In a videotaped interview, Charlotte's Police Chief Vines argues for an ordinance that will require background checks and a waiting period for all persons purchasing firearms, so as to limit gun ownership to responsible persons. Opponents of the ordinance are also interviewed; they argue that such an ordinance is intrusive and unnecessary. Panelist Nelson Shields, chairman of Handgun Control, Inc., argues for enforceable legislation that will keep guns out of the hands of criminals and irresponsible persons. He favors background checks and a waiting period for all persons seeking to purchase guns. Panelist J. Warren Cassidy, executive director of the National Rifle Association, argues against any legislation limiting the accessibility or the carrying of a gun. However, he favors heavy penalties for the criminal use of a gun. Panelist Mark Moore, a professor at Harvard University, reports on his research pertaining to the impact of gun control legislation on the rate and circumstances of robberies. He explains that control legislation does not reduce the number of robberies but does reduce the number of homicides associated with robberies; injuries in robberies, however, are reported to increase with gun control legislation. Moore favors the use of a magnetometer by police to detect concealed weapons where there is reasonable suspicion. The panelists all agree on the importance of teaching responsible gun owners about how to keep their guns secure from theft.
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