HomeMy WebLinkAboutRESO 4609RESOLUTION NO. 4609 ORIGINAL
RF.SOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OP PALO ALTO
URGING CONGRESS TO ENACT STRINGENT GUN CONTROL
LEGISLATION PENDING IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES
WHEREAS, the National Commission on the Causes and Prevention
of Violence staff report estimates that in the United States in
1968, 90 million firearms were in the hands of private citizens
including 24 million handguns; and
WHEREAS, an estimated additional two and one-half million
firearms, half of them· being handguns, are manufactured or imported
each year; and
WHEREAS, the Wall Street Journal reported on May 18, 1972,that
one new hjmdgun is sold every twenty-four seconds and used handglina
are traded at the rate of about one every two minutes; and
WHEREAS, according to the 1970 Uniform Crime Reports pub-
lished by the Department of Justic~in 1970 an estimated 15,810
United States citizens were murdered and 10, 2·10 (65%) of all
murders were the result of gunshot, and handquns alone accounted
for 7,497 (73%) of the firearm murders and 52% of all murders, or
approximately 8,200 lives1 and
WHEREAS, since 1964, murder by firearm has more than doubled1
and
WHEREAS1 in 1970, there were an estimated 138,000 armed
robberies coriimitted with firearms1 and
WHEREAS, 466 of the 604 law enforcement officers killed by
firearms between 1961 and 1970 died from handgun inflicted wounda1
and
WHEREAS, after the shootings of the Reverend Martin Luther
King, Jr. (by rifle) and Senator Robert F. Kennedy (by .22
caliber handgun) the City council of the City of Palo Alto on
June 10, 1968, by resolution applauded the President and Congr•••
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for passing the 1968 qun control laws, and urged representatives
and senators to support even stricter firearm control legislation;
and
WHEREAS, the 1968 gun control laws have proven to be in-
effectual in curtailing the proliferation of firearms and firearm
incidents; and
WHEREAS, the Congress of the United States has not enacted
any gun control legislation since 1968; and
WHEREAS, firearms, especially handguns, are still easily
accessible for use by irresponsible individuals such as addicts,
alcoholics, and demented persons; and
WHEREAS, since the enact~~nt of the 1968 gun control laws,
tens of thousands of citizens have been killed by firearms and
countless others have been critically wounded by gunfire
including Governor George c. Wallace and the late Gene Clifton,
a Palo Alto police officer; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of Palo Alto condemns these shoot-
ings by irresponsible people who have been able to acquire a
firearm with relative ease;
NOW, THERE.FORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does
RESOLVE as follows:
SECTION 1. The Council of the City of Palo Alto does hereby
oppose all bills pending in the Congress of the United States
designed, to emasculate or repeal the 1968 gun control laws.
SECTION 2. The Council of the City of Palo Alto does hereby
vigorowily urge the House of Representatives and the Senate to
malte the sale and private poss&ssion of handguns illegal, and to
impose stringent licensing and registration controls on rifles
and ahot9uns.
SECTION 3. The CoWlcil of the City of Palo Alto does hereby
endorae H.R. 8828 and s. 831 and \ll'gea enactment of these or
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similar gun control legislation at least as strong as the
aforementioned bills.
SECTION 4. The City Clerk of Palo Alto is hereby directed
to send a copy of this resolution to our representatives,
Congressman Gubser and Senators Cranston and Tunney, and to
New York Congressman Celler, Chairman of the House of Representatives
Judiciary Committee, Congressman Mikva of Illinois, Senator Bayh
of Indiana, Senator Hruska of Nebraska, Senator Kenne~y of
Massachusetts, Senator Steyenson of Illinois, and Senator Hart
of Michigan.
INTRODUCED AND PASSED: June 12, 1972.
AYES: Comstock, Henderson, Pearson, Rosenbaum, Seman.
?10ES: Berwald, Clark.
ABSENT: Beahrs, Norton.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
614kllJ~
citYCfutf Mayor
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
~~~1'1 "'I.,.,,,;
Assistant City Attorney
APPROVED:
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