Gun-control forum addresses questions

By ALICIA HENRIKSON
The Capital-Journal

Gun control was the topic of discussion at a Monday evening forum.

The panel was in recognition of First Monday, a national event that is being used to debate the topic of gun control, according to Washburn law professor William Rich.

The evening wasn' t about deciding if gun control was needed, but to explore both sides of the issue. Rich said he felt the event went well and was informative.

" No one seemed to have anger, and I think people asked some good, rational questions," he said. " It was a good exchange on both sides."

About 20 people attended the panel discussion at the Bradbury Thompson Center on the Washburn University campus. The panel included Randy Hendershot, with the U.S. attorney' s office; Kelly Johnston, with Safe State Kansas; Bill Lucero, with the Topeka Juvenile Correction Facility; and Jason Coody, second-year Washburn law student.

The questions throughout the forum ranged from comparing gun violence in the United States with other First-World nations, such as England or Belgium, to how far gun control should really go.

During the discussion an audience member asked about the lines that should be drawn in terms of gun control and if enough legislation about gun control been passed.

Hendershot said that plenty of laws have been passed and the federal-level people are being prosecuted for breaking these laws. He added that Kansas is trying to uphold the laws.

At another point Coody said that people talk about hand guns and how dangerous they are.

" But automobiles are every bit as dangerous as a firearm," he said. " It' s not an exact comparison, but just a point of information."

Later in the discussion, Lucero revisited Coody' s point.

" Automobiles are like rifles or shot guns," Johnston said. " They have a purpose. The only purpose of a hand gun is to kill people."

Johnston said that while he wasn' t out to ban hand guns, people needed to be educated in using them and keep them locked up to ensure that they don' t fall into the wrong hands.

Alicia Henrikson can be reached at (785) 295-1192 or [email protected].