Gun Rights & Responsibilities: NEA Members Take the Middle Road
October 2003
NEA members are breaking new ground in the decades-old debate about gun ownership in America. In their neighborhoods, statehouses and in Congress, public educators are advocating for measures that respect the rights of lawful gun owners and protect their schools and communities from gun violence.
Sixty-five million Americans describe themselves as gun owners, and 48% of the American electorate lives in a home with a gun. David Nelms, a middle school social studies teacher in Idaho, is one of them. He is an occasional hunter and holds a state concealed weapons permit. Yet Nelms does not see his perspective represented in the national dialogue about guns, where politicians and the media present polarized views: that gun rights are absolute or that guns should be banned. “I am in the middle on this issue.” Nelms says. “I feel my voice represents a large group in this country.”
Nelms is on target. According to Matt Bennett, Director of Public Affairs at Americans for Gun Safety, polling shows that “86% of Americans believe that some sort of gun rights exists, but that those rights come with substantial safety responsibilities.” Jane Goff, a curriculum coordinator for language programs in Colorado’s Jefferson County, agrees with the “rights and responsibilities” theme. Goff was president of the local association during the 1999 Columbine tragedy, and is now Vice President of Colorado Education Association. “The moderate approach touches everybody,” says Goff. “It’s a safety issue.”
NEA and NEA Health Information Network are working to support this common sense approach, pursuant to NEA member-driven resolutions. NEA is focusing on legislation aimed at fighting gun crime, such as initiatives to enforce existing gun laws; continue the ban on 19 models of military style assault weapons; improve the background check system that identifies prohibited purchasers; and fight illegal gun trafficking.
NEA has also participated in dialogue to encourage responsibility by gun retailers. In the past 18 months, Wal-Mart and K-Mart, two of the nation’s biggest gun sellers, adopted new “Don’t Know, Don’t Sell” gun sales policies. In instances where authorities can’t determine whether would-be buyers are banned from owning a firearm, the stores won’t sell it to them. While 95% of checks are completed within two hours, current law actually permits gun retailers to make a sale when the check is not completed within three days.
NEA members care about safety, and the majority does not dispute lawful gun ownership for purposes such as self-defense, hunting, sport shooting and collection. Peggy Walker, a fifth grade special education teacher, knows many gun owners because her state of Wisconsin is a “big hunting state.” She believes that “education about gun safety needs to be the entire community’s responsibility.” Goff similarly recognizes that many members and families in her state have grown up with guns. And in New Jersey, New Jersey Education Association President Edithe Fulton and Government Relations staffer Bill Lewis realize that there are gun owners in their communities. Fulton taught elementary school in the military town of Lakehurst and Lewis has neighbors in law enforcement. Gun owners themselves, like Nelms, want to “make it more difficult for those who would abuse the privilege to own a gun.”
Public educators are especially sensitive to the vulnerability of children, and are committed to their security. Fulton explains, “I don’t ever want one of my members to walk into a classroom and see a seat that is empty because a child was injured or killed by a gun.” Speaking at press conferences and legislative hearings, Fulton played a critical role in the passage of New Jersey’s landmark Childproof Handgun Law last year – – the first such law in the country. It will require all handguns sold in the state to be designed with safety features to prevent children and unauthorized users from injuring themselves or others.
Goff, too, remains committed to anti-violence efforts. To prevent further tragedies, she helps with trainings across Colorado and is working to rally her colleagues on the assault weapons ban renewal. Goff says, “These guns are used by criminals, not hunters or those trying to protect themselves. We don’t need them on the streets.” Walker agrees, and is maximizing her position as Wisconsin Education Association Council PTA liaison to educate and activate PTA members on the issue.
Roxann Dalton, a paraprofessional in Wisconsin, is also organizing friends and family to renew the assault weapons ban. She knows the tragic consequences of gun violence first hand. She lost her nephew in a neighborhood-shooting incident in 2000. “If there were better laws with how people got guns, then maybe we wouldn’t have lost Kerry.” Soon after her family’s loss, Dalton spearheaded efforts to make her neighborhood safer by organizing letter writing to her city council. She turned her attention to the assault weapons ban this summer, when she learned that her U.S. Senators were faltering on the issue.
Lawmakers are hearing NEA’s voices. In addition to New Jersey’s success, Maryland educators were critical in winning overwhelming Congressional support for the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) Improvement Act in last fall. Following the DC sniper incident, Maryland State Teachers Association lobbied Congress to stem the flow of firearms to criminals and help make 35 million missing records available to NICS. President Pat Foerster contacted Congresswoman Connie Morella. “Rep. Morella was very receptive to educators’ concerns about school and community safety, and she pressed House leadership to move the bill.” The House unanimously passed the NICS bill in 2002, with the support of groups on all sides of the gun issue. The legislation has been re-introduced in the 108th Congress and has broad support in the House and Senate.
Foerster says activism is the key. “NEA members need to raise their voices in support of sensible gun safety laws and their strict enforcement.” NEA’s work is moving the gun debate past polarization, and giving voice and credence to the view shared by most Americans: that gun safety and gun ownership can co-exist.
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Click here to learn what the NEA is doing on gun safety
updated: April 29, 2003
Logo Illustration ©2002, Mary Garner-Mitchell
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