N.C. Senator Ellie Kinnaird's Newsletter

February 2, 2011 Newsletter

Dear Friends,

Ellie Kinnaird

Greetings from the North Carolina Senate,

So much has been in the news to comment on, but so much has been happening on the ground, that I haven’t been able to make an entry. I’ll give a brief sketch of my take on the news and next time of the happenings in my life.

First, of course, is the terrible gun wounding of the Arizona Congresswoman and the tragedy of the killing of her staff and the nine year old girl. Was this the failure of civility in our political discourse? I don’t think so. I think it was the act of one person who was seriously mentally ill, but it shows the great failure of our mental health system. The second grand failure is that of our elected officials to come to terms with the gun lobby and industry.

During my second term in the Senate, a bill to allow people to carry concealed weapons was introduced. Those of us who believe sensible gun control is necessary to control the massive killings, wounding, accidents, and suicides in this state asked that part of the bill include background checks at gun shows and parking lots outside the shows. It was supported by all law enforcement, but the NRA made a deal with the Senate Leadership to remove that part of the concealed carry bill in exchange for endorsing Senate Democrats, including my opponent at the time. Therefore, the big loophole in background checks was not closed and the irresponsible selling of weapons goes on.

For years, I have cut out articles of North Carolina gun shootings from the papers along with the more spectacular national events. I have a thick file that grows continuously. The same day that the Congresswoman was killed, a student shot and killed her principal. That story was buried in the depths of the paper, overshadowed by the Arizona shootings. The week before there was a mass shooting at a grocery store and the week after at a police station, both killing and wounding many. But this week, the Chair of the U.S. House Judiciary refused to allow a discussion of gun control to be even brought up. To put our bloody situation in perspective, here is a chart of gun killings across the world: in one year, there were 17 people in Finland murdered with guns, 35 in Australia, 39 in England and Wales, 200 in Canada and 9,484 in the United States. There is of course a valuable use for guns in hunting, target shooting and collecting antique guns. But assault weapons that shoot 31 rounds and hand guns have only one purpose to shoot people.

The legislature opened this week, and my next posting will talk about that. At least today the sun is shining and it is warm and pleasant outside after a long, cold, dreary spell. And there is hope for the end of a brutal, oppressive dictatorship in Egypt (to whom we give $1.3 billion each year in military “aid.”)

Paid for by Ellie Kinnaird for Senate • Campaign Address: PO Box 668, Carrboro, NC 27510 • 919-918-3432
Legislative Office Address: Room 628 LOB, 300 N. Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC 27603 •