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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1981)
page 2 daily nebraskan friday, October 30, 1981 NRA spokesman Organization calls for end to handgun violence By Mary Louise Knapp In an effort to control handguns and end violence of all types in the United States, the National Coali tion to Ban Handguns has designated this week, as Na tional End Handgun Vio lence Week. The week has three basic purposes, said Don Laack man, a legislative intern working for the coalition. "First, we want to organ ize a grass-roots consensus from the country that peo ple are in favor of handgun control and the control of all types of violence," Laackman said. rnn Ml says coalition ineffective The second purpose of the week is to educate peo ple about handgun violence and control, he said. "Third, we want to raise money to combat the NRA (National Rifle Association) and the other gun nuts," he said. Churches, college stu dents and various communi ty groups across the nation are participating in the week's activities, Laackman said. "There have been quite a few events," he said. "In Minneapolis-StPaul, at the University of Minnesota, they are sponsoring a mara thon, Run Against Hand guns, on the 3 i st. In Chica go, a group sponsored a 10 kilometer walk against handguns." Laackman said commu nity groups in Chicago are introducing resolutions to the city government asking for stricter controls on handguns. The coalition has submit ted a resolution to Congress urging that the week of Oc tober 25 through 31 be des ignated as National End Handgun Violence Week. The coalition is also ask ing President Ronald Rea gan to issue a proclamation acknowledging National End Handgun Violence Jl Week. "I don't anticipate him (Reagan) doing it, but it would generate more pub licity,' Laackman said. Singer's suggestion Musician Harry Nils son, a personal friend of the late John Lennon, brought the idea of the National End Handgun Violence Week to the coalition, Laackman said. Paul Stone, media coor dinator for the National Ri fle Association, said the co alition to ban handguns, in sponsoring this week's acti vities, is not trying to end handgun violence but is at sterling Msr High life - ' 4.1 placers ore animals." 1981 Beer Brewed by Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wis. I I. '"' ""!'- tempting to "completely eliminate the legal owner ship of handguns. "I find it intriguing that this group, which is opposed to any kind of ownership (of handguns) is now back tracking and focusing simp ly on criminal violence," Stone said. Andrew Kendzie, a spokesman for the NRA, said the NRA is not plan ning any activities this week to counteract the coalition. "We think what they are trying to do is a misnomer," he said. "We do not think that their political motives will curtail criminal violence." . B Kendzie said the NRA endorses legislation that would enforce stiffer penal ties for crimes committed with handguns, a standpoint not shared by the coalition. "Many people don't un derstand our reasoning be hind this," he said. "In the average profile of a murder er, 70 percent of them have a prior arrest record. It aver ages out to six crimes apiece, three of them vio lent crimes." Recidivism - the same aiminals returning to jail for various crimes - is the main problem in dealing with crime, Kendzie said. "The only way to handle this is to keep the criminals off the streets," he said. Multi-faceted problem Kendzie said violence in America is a complex prob lem and cannot be dealt with merely by banning handguns. "It is so easy just to point at the handgun as the cause of the problem," he said. "Violence is such a multi-faceted problem - it's not just handguns, it's not just prison reform, it's not just differing values.'' Kendzie said those who advocate banning handguns are 4trying to treat the symptoms and not the dis ease" of violence. Laackman, in response, said the position of the , coalition has always' been completely opposed to the sale, ownership, possession; manufacture and importing handguns, f;huvi ' "However, we must dif ferentiate between the stat ed purpose of the coalition and the purpose of this week," he said. Entries taken for competition Entires are being accept ed for the Miss Lincoln Area Pageant, which will be Jan. 16 at O'Donnell Audi torium, Nebraska Wesleyan University. The pageant is an official preliminary for the Miss America Pageant. Three finalists will be selected to compete for the Miss Nebraska title in Fremont next June. Contestants must be be tween the ages of 17 and 26 on Labor Day, 1982. Interested individuals should contact Jane Sommeland, entries chair person, at 475-7219. The deadline is Nov. 2 mm s Alfred Jarry's play "Ubu Cuckolded' will be present ed Nov. 1 at 7:15 pjn. and Nov. 2 at 6:15 p.m. in West brook Music Building 119. No admission. The Non-traditional Stu dent Association will have its weekly luncheon today in the Nebraska Union. Room will be posted. The Department of Mod ern Languages & Literatures will present the film "Les Jeux Sont Faits" Nov. 5 at 3 pjn. and 7 p.m. in the