On December 14, 2012, driving home from the airport, I turned on the car radio to learn that 20 six-year-old children had been murdered in their school classroom in Newtown, Connecticut. I was stunned, furious and outraged. By the time I arrived home, I’d decided I could no longer keep quiet about the insane gun culture in this country.
How do people get a Bushmaster semi-automatic? I looked on the web and found eight places that sell weapons in Sunnyvale, six were private homes with licenses to sell guns and ammunition. I decided to buy an assault weapon.
At the Big Five gun counter, I asked the assistant, “Do you have a Bushmaster semi-automatic assault weapon?”
“Yes, any of the ones on display,” she said pointing at the wall. I held this lethal machine that could pump out 100 bullets per minute and said to the assistant, “I thought assault weapons were banned in California.”
“They are,” but this weapon is not classified as an assault weapon. You see this button?”, she said, touching a small button above the magazine. “The manufacturers include this button to get around the law.” Since it takes two hands to detach the magazine, it’s classified as a rifle. But you can hold a single bullet between your thumb and first finger while holding the magazine. And with that, kerchink, kerchink, she replaced the magazine in seconds. “It works just like an M16 military assault weapon!”
The gun and ammo industry in the U.S. is big business, a $3 trillion a year market. There are 35,000 Starbucks in the US, 45,000 grocery stores and 135,000 gun stores.
I was not the only person in Sunnyvale, California greatly disturbed by the Newtown mass murder. Nancy Balam, who lives by the middle school and across the street from a private house selling weapons, and Dave Vargo, a retired engineer who had been active with the Brady national gun control campaign, persuaded the mayor to propose a set of gun safety measures. I joined the effort as treasurer.
The city council was afraid to take a stand, but agreed to put a measure on the November ballot. The measure required reporting to police the loss or theft of a firearm; locking up guns not in one’s immediate possession at home; prohibiting the possession of ammunition magazines capable of holding more than 10 rounds; and logging of ammunition sales by sellers.
The gun lobby bristled and threatened to sue the city for millions of dollars. We ignored their bullying. The measure passed overwhelmingly 66% to 33%. I learned two strong lessons: A town can do what the federal, state or county governments cannot. A small group of people can make a big difference. Eight of us influenced 12,400 people to vote YES and create laws that govern 150,000 people.
We, individuals, are very powerful and can change the world!!!
(Geoff is also working on an app with the story of the universe in an effort to preserve humanity and the earth. You can visit his website here. )