McGovern Pushes for Action at Worcester Gun Violence Forum

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Adam Joseph Drici, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern called on Republicans to allow the issue of gun reform to come up for a vote in the House of Representatives during a discussion panel on gun violence prevention in Worcester on Friday.

McGovern was joined by John Rosenthal of Stop Handgun Violence, Worcester Chief of Police Gary Gemme, Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, Worcester Division of Public Health acting commissioner Dr. Michael Hirsh and community advocate Marcy Johnson for the discussion held at the Worcester Boys and Girls Club on Tainter Street.

In 2007, Johnson's then 13-year-old son was struck by a stray bullet that went through their Worcester home's door jamb and hit him in the back, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

The Congressman said that while he is proud that the Bay State is a leader in gun violence prevention, the recent spate of devastating mass shootings around the country has called renewed attention to the need for better federal firearm laws, but House Republicans have said they do not want to put the gun reform measures up to a vote.

"There's something terribly wrong with America when it's easier to buy a gun than vote," McGovern said.

Rosenthal, himself a gun owner, railed against the lack of regulation in the gun industry, contrasting it with the strict rules for the production and appearance of even toy guns.

"Truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to federal gun laws," he said, going on to note that the service weapons of law enforcement officers stand "no chance" against the semi-automatic, military-style weapons that civilians and potential criminals and shooters can purchase.

Gemme discussed the steps the Worcester Police Department has taken to reduce gun violence in the community since he assumed the department's top post back in 2004, when the city recorded 11 homicides, seven of which were by firearm, and 34 non-fatal shootings.

One of the first steps Gemme took was partnering with the Goods for Guns buyback program, launched by Dr. Hirsh, which has collected over 2,300 unwanted firearms since its inception in Worcester.

Next, Gemme directed that non-fatal shootings be investigated as if they were homicides in order to focus in on the people involved in the shootings and the causes behind them.

Finally, the Chief took a very strict approach to firearm licensing in the community.

"We've taken a comprehensive approach," he said.

Despite tough gun laws and strict licensing practices, many firearms from neighboring states with much less stringent regulations find their way into Massachusetts.

"Guns don't stop at borders," said Narkewicz, adding that the majority of the guns confiscated in Northampton are unlicensed and come from other states. "This is an issue we need to have federal laws on."

"Nothing's going to change without a vote," McGovern said.