misconceptions