Amid calls from some lawmakers for quick action on gun control after Friday’s school massacre in Connecticut, some of Georgia’s congressional delegation said they favor a deliberate and broad approach to preventing mass shootings.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Republican, advocated a commission along the lines of the one that followed the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Such a commission would need to examine the role of gun safety, mental illness, violent video games, school safety and other factors in this and other shootings, Isakson said.
“In light of the horrendous tragedy, the age of the children, the way this was carried out, we ought to take a comprehensive look at all the factors,” Isakson said. “There’s not one villain here. This is something where we need to find out ways we can make life safer for our children.”
Rep. Hank Johnson, D-DeKalb County, said there are some things Congress and the Obama administration can do immediately. He pushed for closing the so-called “gun show loophole” in which people buying firearms in certain “private transactions” are not subject to the same screenings and background checks as those buying from a licensed dealer.
But Johnson said proposals such as reinstating an assault-weapon ban or banning high-capacity ammunition magazines were just “band-aids” on the problem.
“We can take reasonable actions through legislation which can help to stem the tide of violence in America, we can definitely do that,” Johnson said. “But legislation in and of itself is not going to solve this issue of gun violence in America. It’s going to be reformation of the hearts of the people.”
In an interview Tuesday on MSNBC, Rep. Jack Kingston, R-Savannah, took an approach similar to Isakson’s.
“Put gun control, more gun control on the table, but don’t forget the mental health element,” Kingston said. “We can’t just stop at guns; we’ve got to put the whole thing on the table.”
A spokesman for Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta — who wielded a gun in a campaign advertisement this year touting his endorsement from the National Rifle Association — said it was too soon to talk about policy.
“There will be a time and a place for that soon, but for now, the victims of this tragedy and their families need our prayers,” Barrow spokesman Richard Carbo said.
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