Jeff Smith for Missouri

I strongly believe that legislation allowing people to carry concealed weapons throughout Missouri is misguided and detrimental to the safety of all citizens. Particularly in St Louis City, where the murder rate continues to be high, I see the concealed weapons law as a threat to our safety, and I will work to reverse the ruling. It defies common sense to think that allowing thousands of people to carry guns in a crowded and chaotic urban stetting will reduce the incidence of violence. We must work for sensible gun safety policy in Missouri.

The Constitution states that people have the right to bear arms because “a well-regulated militia [is] necessary to the security of a free state.” However, it does not guarantee a constitutional right for individuals to bear any kind of arms in any kind of situation. Recent Supreme Court judgments validate that view. Clearly a line must be drawn somewhere; it may be drawn depending on the context of when and where we bear our arms. To carry a gun in a rural area for hunting seems reasonable. But to carry the same gun on a city street, into a bar, or around a school is against my notion of common sense.

Tools as dangerous and potentially harmful as guns should be treated as such, with the appropriate level of responsibility and caution. Just as we license and regulate the use of other machines ranging from cars to computers, firearm use should be properly managed and monitored to prevent crime. We must take necessary measures to keep our communities safe. Thus,

•I vehemently oppose legislation that currently allows people to carry concealed weapons in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
•I support closing the “gun show” loophole by licensing all new gun owners, and requiring them to take safety classes as would new auto drivers.
•I support registering handguns just as we do our automobiles. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear by this; those who might break the law do.
•I support background checks and waiting periods. These prevent impulsive purchases of guns for homicidal or suicidal use.
•I support mandatory trigger locks on all newly-manufactured handguns.

In 2001, 744 people were killed with a firearm in Missouri; 92 of these were children or teens. These levels are entirely unacceptable to me, and I feel that we can no longer stand by as innocent lives are lost. Despite the admirable efforts of Mayor Slay, Chief Mokwa, and our city’s police force, some neighborhoods in our city continue to experience high crime rates, and St. Louis is currently ranked one of the most dangerous major cities in the country. Without a more sensible policy regarding guns, we cannot hope to change this.